Fiat Abarth 131 Rally '1975-81

"Stradale"

Pure RWD action! Source: 131mirafiori.com

11.000 visitors! Thank you! This milestone deserves something seriously cool. How about supercharged Fiat from the 70's with Bertone styling and Abarth race spec?

This very special thing basis on not so special Fiat 131, predecessor of Fiat 124, maybe better known as Lada. Well, basic dull car can turn something beautiful when racing department takes over. Abarth founded 131 suitable for their next rally weapon, because the large engine room, rear wheel drive, and roots in 124 that was familiar from earlier rallies. Development started somewhere in 1974 and deadline was set to 1976 season. Many prototypes was developed, were wildest one is 131 SE031 Abarth equipped with tweaked Ferrari Dino's V6 engine producing 270hp@6800rpm! After several prototypes best engine combination was chosen to be 2 litre twin cam with supercharger that was suitable for group 4 in world rally championships. Luckily, homologation for the group reguired 400 road legal units to be produced.

Boxy style beats organic lines every time. Source: 131abarth.com

Boxy aerodynamics are designed by Bertone and are able to swallow even 12 inch wide rims for tarmac use. Works car had 12/10 inch rotors with twin calibers, hydraulic hand brake, three different body strength options, and ZF's five speed gearbox with limited slip differential. The KugelFischer mechanically injected 1995cc engine produced around 220hp@8000rpm and rev limiter was set all the way up to 8500rpm! Cool figures for car weighting just 973kg.

Back in the days works and civil model didn't have much a difference... Source: 131mirafiori.com

Winning formula took rally world championship in 1977, 78, and 80! Road going versions were sold in quite customizable way and customers were able to choose from many options from works cars, especially latter models were basically build from "leftover" parts from the Abarth garage.

Check out here one happy guy driving it and introducing all the details (in Spanish?).

Road spec in details (works figures):

 

Engine
- R4, 1995cc, twin cam, belt driven, 16 valve, DOCH "138 AR1.000" (Abarth type 236b)
- Compression ratio: 10,1:1 (10,7:1)
- Aluminum cylinder head
- Weber 34 DMTR carbs (KugelFischer mechanical injection)
- Works model has Abarth: pistons, valve springs, head gasket, spark plugs, and larger valves
- Rotary pump sump lubrication, cap 4.1kg /cap 6.6kg)
- 4-1 exhaust

Numbers
- 140hp/6400rpm (approx. 215hp/7000rpm, max 8600rpm)
- 176Nm/3800rpm (approx. 225Nm/3800rpm)
- 0-100Km/h: 8,2s (6,6s)
- 0-400M: 15,3s (14,6s)
- Top speed 200Km/h (185Km/h)
- 980kg
- Weight distribution in works model 50/50%

Transmission
- 5 speed manual, RWD (ZF's 5 speed dog manual with limited splip)
- Final drive ratio 14/50 (between 7/43 and 11/40)
- single dry plate clutch

Chassis
- Independent McPherson front and independent wishbones rear (fully independent rear suspension) 
- Disks front (single pistons) and rear drums (12/10inch ventilated discs with dual pistons)
- Cromadora 14x7" alloys and 185/60HR Pirelli tires (15x7" alloys with 185/70 or 285/35 tires!)

Exterior
- Fiberglass exterior, except roof, doors and area between rear lights are steel
- Bumpers removed
- Rear wing
- Rear window wing
- Extended fenders
- Rain drop style mirrors
- Air intakes for rear brakes
- Bonnet scoop

Interior
- Bucket seats
- Sport steering wheel
- Rolling gage
- Extra set of gauges

Other
- 75% of parts are identical with standard models
- Approx. 400 was ever made
- Approx. 350 was sold by Italian dealers and 50 were given for Abarth for rally use
- Body parts made and fit by Bertone

VW Beetle RSi Cabrio '2003

'Ladybird'

Source: cyberbeetle.de

Ladybird -comes to my mind when thinking about 1st generation new beetle, it's maybe the most playful car ever made, especially the cabrio. Design is caricature of rounded car, were the another option would be boxy Volvo 700 from the eighties. Shape doesn't respect the original, but it's easily discovered as Beetle, because there's no another design that comes even close to Beetles characteristics. But there's nothing playful of driving the car, except the smiley faces of people questioning your libido and sense of style. Yes, it's just another Golf with fulsome retro styling and safe, but not thrilling driving experience. Luckily, Dub guys saved some mushrooms when drawing the lines and decided create the RSi -version to boost the sales and make New Beetle behave according to cartoon appear.

Source: beetle.cabriolets.online.fr

Formula is familiar among Wolf Cars. Take the basic chassis, install powerful lump (from the Golf R32 and originally from TT), ensure safety with four-wheel drive, tweak exterior and interior and vòla wolf car it is! With this limited edition of 250 units the exterior and interior styling is exceptionally successful with the wide body, huge wing, and tasty orange leather interior with carbon detailing. I have never driven RSi, but according to press added aggressive didn't help and RSi don't drive like it should, even there's rumours that Porsche was involved in chassis design. Introduced RSi cabrio is ultimate version of the RSi and only couple "design studies" was ever made and unluckily without the tasty orange interior.

Super cool interior of the coupe model. Source: cyberbeetle.de

In details:

Engine
- VR6, 3189cc, 24-valve (BFH/BML)
- Compression ratio: 10,8:1

Numbers
- 224hp/6200rpm (red line 6500rpm)
- 320Nm/3200rpm
- 0-100Km/h: 6,4s
- 0-400M: 14,8s
- 1Km: 24,7s
- Top speed 225Km/h
- 1515kg
- Drag coefficient: 0,4

Transmission
- 6 speed manual, 4WD (Haldex)
- Limited slip differential 

Chassis
- Independent McPherson front and semi-independent rear suspension
- Ventilated disks front and rear (334/26mm)
- O.Z Racing "Superturismo"18x9" alloys and 235/40ZR18 tires

Exterior
- Wider bumbers
- Rear wing
- Rear window wing
- 80mm wider fenders
- Double exhaust outlet

Interior
- Bucket seats in orange leather (color coded back)
- Speedo with LED shift lights
- Extra set of gauges
- Carbon trim
- Carbon door panels
- Alloy detailing
- Alloy pedals and feed rests (for both front passengers)
- Production number plate

Other
- Limited 250 unit production of "coupe" (in between 10/2000 - 3/2003) and couple cabrio prototypes
- All painted in reflex silber