The eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette has emerged as a new mid-engined supercar at a price point that makes it affordable to the masses. As dubious as some skeptics might feel about buying a car that promises impressive performance and power stats with a sticker that starts under $60,000, the truth is that plenty of mid-engined sports cars have paved the road that the Corvette now travels. Perhaps the best known are the Porsche 914, Boxster, and Cayman—though Fiat also had a mid-engined model in the lineup during the 1970s and 80s, the X1/9. Let's check out this race prepped example conquering the hill climb.
Seriously Powerful
But there's no way a Fiat X1/9 in factory trim could even come close to comparing to the new Corvette. The little car might have weighed right around 2,000 pounds—incredibly light for today's standards—but it first debuted with a teensy inline-four displacing only 1.3 liters and producing only 74 horsepower. That fact makes a recent video featuring a massively worked-over Fiat X1/9 competing in a hill climb with a claimed 300 horses on tap seem absolutely radical.
Canyon Carving
As aggressive as this little X1/9 looks with a body kit and massive rear wing, the video is truly a gem thanks to the wail of a 2.0-liter Alfa Romeo four-banger sourced from a 155 Superturismo. The engine can rev all the way up to a stratospheric 9,000 RPM—and the car tips the scales at 670 kilograms (or 1,477 pounds). Turn the volume up to 11 to fully enjoy this build.
Screaming Out Loud
The little car was filmed being driven by Manuel Dondi at the FIA Hillclimb Masters 2018 in Gubbio, Italy. Taking corners at top speed, blasting up the straights, and blipping the throttle during braking all show the potential that Fiat built into the X1/9 chassis—even if the company didn't bestow the car with an engine it deserved from the factory.
Source: Youtube