After dominating the car racing scene in the 1960s, a rejuvenated Abarth has taken on the waters of the Mediterranean with the Powershore Abarth SP rigid inflatable boat.
While best known as Fiat's in-house tuner division, this time Abarth got to work on the Strider 12S from Italy's SACS Marine, who had already teamed up with another Fiat division for the Lancia di Lancia diesel powerboat.
The Powershore is slated to debut at next week's Genoa International Boat Show, where Abarth hopes it will attract buyers interested in "unmistakeable style with typically superlative" performance.
No word on pricing yet, but we expect the latest Abarth to be as expensive as it is thrilling.
The 40-foot powerboat has a rigid hull with buoyant inflatable tubes that make it harder to sink and more comfortable in rough seas than similarly-sized conventional yachts.
For a powerplant, Abarth looked to its longstanding partnership with Yamaha which has already resulted in the FZ1 motorcycle and Fiat sponsorship of Yamaha's MotoGP team. With three specially-tuned Yamaha V8 outboards, Abarth says the Powershore delivers "the same kicks on the water as a racing car or bike on the land."
Should you and your well-heeled seafaring friend tire after a day of high-horsepower fun, the boat can sleep two in relative luxury. The boat's interior is also uniquely designed for Abarth, with racing motifs adorning the deck and compartments.
Photos: Abarth. The Abarth Powershore SP is the Italian tuner's first foray into watercraft.
