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Abarth 695 Esseesse’s Variable Spoiler: Will It Improve Aero or Just Aesthetics?

Recently, Fiat revealed the newest limited edition of the Abarth 695 pocket rocket called Esseesse. While it won’t make any jaws drop with its styling or upgrades, it dons a variable rear spoiler on its rear end, a feature that you would normally see on bigger and much faster track-oriented cars.
Abarth 695 Esseesse 23 photos
Photo: Stellantis N.V.
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Abarth has been around for more than seven decades, starting as an  independent company that built and raced sports cars. It also developed performance upgrades for several manufacturers including Fiat who eventually took over and made it its official motorsport subsidiary.

Among the models that got the Abarth treatment in the 1960s was the 595 which was based on the tiny 500 city car. It wasn’t very fast, but it was light, agile, and looked angry so it was hard not to like.

Years later, when Fiat launched the modern 500 in 2007, the performance division was again tasked with creating a sporty variant, which resulted in the revival of the 595 range a year later.

Since the Fiat 500’s future is all-electric, many have wondered what would happen to the Abarth version. For now, it’s still alive and kicking, with various limited editions to choose from.

Abarth 695 Esseesse
Photo: Stellantis N.V.
The latest dubbed Esseesse was revealed recently and although it doesn’t come with any new performance upgrades and is only unique in terms of aesthetics, the car’s most interesting feature is a variable rear spoiler.

According to the manufacturer, this component that is officially called Spoiler ad Assetto Variabile can be adjusted at any angle from 0 to 60 degrees. When it’s fully tilted, it will help increase downforce by 42 kg (93 lbs) and improve overall stability, especially through corners. On the other hand, when it’s completely level, the spoiler will reduce drag and help the pocket rocket reach 225 kph (140 mph).

Okay, in theory, that could be true, but one thing Fiat doesn’t mention is what speed is needed to harness all that extra downforce or how much top speed does the 695 loose with a fully tilted spoiler. That's probably because this clever little add on doesn't make a real difference in terms of performance and if it does, it's negligible.

Abarth 695 Esseesse
Photo: Stellantis N.V.
The Esseesse has a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that delivers no more than 180 hp and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. On paper, that's nowhere near track car territory and the 695 is not meant for that. It's engineered to o deliver an engaging driving experience. It's nimble, comes with sporty Koni shocks and feels surprisingly planted, so why not take it to a circuit? You won’t be breaking any records but maybe you have a couple of friends who also own other 595 versions and you want to see who’s the fastest. However, if you think that the spoiler your car has will give you the edge, think again.

What it will do is make your 695 look cooler and when fully tilted, will help those behind you see what car you’re driving thanks to the huge Abarth lettering. It will also give you the bragging rights for owning a car with an aerodynamic feature that is more common on much faster machines. This will surely make your fellow Abarthisti envious, that is, if they don’t own a 595 Anniversario which also comes with this component.

To conclude, the Spoiler ad Assetto Variabile is more of an aesthetic improvement than a cutting-edge performance-enhancing feature. That being said, it makes the special edition model even more special and it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t look good.

The exclusive 595 Esseesse will be produced in 1,390 units but we don’t have the exact price yet. However, if other special editions are any indication, we can expect it to cost around €40,000 ($34,000).

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About the author: Vlad Radu
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Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times.
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