Hamann tunes the Fiat 500

The German tuners at Hamann are better known for their treatments of high-end hardware from the likes of BMW and Ferrari, but they have turned their talents toward the economy-end of the specturm before, with the Mini MKII. This time, it's the Fiat 500 that gets the tuner's handiwork applied to its economical but stylish base.

Many of the tuning steps taken with the Mini are also found on the Fiat 500 - a twin-pipe muffler, upgraded suspension and lighter, more attractive wheels. Other tweaks found on the Fiat 500 - dubbed the Sportivo by Hamann - include an optional header and high-flow catalytic converter, although this setup is only available outside of Germany.

The sport suspension system lowers the car by 20mm up front and 30mm in the rear. Bigger, more capable brakes are fitted at all four corners, and a series of upgrades are available, taking the already large 240mm Hamann brakes up to 280mm - but only for the 1.4i model.

The 1.3 Multijet engine even gets a reprogrammed ECU that improves the base 75hp (55kW) up to 90hp (66kW).

A custom interior with options like aluminum pedals and custom mats, plus other aesthetic touches including a full set of decals are also available.

As with most of Hamann's upgrade programs, you can pick and choose which of the additions to add to your Fiat, with several options to choose from in many categories. However you choose to outfit it, it will look sharp, and people will know it's a Hamann.

Fiat 500 Sportivo by Hamann