Depending on your priorities, Fiat may have just made the 500 Abarth a better vehicle. That is, if your priority is hearing that beefy exhaust note and if it involves having an open-air experience. These two things have now been accomplished with the introduction of the new 2013 Fiat 500c Abarth at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The "c" in the name stands for cabriolet, making this a soft-top car while retaining the some of the structural rigidity. The top can slide back to the rear spoiler at speeds of up to 60 mph, and can retract all the way back, behind the rear seat headrests when traveling at speeds below 50 mph.

A quick reminder: the 2013 500c Abarth is powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged MutliAir four-cylinder engine rated at 160 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. Power is delivered to the ground through the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission.

For the track rats out there, you'll be happy to know the 500c Abarth is only 33 pounds heavier than the 500 Abarth. This weight is due to the extra bracing behind the dashboard, along with the strengthening of the A-, B-, and C-pillars.

Inside the 500c Abarth you'll find one-piece sport seats with thick bolsters and openings for racing harnesses. There's a 160-mph speedometer along with a boost gauge featuring a shift light. Providing the music (if for some reason you get bored with the magical exhaust note) is a 368-watt sound system tuned by Beats by Dr. Dre.

The 2013 500c Abarth goes on sale in the first quarter of 2013. For more information be sure to check out our full preview here. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest from the show floor. You can also bookmark our LA Auto Show hub here.