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Turismo Competizione - legendary name of Abarth

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Turismo Competizione - legendary name of Abarth

The acronym "TC" stands for "Turismo Competizione". It is closely linked to the history of Abarth: the first car to bear this name was the Fiat-Abarth 850 TC, which is now celebrating its 60th birthday. Since then, this famous abbreviation has stood for the know-how at Abarth, especially when it comes to combining comfort for everyday use and travel with real racing character in road cars. The new versions of the Abarth 595 are rightly called Turismo and Competizione - because they too combine style and performance.

Tourism Competizione

This year the Fiat-Abarth 850 TC celebrates its 60th birthday. When it came on the market in 1961, it was the brand's first car with the scorpion in the logo, which was given the acronym “TC”, meaning “Turismo Competizione”. It thus already revealed its “double soul” in its name. And today these historical names - Turismo and Competizione - are the names of two versions of the new Abarth 595. After all, the current vehicles also offer maximum style and performance.

Turismo Competizione - legendary name of Abarth

Abarth continues to grow: After an extremely positive 2020 with an increase in market share of almost 50 percent compared to 2019, the positive trend in Europe was confirmed in the first four months of 2021 thanks to the new Abarth 595 range and the fresh editions of 595 Turismo and 595 Competizione.

Performance that is guaranteed to pump adrenaline into the blood, plus the sound of the exhaust system, the unmistakable design and maximum driving pleasure - this is how the success of the small super sports car from Abarth can be described. It provides sheer joy on the road and on the racetrack, just as the 1961 Fiat-Abarth 850 TC once did: This authentic, dynamic special series was suitable for everyday use, but also proved its capabilities on the racetracks. And now the eternally young icon is celebrating its 60th birthday.

Turismo Competizione - legendary name of Abarth

That is why 595 Turismo and 595 Competizione are reminiscent of this famous creation by the great Carlo Abarth in name and spirit: in 1961 he transformed a quiet family car into a handy, light and fast racing predator - and won numerous European competitions with it.

The 1961 Abarth 850 TC, the origin of a legendary scorpion

The early 1960s were shaped by the economic miracle. Everywhere in Europe people became mobile, the automobile reached the masses - in Italy Fiat brought inexpensive and practical vehicles onto the market with the 500 and 600 models. Carlo Abarth succeeded in building affordable high-performance cars based on both models, which drove their competitors away on European racetracks. This is how the brand with the scorpion in its logo became a legend. In February 1961, Carlo Abarth succeeded in an absolute stroke of luck - the Fiat-Abarth 850 TC. As a starting point, he took the Fiat 600 D, equipped with a four-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 767 cc. The bore was increased to 62,5 mm, the stroke to 69 mm and the displacement was increased to 847 ccm. Thanks to new, harder pistons, the compression ratio increased to 9: 2: 1.

In addition, a more powerful camshaft, a 32 mm Solex carburetor, a new air filter, a hardened crankshaft and a sports exhaust were installed. The output rose to 38 kW (52 hp) - and that with an empty weight of only 610 kilograms. The car reached a permanently available top speed of 140 km / h, for which an oil cooler was installed. At first it was under the bumper, later it even replaced it. In order to further cool the increasingly powerful engine, the tailgate was held in an elevated position with brackets, which was already indicated by the later standard rear spoiler. Abarthisti and motorsport fans are still familiar with this thrilling feature of the 850 TC.

Turismo Competizione - legendary name of Abarth

Success on the racetracks was quick, especially in the intense long-distance races, the 850 TC and its further developments, the Abarth 1000 and Radiale, showed their power and reliability. If you want to delve deeper into the subject and explore the potential of the iconic TC, you should search for information on the “2. ADAC 500 km race 1961 ”on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. He will then inevitably come across Abarth and names like Firtmayr, Abate or Liebl in the winners' lists. In order to remain successful, a new, even more powerful version has been developed - the 850 TC Corsa / 65. But it wasn't just the car's victories that were inspiring at the time: The Abarth 850 TC, for example, was also praised for the elegance of its interior with the wonderful Jaeger instruments and the three-spoke aluminum steering wheel.

From an industrial point of view, the construction of the 850 TC was only made possible by a special contract with Fiat: The agreement provided for the production of a number of 600 D models, which were specifically intended for the Abarth workshops on Corso Marche in Turin. There they were then specifically modified.

In fact, the acronym “TC” has its own very exciting story to tell. It is not only reminiscent of its ancestor, the 850 TC, but also, for example, of the Abarth Ritmo TC 125 of the early 1980s: In this vehicle, the acronym "TC" also stood for "Twin Cam", meaning two - in this one Case overhead - camshafts.

Abarth 595 Turismo and Abarth 595 Competizione - performance and style

The Abarth 595 Turismo and the Abarth 595 Competizione, both available as sedan and convertible versions with an electric hood, were developed for two different target groups. Thanks to their respective equipment features, both models have a strong, individual character.

The 595 Turismo is an expression of the aesthetics typical of Italian Granturismo and also of its comfort. The car is dedicated to all those individualists who want to live their style in every detail. 595 drivers love the city and its beautiful sides.

Turismo Competizione - legendary name of Abarth

The 595 Competizione is aimed at purists who love performance and unlimited sportiness - in other words, people who want to have fun on the road as well as on the racetrack. The 595 Competizione is a car for everyone who wants to make every journey a special experience.

The standard equipment is extraordinary and extensive - it includes a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, polyelliptic headlights and daytime running lights, the Abarth-specific high-performance braking system and a button to select the "Scorpion" driving mode. This ensures the fastest response of the engine when changing gears and when stepping on the gas pedal, for more torque and for calibration of the power steering.

As a tribute to the sporting history of Abarth, the 595 Competizione picks up on several historical design features: the new matt color Blu Rally is reminiscent of the Fiat 131 Abarth Rally from the 1970s, and the new 17-inch alloy wheels refer to the wheels of the Lancia Delta HF Integrale, the rally icon of the early 1990s.
The powerful Euro 6D final-compliant 1.4 T-Jet engine sits enthroned under the hood. It develops 121 kW (165 PS) in the Turismo and 132 kW (180 PS) in the Competizione .. The units used in the Italian and German Formula 4 are also based on this special engine.

Turismo Competizione - legendary name of Abarth

Consumption figures for the Abarth 595 / 595C

1.4 T-Jet 107 kW (145 hp) 6,7 (MT) l / 100 km ** 154 (MT) g / km **
1.4 T-Jet 121 kW (165 hp) 6,8 (MT) / 6,6 (MTA) l / 100 km ** 155 (MT) / 151 (MTA) g / km **
1.4 T-Jet 132 kW (180 hp) 6,8 (MT) / 6,7 (MTA) l / 100 km ** 155 (MT) / 153 (MTA) g // km **

* Fuel consumption combined (l / 100 km) according to RL 80 / 1268 / EWG and CO2Emission combined (g / km). For more information on official fuel consumption and the official specific CO2Emissions from new passenger cars can be found in the Fuel Consumption Guide, CO2Emissions and electricity consumption of new passenger cars ", which are available at all outlets and here is available free of charge.

Photo credit: Abarth

Turismo Competizione - legendary name of Abarth

Don't worry, of course that was far from being the case when it came to auto / auto tuning. Our magazine still has tens of thousands other tuning reports in stock. Do you want to see them all? Then just click HERE and look around. Or are you particularly interested in everything to do with the Tuner Abarth? Then the following excerpt with other vehicles is definitely the right one.

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Turismo Competizione - legendary name of Abarth

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About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

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