A couple of months ago we had a look at Fiat’s 500 Riva special edition, and later found out that South Africa would be getting 20. But now Abarth has taken the wraps off of its 695 Rivale, which celebrates the 175th anniversary of Riva yachts.
Designed in partnership with Riva, the 695 Rivale features design elements inspired by the nautical world with its two-tone Riva Sera Blue and Shark Grey colour scheme accompanied by some satin chrome finishes. It also features a set of 17-inch alloy wheels and some commemorative badging.
The interior gains a similar treatment. Inspired by the new 56 Rivale yacht (as seen in the images above), the cabin features a set of carbon-fibre kick plates, blue leather seats with celebratory logos and interior door panels and black mats with blue inserts. The dashboard can be decked out with either carbon-fibre or mahogany. There’s also a plaque below the handbrake that indicates the build number.
Other upmarket optional extras include a steering wheel covered in blue and black leather with a mahogany badge, a blue leather instrument panel cover and a mahogany gear lever knob.
Seeing that this is an Abarth, the 695 Rivale is no slouch when it comes to performance. Using the brand’s turbocharged 1,4-litre four-cylinder engine, it will deliver 134 kW and 250 N.m of torque to the front wheels. This results in a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 6,7 seconds and a top speed of 225 km/h.
Added driving character is provided by the Akrapović exhaust system, Brembo brakes with four-piston front fixed calipers and a Koni suspension with active damping.
The Abarth 695 Rivale will receive a limited production run, with only 175 coupés and 175 cabriolets to be built. No word yet on how much each will cost…
