Tuned 500 Abarth spits out 260bhp

You read that headline right. 260bhp. 260bhp in a car weighing as much as a bobble hat.

Italian tuning firm Romeo Ferraris - a name which sounds like it was conceived by a fat Yank trying to sum up Italy - has whacked on a ruddy great turbo to the 500 Abarth Essesse and forced its ickle 1.4-litre four-pot to work overtime. It's called the 500 Abarth Estremo, and it's bonkers.

It also gets an intercooler, new ECU, custom exhaust and, thankfully, a limited slip diff. It rides on 17s, features Brembo brakes and adjustable suspension, and lots of trinkety stuff to make it look mean and powerful. All very well, until you inevitably overcook it and end up in a tree swallowed by your own turbo.

260bhp, in a 500?

Photos: Romeo Ferraris