1970 Fiat 500 Coupe - (collector Series) on 2040-cars

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2013 Fiat 500c Abarth takes its top off with a quickness

What a pleasant little piece of plug-and-play. Putting the Fiat 500c's retractable roof on the hot 500 Abarth was pretty much a no-brainer, and hey, we certainly aren't complaining. Folding the soft top back on the little hatchback will only allow us to better hear that awesome exhaust note while we're burying the throttle. And come on, who doesn't like a little wind-in-your-hair action?
Again, the 500c Abarth package is pretty much a copy/paste job, so dynamically, the car isn't all that different. Under the hood is the same 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged inline-four, good for 160 horsepower and up to 170 pound-feet of torque (assuming you pressed the Sport button on the dash - something you really, really ought to do). A five-speed manual transmission is the only 'box available. And don't you dare complain about that.
New enhancements for the 2013 500c Abarth include an available Beats Audio system, and buyers will be able to attend a no-cost Abarth Driving Experience, where professional racers will show customers how to make the best use of their cars under full-throttle track applications. Pricing hasn't been announced just yet, but we expect to have that closer to the car's on sale date early next year. Hit the jump for the full deets, and check out the scorpion-stung cabriolet in our attached galleries.

2016 Fiat 500X First Drive [w/videos]

Fiat's return to the US market four years ago is already cooling off. Neither the Lilliputian 500 or its larger sibling, the 500L, have caught on with mainstream customers. Both were designed years ago for European roads, which are tight and crowded. That's the antithesis of America's driving ethos. Fiat knows this, and its answer is the 2016 500X. It lays the brand's curvy design over a crossover-style package with available all-wheel-drive. There's more room for cargo to suit our national preference for extra space. The 500X still has Italian charm, but it feels more at home on US roads than other Fiats. Put simply, the 500X isn't a transplant, it's made for American buyers (even if it's assembled in Italy, alongside the Jeep Renegade). We were skeptical that the 500X could turn around Fiat's fortunes, but this cute crossover had a way of winning us over. Maybe it was the bright arancio paint (Italian for "orange") of our test car, the most expressive of the 12 exterior hues. Even in the shadowy indoor setting where our test drive begins, in Culver City, CA, this car stands out. In stark contrast, the black and grey interior is subdued and tasteful. Out test car is a Trekking model, the middle of five trim levels, fitted with the optional 2.4-liter engine. This naturally aspirated four-cylinder is a 'free' upgrade from the standard 1.4-liter turbo, but mandates the addition of a nine-speed automatic transmission for $1,500. Taking off through morning traffic, we head for the Santa Monica Freeway. At the entrance we're pitted against an older Toyota Camry in an on-ramp drag race. We lay on the throttle to put the Tigershark engine's 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque into full use, and leave the Camry in the dust. As we head north toward Malibu, we can already tell that the 500X feels like a different kind of Fiat, more substantial. It fills the lane. There's an upright driving position, and we feel confident cruising along at 70 miles per hour. Okay, so the 500X can handle an interstate, but what about an open road? We make our way to the Pacific Coast Highway, California's State Route 1, a logical place to test Fiat's claim of being more in step with American buyers. There are stoplights. People wander across the street towards the beach. Cars pass us and we pass them. Subtract the ocean air and surfers, and this road is what a lot of US motorists deal with every day. The 500X is all up for it.

2014 Fiat 500L

Unexpectedly, This Opposite Attracts
Back in 2007 when the Fiat 500 was launched, I was unrepentantly nuts about the thing. From the first time my eyes clapped on the Nuevo Cinquecento at the Geneva Motor Show that year, I wanted one. Since there were no plans for a North American model at the time, I had to settle for purchasing a 1/18th-scale diecast at the expo. When Fiat finally returned to the US and the Cinquecento went on sale in 2011, I was no less excited.
And then I drove one, and the bloom was off my little Italian rose. Oh, I still appreciated its size and high style, but I found it wholly unsatisfying to drive, something that wouldn't be rectified until the Abarth arrived. It wasn't that the standard 500 was slow - I expected that - it was that its wonky driving position, lackluster transmissions and ropey steering all stood in the way of appreciating its other virtues. The Abarth's characterful powertrain would eventually come along to alleviate most of those pains, but not all of them.