Abarth has set a new Guinness World Record after a 124 Spider managed to pull off the ‘fastest figure of eight, five times between two cars’ in just 45.66 seconds.
Driving the completely stock 124 Spider was stunt driver Alastair Moffatt, who set the record at the 2018 Chateau Impney Hill Climb back in July, although it was only now officially recognized by the world record organization.
“We’re delighted that Alastair chose the Abarth 124 spider for this record attempt. Abarth have a long history of setting records in the past and it’s great to have added a new one,” said Gerry Southerington for Abarth UK. “We congratulate Alastair on his remarkable achievement. We don’t recommend that people attempt such amazing stunts in public, but it’s good to know that the Abarth 124 spider is incredibly maneuverable in the hands of a trained professional.”
Alastair, who holds multiple Guinness World Records such as ‘Tightest Reverse Parallel Park’ and ‘Tightest Single Parallel Park’, performed the figure of eight while sliding between two other Abarth 124 Spiders, five times in a row. The car had its electronic stability program (ESP) turned off, in order to allow the driver more control via the handbrake. Also, the tire pressures were increased to compensate for the abrasiveness of the surface.
“It’s wonderful to have set this record,” stated the stunt man. “Finding the right vehicle is increasingly important for these record attempts, so the light weight, agility and rear wheel drive of the Abarth 124 Spider made it the perfect choice.”
Powering the 124 Spider is a 170 PS (168 HP) 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo unit, allowing for a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 231 km/h (144 mph).