Team ENZED Abarth has touched down in Australia, and is set for its first Australian Targa rally season.
Arriving from New Zealand, the ENZED sponsored Fiat Abarth will compete in the upcoming Classic Adelaide Rally and Targa Tasmania competitions, plus engage in various marketing activities for the brand.
Owned and driven by New Zealander Mike Lowe, the 2015 Fiat Abarth is one of only 49 works-built 500 Assetto Corse Rallye vehicles in existence and the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
Mike is an experienced tarmac rally campaigner, having a 22 year unbroken finishing record in NZ tarmac rallies; most of those in Mike’s original 1964 Fiat Abarth 1000 known as ‘Barty’.
This year the stars aligned leading to an opportunity with ENZED Australia for Mike to ship his new Fiat Abarth to Australia and compete in two of the most iconic Australian tarmac rally events.
“I’ve competed in Classic Adelaide previously and it’s a great event, but being able to add Targa Tasmania to the campaign in Australia is ticking off a bucket list item for me and I just can’t wait,” said Mike.
“Shipping the new Fiat ‘Barty 2’ across the ditch is a large undertaking, but with help from my team it was prepared and sent, arriving with no issues on Aussie soil and now ready for action.”
Barty 2 still retains its 1.4L engine, albeit with the addition of an upgraded turbo that now produces a massive 255hp at the front wheels. In order to manage the increased power in the featherweight Fiat, the clutch was upgraded along with larger brake ducting and new rear suspension. The package makes the car a true pocket rocket, weighing in at 980kg dry, which is almost half the weight of the average 4WD entrant.
“We are looking forward to the fantastic local roads and mixing it with the other competitors. Abarth’s have a proud heritage of victory, so we are not coming here to finish second.”
Instead of Mike’s usual co-driver Philip Sutton, he will have his partner, Kerry Chevis, giving the directions for the first time in the new car. Team ENZED Abarth will compete at the Classic Adelaide Rally, November 17 -19, followed by the famous Targa Tasmania, 24th – 29th April 2017.
SUBSCRIBE BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY
