Fiat's Italian fervour has driven it to attempt to squeeze a Ferrari into a 500. At least, that's what the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari, which will appear at the Frankfurt show, seems to be telling us.

Fiat says the 695 holds the values of passion for performance, racing soul, and Italian style close at heart.

Abarth and Ferrari have a long history of together creating legendary marques, such as the 1953 Ferrari 166/250 MM Abarth; and much more recently, a limited edition of the Abarth 500.

The 695 might be most appreciated by those living on the edge. The Abarth-Ferrari engineers have squeezed a 1.4-litre, turbo T-Jet 16 valve engine into what little space there is under the bonnet. The 134kW coming from this unit drives an "electromechanical" transmission with paddle shift.

The car sits on 17-inch alloys, behind which sit 284mm, multi-section discs with Brembo, four-pot callipers. A strengthened suspension and special shock absorbers do what they can to keep this crazy Italian number in a safe space on the tar.

Trim is appropriately racy: bright-red paint, carbon fibre door mirrors and rear air intakes.

Xenon headlights — three times brighter than standard halogen lamp headlights — make for safer high-speed, night-time driving. We hope.

The cabin is fitted with lightweight bucket seats and drilled aluminium racing pedals. The instruments are inspired by Ferrari design.

Nobody in South Africa will be able to drive one because the 695 has yet to reach our shores.

Perhaps it's just as well. Raceway driving on urban roads seems to be a national pastime and the first few local buyers of these Ferrari tributes could well become five-minute owners.

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