Benvenuti amici!
Last year, we touched upon FIATs role in the history of Motorsport. The blog entry, from May 2014, went as far back as the first purpose-built race car… the 1902 FIAT 24hp Corsa. FIAT, along with it's prestigious subsidiaries, have dominated the course of racing history. Although we don't always read about or hear it mentioned in adverts, FIAT & ABARTH, along with their more famous cousins (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lancia & Maserati) are brands synonymous with performance. Enter either of these names + racing into your preferred search engine for indisputable evidence.
Last year, we touched upon FIATs role in the history of Motorsport. The blog entry, from May 2014, went as far back as the first purpose-built race car… the 1902 FIAT 24hp Corsa. FIAT, along with it's prestigious subsidiaries, have dominated the course of racing history. Although we don't always read about or hear it mentioned in adverts, FIAT & ABARTH, along with their more famous cousins (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lancia & Maserati) are brands synonymous with performance. Enter either of these names + racing into your preferred search engine for indisputable evidence.
FIAT 500 & Alfa Romeo MiTo
The above-mentioned list of lustful Italians found ways to translate track advancements to street viability and vice versa. As was then is now. There is a new buzz in the air (for 2015) and that buzz is the sound of Alfa Romeo-derived FIAT Famiglia MultiAir/UniAir motors. Patented by FIAT in 2002, the technology (in 1.4 L petrol form) was introduced in the 2009 Alfa Romeo MiTo. Its most famous appearance to date, though, must be the Alfa Romeo 4C… the dream inducing four cylinder supercar.
The World's Fastest MultiAir Street Beast
The engine, developed by a Rinaldo Rinolfi led team of engineers, is nothing short of revolutionary in the realm of petrol-powered engines. The electro-hydraulic tech, for lack of better words, takes the place of the throttle valve… allowing the engine to create more power while producing fewer emissions. FIAT has since used the MultiAir as the basis for other applications, such as; award winning the Chrysler Tigershark and FIAT TwinAir engines (used in Alfas, FIATs & Lancias). All of them owe a great deal to the Rodolfo Benetto developed 1985 FIAT FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotized Engine).
Turbo-charged MultiAir for Formula 4
More recently, on March 4 2014, the ABARTH division of FIAT S.p.A. announced a collaboration with the FIA (Fèdèration Internationale de l'Automobile) to supply the MultiAir Turbo ABARTH engine for use in powering Formula 4 cars. This an important development for the future of FIAT passenger coaches. As we learned from don Enzo Ferrari, the sales of passenger coaches fuels the research & development in the Motorsport arena. Likewise, the involvement of a mainstream automaker in the Motorsport arena heightens recognition for the mainstream models. These realities are just what FIAT needs for the North American market… more visibility… separate from their involvement in rebuilding the once crippled Chrysler Group LLC.
From Italy with Love ~ MultiAir Turbo Style
The announcement of the FIA partnership came at the debut of the infamous ABARTH 695 Biposto. Dubbed "The Most ABARTH of All ABARTHs", the very exclusive special edition of the ultimate hyper city car is creating more global buzz for the FIAT brand, the flagship Cinquecento as well as growing the membership for The Cult of the Scorpion. While not every car aficionado or FIAT fan can afford the made-to-order "World's Smallest Supercar", it creates an in-house testing ground for future generations of mighty mice.
In-house Ad for the "Black-tie Racer"
Vivere.Amare.Guidare.
Ciao!
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