I drive a car that’s got less than 101 hp and while I don’t have the driving skills to pull this stuff off, I’m pretty sure the little (and old) car could cope. It might need to go to the wreckers after, but it would do the job. Just like this hooning Fiat 500 from the US with its 1.4 Multair engine (but which survives better than my little vehicle would).

It gets a few 180 turns in with plenty of tyre squealing and a little smoke. We didn’t see any of this sort of thing from the Italians when the new Fiat 500 first hit the market, so we’re relying on the Americans to show us what the pocket rocket can really do. Although we suspect that some of these shenanigans might well have occurred with the original Fiat 500 in more than one Italian piazza back in the days.

In any case, the title of “pocket rocket” is probably best reserved for the upcoming US Abarth 500 model soon to hit North America. The sportier version might really indicate whether the pint-sized European car is a success or not in the US and it’s set to have up to 220 hp, so we’re expecting more of these videos to come.

Source | Autovoce via Jalopnik

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The Fiat 500 has done well for itself so far in America (or not?), but the US Abarth 500 is on its way to show just what the little rocket can do when tuned by the scorpion badge. The US Abarth 500 will debut at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, and will be a number one competitor to the Mini Cooper on that market. How much room for compact sports models there is in America is anyone’s guess, but apparently the US-spec Abarth 500 will get a more powerful 175-hp 1.4-litre turbo Multiair engine than its European cousin can boast. And that should give it some extra appeal. Here’s to seeing where Fiat can take this little bomb, too.

Source | Autoblog.com

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