Reviving 60s spirit

The 500 Abarth.

Fiat hopes to revive the spirit of the 500 sports models of the 1960s - and its Abarth brand - with a hotted-up version of the new 500. The new 500 Abarth will be powered by a 1.4-litre turbo engine with 99kW/206Nm.

The car also features a new torque transfer control system, which improves the transfer of drive torque to the wheels.

The standard Fiat 500 made its Australasian debut at the Melbourne International Motor Show on February 29, to be followed by a race track appearance at the F1 Australian Grand Prix on March 16. The Abarth version isn't expected here until next year.