The more time-consuming it is, the cuter partner will be

The TRIAL Circuit Run, organized by Osaka-based pro shop Trial, is an event where you can enjoy circuit driving with a variety of cars, including Toyota 86, Honda Integra, and BMW Mini. In this issue, we introduce you to some of the Abarth owners who caught our attention at the Trial Circuit Run held at Okayama International Circuit on 5 April 2023.

Tuned in the direction of driving fun

Haruhisa Kawaguchi bought his 2020 Abarth 595 Competizione three years ago. How did Mr. Kawaguchi come to adopt this car, with its white body and red stripes, as his favorite car?　We first asked him how it came about.

“When I was looking for a manual car, I was recommended an Abarth at Trial. After returning home, I did some research and thought it looked like a fun car, so I chose it.”

The Abarth 595 Competizione underwent minor changes in 2017, with new front and rear bumpers. The air intakes in the front bumper are now decorated with raised ‘ABARTH’ letters, reminiscent of the ‘Assetto Corse’, Abarth’s one-make race-specification car, thus emphasizing the sporty atmosphere of the car. The engine is a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo with 180 hp.

A look at Kawaguchi-san’s car reveals a tricolore-coloured insert splitter on the front bumper. The foglight covers have a red insert splitter, and the rear garnish has been treated in the same way. We also asked her about the special features of her car.

“I wanted seats with ventilation, so I replaced them with RECARO Sport JC seats. Other replacements are HKS VIITS suspension, DIVERTI induction kit, strengthened ignition coils, G-TECH intercooler, and ECU rewrite.”

Mr. Kawaguchi is tuning in the direction of enjoying driving. In the future, he would like to change the muffler, go to Abarth events, and enjoy driving.

Continuing, Kawaguchi also shared some memorable stories about his car.

“One day, I was driving on the motorway when suddenly the check engine light came on, which startled me. I should have stopped, but I couldn’t, so I drove the car to the shop on my own. The cause was that the O2 sensor was doing something wrong, so I had it taken care of at the factory, but the check engine light came on several times after that. Finally, the ECU was rewritten and I was able to ride comfortably without worrying about it, but I think the more time-consuming the child is, the cuter it is.”

It’s not that you become immune to problems as the distance goes on, but now even the slightest trouble can be considered cute.

I’m not immune to problems as the distance goes on, but now even the slightest trouble seems cute.

“Well, it’s my partner and a good toy.”

translated by DeepL