This is the Abarth 695 70th Anniversario – a special edition version of Abarth’s flagship hot hatch which celebrates the brand’s 70th year in business. Prices will start from £29,695, with production being limited to just 1,949 units in reference to the year of the Italian brand’s birth.

Styling revisions over the standard Abarth 595 include a set of wider 17-inch SuperSport alloy wheels, flared wheel arches, deeper side skirts and a new, manually adjustable rear wing, which offers 12 settings between zero and 60 degrees. At its maximum setting, the new spoiler offers 42kg of extra downforce at a speed of 124mph.

• Best hot hatchbacks on sale

The 695 70th Anniversario is finished in a unique Monza green, as a tribute to the first ever 500 Abarth which set six international records at the Italian track in 1958. Abarth has also added a chequerboard decal to the 695’s roof, and a scorpion decal to its bonnet, in honour of the firm’s historic racers.

Other mechanical upgrades include a set of larger ventilated disc brakes, four-piston aluminium Brembo calipers and a pair of adaptive Koni dampers for the rear axle. Abarth has also fitted this latest special edition 695 with an active Record Monza exhaust system.

The car is powered by the most potent version of Abarth’s turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 178bhp and 250Nm of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox and a mechanical limited-slip differential, offering a 0–62mph time of 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 139mph.

Inside, buyers get a sports steering wheel, an aluminium shift-knob, unique floor mats, automatic climate control and a seven-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a telemetry system. There’s also a pair of unique bucket seats, developed by Sabelt specifically for the 695 70th Anniversario.

What do you make of the limited edition Abarth 695 70th Anniversario. Let us know in the comments section below…