The car that put Italy on wheels in the late 1950s and 1960s was smaller and less useful than the Beetle that did the same job for Germany. Smaller than France's equivalent, the Citron 2CV, or even than Britain's original Mini, too. Yet it's remembered more fondly than any of them because it was so damn cute. Just ask Pixar's John Lasseter, who animated the 500 as Luigi the tire-shop owner in "Cars."
And now, just like the Beetle and the Mini, it's back. A new version was launched on July 4, 50 years to the day since the 1957 original. True to that car, it's small -- just 140 inches from lips to hips and 2150 pounds -- but enthrallingly desirable. Unlike the hyper-minimal original, it's sophisticated in its engineering and finish. So much so that Fiat bosses are seriously considering selling it in the U.S. through Maserati boutiques, sometime around 2010.
The 500's bubble shape seriously erodes rear-seat and trunk space. Think microcoupe not microvan. But the front seats offer decent comfort and a proper, if upright, driving position for most sizes of adult. For the moment, the most interesting motivator is a 1.4-liter, 100-horsepower, 16-valve gas unit that revs to 7000 with all the vim of an espresso doppio caffeine hit. It's hooked up to a six-speed manual with a dash-mounted lever for short throws. Fiat quotes 10.2 seconds for the Euro-standard 0-62-mph dash, so assume comfortably under 10 seconds for 0-60 mph. In a year, there'll be a 135-horse turbocharged Abarth version, with lowered and stiffened chassis. But don't fixate on the figures, concentrate on psychological speed: The Abarth's profusion of decals and stripes will in and of themselves shave valuable seconds off any city-center sprint race.
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