Road Race Motorsports (RRM) is famous for tuning Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions, but lately it’s begun dipping into the field of Fiat as well as its motorsports oriented brand, Abarth. The Tallini Competizione M1 was created to showcase what this 1.4-liter, turbocharged Italian machine is capable of doing, and the shop impressed by extracting 250 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque from it. But Rob Tallini and RRM wanted to prove the subcompact is not just a hot street hatch and chosen to transform the M1 street car into the M1R – a road ready racecar that drove in NASA’s 2014 United StatesIt was actually certainly a head-turner ahead of the transformation, having its wheel arches extended via carbon fiber over-flares from Carbon Trix, aggressive wheel package, and this cute Fiat 500 look. Yeah, additionally, it just blew past you prefer that turbo Civic through your past lifetime. The M1 got the interest of many publications and even the world’s most famous car lover, Jay Leno. There was still something most couldn’t get past, though it was certainly earning a lot of notices:one way to remove this blight on such an amazing vehicle – turn it into a racecar. However, the shop wanted a racer that still features an A/C system, radio and several road manners. There is Road Race Motorsports owner, Tallini; Rob is a driver and in his past has off-roaded through SCCA Rally Racing and had some involvement with the Dakar Rally. He’s driven inside the Silver State Classic with this particular car, as well as time attack in the Road Race Motorsports Mitsubishi Evolution VIII. To say Rob has enough pedigree to race is probably an understatement; he had to stop a while ago thanks to a back injury, but now has healed up enough to take on the challenge of wheel-to-wheel racing once again.the same tune that you can get with an M1 package. This can be thanks to the fact that USTCC can be a power-to-weight class, so there isn’t much in terms of limiting rules within the engine department. However, you do have to meet a certain ratio of power over weight, but which also means that Rob and RRM have plenty of room to try out with in terms of the Fiat’s heft or lack thereof. We have seen some work done to help airflow for the radiator and intercoolers, too, namely adding some ducting and a second fan while watching radiator. Bear in mind these have to fit behind the OEM bumper placement; there isn’t much room since the front and rear overhangs are still very small, even on the US model.

ControlsAll that tuning is done with what you could buy from Road Race Motorsports right now. The initial thing is the RRM lightweight aluminum pulley. Even though it weighs only 1.67-lbs and is not going to reduce the diameter so that all the accessories will still serve as intended, you will still get a performance improvement having a reduced rotational mass with the crank. The M1R also still sports the plug-and-play RRM Ultimate Tuner piggyback. This engine control module allows the boost being increased to 25 PSI, gives the best throttle modulation, and supports methanol injection while still retaining the factory ECU. Finally, the horsepower package is completed with better breathing from intake to exhaust with RRM Intake, downpipe and exhaust kit. The heat from the downpipe is controlled through RRM Downpipe Jacket, while spark is improved with a collection ofthis and produce that 250hp without increasing the actual size of the intercooler or charge piping. The reality is maximizing airflow throughout the intake is more conducive to gains, even though some may believe larger piping as well as a bigger heat exchanger are essential for more power. Considering that they are still utilizing the OEM turbo that has a neck diameter of just 1.5-inches, the necessity for 2-inch plus piping as well as a large intercooler would really be counterproductive while you would lose pressure and then make the turbo work harder because of all that bigger piping and intercooler. Seriously, you should look at the size of the Abarth turbo because it looks like something that should be with aThe first doors were replaced with a pair from Fiat so RRM could cut into them and add door bars. The rollcage is bolt in and the same cage kit you can get from RRM for any modern Fiat 500. Inside are Racetech seats and 6-point cam-lock belts. The original seat base became too tall so new lower braces were made. A Road Race Motorsports steering adapter and wheel are the final items ofin the little Abarth, a Tallini Competizione OEM carbon fiber hood with added carbon hood vent and Tallini Competizione carbon fiber spoiler extension were installed. The very first Tallini Competizione carbon rear diffuser is being modified for additional aerodynamic aid to the spoiler extension. Additional weight reduction is accomplished with the RRM Competition battery upgrade system that uses an Antigravity Batteries AG1601, 16-cell battery Lithium Nano-Phosphate battery (which is pretty amazing). Is only 4.5-inches long, 5.25-inches high, 3.25-inches depth, and weighs 35 pounds less than the stock battery, although it produces 480 cranking amps and possesses a capacity of 16-amp hours.The latest wheels to match the arches of the Road Race Motorsport M1R are a set of Avid.1 AV-06 wheels in 17×8 inches, 35 offset. In order to mount the wheels in the appropriate offset that the M1R requires, they required RRM to install a set of spacers. The reason for a switch to 17s from the 16s they were using is one of the few areas the USTCC mandates for a specification: all competitors must use 17X8 or 18×8 wheels. It’s disappointing, as the original 16×9. set looked so goodsome Tar-Ox Road and front Race Motorsports rear slotted rotors. This includes some RRM brake pads and stainless steel braided brake lines, which have been tested in racing conditions. You’re probably wondering why they haven’t installed a set of huge front rotors with multiple piston calipers; when you consider the weight of your car along with the weight in the components, the need just isn’t there. In spite of the roll cage, they can be still nearly 100 pounds lighter compared to the Abarth availableemanates from Bilstein and their PSS coil-over system. Ride height is adjustable to the front and rear springs, and in testing Rob and Road Race Motorsports have found the requirement to raise ride height on the Abarth. Without raising it, there just isn’t enough suspension travel and the car can begin to do something all sorts of weird when it encounters a rumble strip while turning. The top spring rates are 315-lbs/in and also the rear progressive spring begins at 190-lbs/in to build up to 370-lbs/in. Further helping within the handling department are a collection of RRM rear 25mm Big Red Bar and Neuspeed 25mm front anti-sway bars. In the event the chassis were to flex, so in addition to the RRM roll cage are the RRM upper brace bar and Corsa chassis bracing, which replaces the factory Abarth stamped aluminum braces to improve rigidity, this improvement will be for naught.If there was anyone who was up for the challenge of getting an automobile ready in only over a month, it was Rob and Road Race Motorsports. They have got proven over and over again they can build some amazing vehicles for time attack, rock crawling, and even the SEMA show. Rob managed to pilot the Abarth M1R to 7th for Round 5 and 8th for Round 6. It’s an impressive result for a car that was transformed from street car to race car in such little time.