Meet ‘Hercules’, Pogea Racing’s mad Abarth 595

If you need a one-line summation of the new Pogea Racing ‘Hercules’, may we humbly defer to that titan of 1980s philosophy, Scrappy Doo: ‘Lemme at ‘em!’

It’s small, it’s mighty and chances are it won’t go unnoticed. Indeed, German tuner Pogea rightly points out the obvious visual differences between a standard Abarth 595 and Hercules.

All four arches have been ever-so-massively extended, plus it's installed new side sills and panels, and new front and rear skirt trims. All the new components are manufactured from carbon fibre, available in a variety of options such as clear-coated, pre-painted, and other such hits. There’s even the option of those bonnet-mounted vents.

But what is grrr without vrrrr, right? Underneath, the 595’s 1.4-litre engine has been boosted in stages right the way up to 217bhp, courtesy of a very fancy new exhaust system with a downpipe that helps reduce engine compartment temps, and a new ECU. There’s also a healthy 258lb ft of torque, allowing Master Scrappy – sorry, Hercules – to reach 62mph in just 6.2s.

The suspension’s been upgraded to four-way adjustable KW coilovers, sports springs, and a lowered ride height (45mm lower than standard). Plus, the wheels match it’s bravado: 18 inchers wrapped in Michelins.

The price for the full kit – minus the car, obvs – is €18,810 plus VAT. All that’s missing is a ‘Puppy Power’ logo on the rear windscreen…