Wheels and deals

The limited-edition Abarth 595 Trofeo Edition has gone on sale in the UK, with only 250 of the Fiat 500-based sporting specials coming to these shores.
2015 Caterham Superlight Twenty.2015 Caterham Superlight Twenty.
2015 Caterham Superlight Twenty.

Priced from £15,150, the Abarth 595 Trofeo comes with a 140bhp 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine that takes the car from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds and on to 127mph — not to be sniffed at in a car the size of a postage stamp.

Every Trofeo model will come with £1,275 worth of extra equipment not usually offered in this model. Customers will pay only £540 for the added extras, says Abarth.

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The extras include a choice of three colours, covered by Record Grey, Scorpione Black and Officina Red, as well as Edition colour-coded brake calipers and matching wheel centres. There’s also a carbon fibre-effect Abarth decal set, Formula alloy wheels, rear privacy glass and “Trofeo Edition” badges.

Handout Photo of 2015 Abarth 595 Trofeo Edition, See PA Feature MOTORING News, Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Handout. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature MOTORING News,Handout Photo of 2015 Abarth 595 Trofeo Edition, See PA Feature MOTORING News, Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Handout. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature MOTORING News,
Handout Photo of 2015 Abarth 595 Trofeo Edition, See PA Feature MOTORING News, Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Handout. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature MOTORING News,

The Abarth 595 Trofeo Edition is available to buy now.

A limited production run of just 20 Caterham Superlight Twenty models marks the 20th anniversary of the British sports car firm’s iconic Superlight model.

Regarded as one of the best Caterham models ever made, the Superlight was launched in 1996 and the new special edition will be launched at the Goodwood Revival.

All 20 of the Superlight Twenty models will come with a 135bhp 1.6-litre engine and six-speed gearbox. It will also feature Sport suspension, a lightweight flywheel and limited slip differential to give keen drivers a track car feel.

Handout Photo, Driving a powerful car increases the heartrate more than extreme sports,  See PA Feature MOTORING News, Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Handout. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature MOTORING NewsHandout Photo, Driving a powerful car increases the heartrate more than extreme sports,  See PA Feature MOTORING News, Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Handout. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature MOTORING News
Handout Photo, Driving a powerful car increases the heartrate more than extreme sports, See PA Feature MOTORING News, Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Handout. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature MOTORING News
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To live up to the Superlight name, the special edition has carbon fibre wings, nose cone and a minimal aeroscreen in place of a windscreen. The bodywork is finished in bare aluminium, just like the original Superlight, as it saves 6kg in weight by not using paint.

All of the 20 special editions come with unique gauges, key and gear knob. They also use the same lightweight seats as in the 620R and have carbon fibre interior panels to save more weight.

The Superlight Twenty will cover 0-6omph in 4.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 122mph. It will cost £29,995, or you can buy a self-assembly version for £26,995.

Driving a powerful car increases the heart rate by almost four times, which is more than when watching a horror film, riding a rollercoaster or even skydiving.

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The research comes from Mini and the University of Portsmouth, which put drivers in a Mini John Cooper Works alongside stunt driver Niki Faulkner. Each of the passengers’ anxiety levels were measured, with some drivers registering a level 370% higher than normal - even higher than when proposing marriage.

During the tests at Goodwood Motor Circuit, the passengers’ heart rates were also measured and found to jump from an average resting rate of 100 beats-per-minute to 181bpm.

Dr Chris Wagstaff of Portsmouth University explained: “In situations of fear and excitement, the body reacts according to a combination of our thoughts and survival instinct ­— reactions are faster, our heart rate increases. This is part of the evolutionary fight or flight response humans developed many hundreds of years ago. However, in the absence of natural predators to trigger such responses, humans occasionally seek out risks or thrills.”

The study also found drivers’ reaction times improved by 6% when driving a powerful car quickly as adrenaline was produced by the body to cope with the increased level of anxiety and excitement.