Turin, Italy – Starting from June 2017 and for the next three years, Iveco will be the official supplier of heavy-duty transport vehicles for the Abarth racing division.
The international truckmaker will supply two trucks, a Stralis XP for the Abarth Selenia Trophy circuit racer, and a Eurocargo for the the Abarth 124 Rally Selenia car.
To commemorate the partnership, Iveco will be building a limited edition (the first we’ve ever heard of from a truckmaker) of the New Stralis XP TCO2 Champion, finished in the traditional white with red and grey graphics of the works Abarth racers.
Just 124 will be made, to tie in with the tuner’s Abarth 124 R-GT customer rally car, which has a 224kW 1.8-litre turbopetrol four driving via a six-speed sequential gearbox. The very first one off the line – number ‘zero’ – will be the one that hauls the works R-GT from one rally to the next.
The livery of the limited-edition trucks has been inspired by the one-of-a-kind New Stralis XP Abarth ‘Emotional Truck’, created by the Abarth Style Centre to celebrate the new partnership, with leather upholstery in Abarth colours on the seats, door panels and steering wheel.
Although it won’t be racing, the custom Stralis will be on display in the Iveco paddock at every round of the 2017 European Truck Racing.