81 SUPER PANDA...

I've spent my hard-earned money on an Abarth 500 when I should have bought a Fiat Panda. I know that the Abarth is renowned as a cracking little car (Jeremy Clarkson said it thinks it is "Baby Lamborghini"), but maybe the Panda is better. This one is better than mine unless you want to listen to the radio, sit comfortably, or drive on public roads.

For just €65,000, I could have bought this full rally-spec Panda, one of only two made by Abarth, known as 'Super Panda'. According to the advert, it is in impeccable condition, meticulously detailed, and boasts a significant racing pedigree. 

This race-ready car features:

• A Zanghellini 6-speed sequential gearbox

• Hydraulic clutch

• Marcelli control unit with Punto Super 2000 display

• APRacing braking system

• Reinforced roll bars at the domes

• Custom titanium exhaust system, precision-tuned on a test bench

• Engine 1400 cc 8 valves 4 throttle bodies

• Zanchellini axle shafts

• Motec ECU

• 15" rims with Pirelli tyres

• Sparco seats

• Sparco seatbelts

• Sparco Rollbar with Fische n.02/02

• Standard tank

• Sparco electronic Sparco fire extinguisher with aluminium swingarm

• 157 horsepower

• 600 kg

The car is 2 cm wider and 100 kg lighter than standard.  Completely rebuilt from the ground up over two years, it has competed in only two races.  The engine and gearbox have been thoroughly inspected and fine-tuned with the utmost care.

Although it would be an absolute scream to hoon around in the Super Panda, the cost, lack of driver comforts, and the fact that it isn't technically road-legal put a massive fly in the ointment. Still, it is fun to look at.