Abarth 695 Biposto (2015–2016) Price Guide

The Abarth 695 Biposto is the most extreme road-legal Abarth ever made. No radio. No air conditioning. No rear seats. No carpets. An optional dog-ring racing gearbox that costs more than an entire Fiat 500. This is a car that takes the concept of a city-car-based hot hatch and pushes it into territory that borders on the clinically insane.

The Car

Launched at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the Biposto (Italian for “two seats”) used the 1.4-litre T-Jet turbo lifted from Abarth’s 695 Assetto Corsa racing car, tuned to 190bhp at 5,500rpm — the most powerful engine ever fitted to a road-going Abarth and a record-breaking 139bhp per litre for the engine size. Dry weight was 997kg. The Bacci Romano dog-ring gearbox was an option at a staggering cost, bringing with it a mechanical self-locking differential, lightened flywheel, and copper clutch. Upshifts could be made without the clutch — just lift the throttle and bang the next gear home. Polycarbonate Lexan racing windows with sliding ventilation apertures replaced conventional glass. The Akrapovic dual-stage exhaust used titanium tailpipes. All cars were painted Grigio Opaco (matte performance grey) with lime green or red accent detailing. Sabelt racing bucket seats with four-point harnesses, a titanium rear strut brace by Poggipolini, and carbon fibre door cards completed a specification that had more in common with a touring car than a road car.

Dog Ring or Standard

The dog-ring gearbox transforms the Biposto from a very fast Abarth into something genuinely unique — the only road-legal production car in the world with a dog-engagement transmission. On a track it is extraordinary: mechanical, instantaneous, and deeply addictive. On the road it is challenging to the point of antisocial, crashing and banging through urban traffic in a way that makes the standard five-speed manual feel like silk by comparison. Cars with the dog ring command substantial premiums and are the ones that collectors pursue most actively.

Buying

The Biposto is the 695 with the strongest investment trajectory. Dog-ring cars are the most sought after. Verify the gearbox specification carefully — at least one car has been found with an aftermarket short-shifter rather than the genuine Bacci Romano unit. The carbon kit, Pista kit, and polycarbonate windows are the other desirable option packs. With the 595 range now discontinued, the Biposto represents the absolute peak of what Abarth achieved with the Fiat 500 platform.