Fiat will be unveiling the new Abarth 500 to the American public at the Los Angeles Auto show today.

Like the Fiat 500, the Abarth 500 is a total stranger to the American car culture. This little city car with its retro looks and fuel efficient engine works well as a fashion accessory and is hugely appealing to young Americans, especially female buyers.

But with the Abarth treatment it becomes a track beast, a completely different animal featuring an all-new 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine, Abarth-tuned suspension and brake systems, and race-inspired design.

It is certainly not going to appeal to the typical Fiat 500 buyers. But maybe this car can define new standards for performance cars in the U.S. It can drive young American dudes out of their Civics and Koups and Speed3s. Let’s wait and see how things will work for the little Abarth.

Staying faithful to the performance principles that made the Abarth name a success, the new Fiat 500 Abarth continues the brand’s motorsport traditions, including:

• Everyday Performance Car
  • Track-ready capability, high horsepower-per-liter engine, combined with the quality, efficiency and refinement expected in a world-class small car
• Competitive
  • Benchmark levels of performance, track-proven reliability and durability
• Aggressive
  • Purposeful and functional performance design, Abarth-tuned powertrain control module (PCM) and performance-tuned exhaust with menacing sound
• Attainable
  • State-of-the-art powertrain and chassis technology once limited to premium-priced performance cars
• Racing Heritage
  • More than 60 years of performance and competition tuning, including active international series races today