2011 L.A. Auto Show Debut: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth

The mini car market is heating up these days, but the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth proves that driving a small car doesn't have to be boring. Introduced at the 2011 Los Angeles International Auto Show, the souped-up Fiat takes the cute, loveable 500 and injects with a heavy dose of sport tuning to everything from the appearance to its handling. Chrysler has not announced when the 500 Abarth will be on sale or how much it will cost, but it did say that the car will only be sold in limited numbers.

Abarth started the tuning process by squeezing around 160 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque from the turbocharged and twin intercooled 1.4-liter Multiair inline-four, but it also upgraded just about every other part of the car to make it ride and handle as good as it looks. Everything from the steering and suspension to the chassis and brakes were upgraded on the 500 Abarth which should really help give it a surprisingly enjoyable driving dynamic similar to a MINI Cooper S. The Abarth-branded 500 sits about a half inch lower than the regular 500 thanks to frequency selective damping (FSD) Koni shocks in the front and a new rear sway bar; this equates to a 40 percent stiffer front end and 20 percent stiffer rear setup helping the 500 Abarth tackle just about any corner.

As far as styling is concerned, the 500 Abarth on display in L.A. had a sinister black and red paint scheme that included blacked-out, thin-spoke wheels and red body accents. The new front fascia gives the 500 Abarth improved aerodynamics, and the rear of the car is also tuned for better air flow with a spoiler mounted atop the liftgate and the two-piece rear fascia with integrated diffuser. Two different wheel options will be offered including the base 16-inch cast aluminum wheels and the lightweight, 17-inch forged aluminum wheels. Inside, a similar look carries over with black leather interior components - such as the seats, steering wheel and shift lever - all getting a contrasting red stitching. A flat-bottomed steering wheel, sport bucket front seats and a turbo boost gauge with LED shift light are the key changes made inside the Fiat 500 Abarth.