Fiat unveiled the "small but wicked" 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth to the U.S. today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The light, track-tuned version of the Fiat 500, which is powered by a new turbocharged version of the MultiAir 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine, will bring some of the serious racing heritage of Karl Abarth's racing Fiats from the 1960s, and it becomes, according to FIAT chief Olivier Francois, "the Italian high-performance car for everyday driving."

The model includes a powertrain control module specially tuned by Abarth, along with a performance-tuned exhaust with what a release terms a "menacing sound."

After browsing through our gallery of the Fiat stand, and checking out our video of the 500 Abarth in action, click here for all the details on the latest hot hatch to hit our shores.