Italy’s Abarth, now 75 years old, has a convoluted history. It originally competed in motor sport under its scorpion logo, built sports and race machines, and funded much of this by selling go-fast parts for everyday Italian road cars.

In 1971, Abarth was bought by Fiat. After further evolutions, it’s now effectively that company’s high-performance division. It turns out hotter versions of regular models, such as today’s Abarth 695, based on the retro Fiat 500.