Fiat 500

Our spy photographers caught the sporty version of the Italian city car being put through its paces on the Nürburgring circuit in Germany.

The track usually plays host to a variety of super-fast high-performance models from makers such as Porsche and BMW. But Fiat engineers are using the twists and turns to fine-tune the handling of their baby.

The sporty 500 features a wider track than the standard model for improved handling, while bespoke front and rear bumpers and lower side skirts give the car a more aggressive look. It gets special alloy wheels and a sports exhaust, too. Inside, the cabin will have a range of upgrades, including a pair of race-inspired bucket seats, and comes with plenty of standard kit.

Under the stubby bonnet - which features Abarth's scorpion logo rather than a Fiat badge - is a new 150bhp 1.4-litre turbocharged engine. This unit is also used in the firm's Bravo family car, and should be capable of propelling the little 500 from 0-60mph in around seven seconds. This performance will put it head-to-head with the MINI Cooper S.

The hot Fiat shares its underpinnings with the next-generation Ford Ka, which will be offered in ST guise for the first time. However, the blue oval model is unlikely to have more than 120bhp. The Fiat 500 Abarth will arrive in showrooms next year priced around £15,500 - roughly £4,000 more than the entry-level model.