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Subscribing to the classic formula of big engines in small packages, this Austrian hillclimbing team has made what could be the ultimate Fiat Abarth 500 racer anywhere. As you can see, the shape of this race car has been widened and chopped so much so that it resembles a melted Fiat 500 more than anything else.
The actual car has a tube-framed chassis, with body panels made from fiberglass. This makes the target weight for the car of about 500 kilos believable, given the toy-like dimensions of the car. One look at the rear of the car and you realize that this car is no front driver powered by a sewing machine. Mounted amidships in a longitudinal configuration, the engine is a Powertec 2.8 V8, producing 450 NA horsepower. Transmission is a sequential six-speed.
http://posterous.com/getfile/files.p...scaled.500.jpg
Suspension for the rear is pushrod type, with the coilover assembly mounted atop the transmission tunnel, helping keep the mass centered in the car. The radiators are positioned in front of the rear wheels, fed by scoops on the sides of the body. Just like any other race car, instrumentation is now provided by a single multi-page display, which also provides datalogging as well as monitoring functions.
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Performance calculations estimate that this car will hit 60 mph in 1.64 seconds. As it is a hillclimb racer, top speed is academic because it is designed for the fastest cornering speed instead of outright velocity. Although a big engine in a small car is a traditional combination, it’s refreshing to see this principle applied to modern cars.
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Georg Pacher - PRC-Abarth - YouTube
