Abarth 2000 Scorpione

The Abarth 2000 Scorpione was designed by Filippo Sapino at Pininfarina and unveiled at the 1969 Brussels Motor Show. It was based on the Abarth 2000 Sport Spider SE010 chassis and featured a mid-engine layout with a tubular steel spaceframe construction. The body was made of lightweight fiberglass panels to reduce overall mass, resulting in a dry weight of approximately 670 kg. Power was provided by a centrally mounted Fiat/Abarth Tipo 236 inline four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1,946 cc. The unit featured dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and a Weber carburetor setup. Output was rated at 220 hp, transmitted to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. With this configuration, the car achieved a top speed of approximately 270 km/h. The chassis employed fully independent suspension with coil springs, hydraulic dampers, and anti-roll bars at both axles. Steering was by rack and pinion, and braking was managed by ventilated discs on all four wheels. The car’s layout provided low center of gravity and balanced handling suited to competition-oriented performance. Dimensions included an overall length of 3,780 mm, width of 1,780 mm, height of 970 mm, and wheelbase of 2,085 mm. The body design was characterized by its sharply angled wedge form and low frontal profile. The front fascia integrated a unique lighting system comprising six rotating headlights, adjustable according to the driver’s requirements. The rear section featured a large glass canopy over the engine bay and a wide, flat tail with exposed exhaust outlets. The Abarth 2000 Scorpione was constructed as a single prototype, intended to explore aerodynamic efficiency, advanced materials, and new styling language for mid-engine sports cars. It represented a technical collaboration between Abarth’s racing engineering and Pininfarina’s experimental design studio.