Thanks to Ferrari and other sports car makers from Italy, most automotive enthusiasts know what to expect when the words “Corsa” and “Stradale” are used to name a vehicle(for the record, “Corsa” is Italian for “Race” and “Stradale” for road), not that Zender’s Abarth 500 Corsa Stradale needs to explain what it was made for…
One of the world premieres of the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show that went by unnoticed during the press days, the Abarth 500 Corsa Stradale is a conceptual project of what can be done to impressively muscle up the popular Italian mini.
Zender, which some of you may remember from the 1980s and 1990s as a tuning firm, created a new body for the Abarth 500 made from carbon fiber, including the new front end that connects the fascia, boot and the front section of the widened fenders, the prominent side skirts, a rear spoiler, bloated rear wheel arches and the sexy looking rear bumper / diffuser combo.
The lowered sports suspension and the wheel arch-filling 18-inch alloys shod in 215/35 ZR 18 Pirelli P Zero Black performance tires enhance the car’s aggressive stance.
Inside, the cabin was tastefully redone in two-tone leather with decorative stitching, while also obtaining custom sports seats, stainless steel illuminated door sill strips, and new stainless steel pedals.
All this brings us to the car’s mechanical upgrades with Zender boosting the stock 1.4-liter turbocharged unit to 236-horsepower (240PS) and 335Nm (247 lb-ft), and quoting a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 6.5 seconds, 0-200 km/h (124mph) in 24.7 seconds and a top speed of 232 km/h (144mph).
Currently, there are no plans for a production edition of the concept.
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