The beginning of a collaboration between Tubi Style and the Bolognese hill climb ace
Some motorsport disciplines rarely make it to glossy magazine covers. No red carpets, no artificial spotlights—just drivers, engines, and the stopwatch. Hill climb racing is one of them. And this is exactly where Tubi Style has always felt at home.
Today, we are proud to announce a special new project: a fully bespoke exhaust system for Manuel Dondi and his iconic competition FIAT X1/9.
Designed from scratch with a clear goal: more power, less weight, maximum efficiency.
At Tubi Style, we love standing alongside real drivers, in motorsport disciplines where passion and technical skill still rule—like hill climb racing. That’s the spirit behind this collaboration on a FIAT X1/9 that is barely “original” anymore.
Manuel Dondi is not a driver created by marketing—he is built from genuine passion. He is the kind of competitor who lives racing with total dedication, both on and off the track.
His career stems from a love for mechanics and a constant drive to improve: hours in the workshop, continuous development, and the relentless pursuit of pure performance against the clock. In hill climbs, there are no second chances: one run, one climb, no margin for error. Talent is measured in thousandths, and track experience can make all the difference.
This project reminds us of another great figure in European hill climbs: Georg Plasa. In the past, Tubi Style had worked with him on a highly specialized technical project, built on mutual trust and continuous development. Georg was a driver-engineer, able to transform every piece of feedback into concrete technical evolution.
Like Plasa, Manuel Dondi is building solid foundations: experience, constant development, and technical vision, that can leave a lasting mark on the discipline. Two genuine interpreters of a sport often considered “minor” simply because it sits outside the glamorous motorsport spotlight, yet one of the purest expressions of racing expertise.
Hill climbs are an extreme technical laboratory, which is why they are part of our DNA. Every component is pushed to the limit: weight, flow, temperature, engine response. For Dondi’s FIAT X1/9, we are developing a fully bespoke exhaust system, focusing on weight reduction, flow optimization, thermal management, and acoustic character. These are aspects we will explore in upcoming updates, diving into the technical solutions and design choices that will make the difference on the track.
At Tubi Style, being in the spotlight is not our goal. Being alongside real drivers, on the track, is. Those who develop, test, and push themselves, always striving to improve. Those for whom passion and technical skill truly matter. Hill climb racing may not always attract the media attention of international championships, but it remains one of the most authentic forms of motorsport.
Supporting drivers like Manuel Dondi means staying true to our identity: real performance, concrete development, uncompromising passion. Because true performance is not about visibility – it’s about substance.
