2016 Fiat 500 Abarth Gallery

Take one cutesy little Italian city car, throw it at the mercy of Fiat's in-house tuners, and you end up with this. The Fiat 500 Abarth makes no pretense at being refined or relaxing, opting instead to coerce you out of work early and onto some backroads. Along the way you'll find its charm – and its flaws.

They're both courtesy of a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, a choice of a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic gearbox, and loudmouthed set of twin exhausts. Lowered, stiffened, and with a taste for being revved hard, the 500 Abarth isn't the fastest small hatch on the block – 0-60 mph comes in 6.9 seconds. Instead, it relies on grip and nimble footing to win your affections.

For the most part that works, though the loud drivetrain and feeble economy won't win many fans on the highway. A haphazard dashboard and vestigial rear seats and trunk sap practicality, too. Think of it as an urban antihero, though, and it starts to make a lot more sense. Very few small cars sound this good.