romeo ferraris 500 stradale 2

Romeo Ferraris Fiat 500 Stradale Is a Mini Supercar

Most of what we’ve been hearing about the Fiat 500 has to do with Jennifer Lopez. That probably isn’t the best way to launch an all-new car. The advertising campaign has been a flop, with the brand’s first TV commercial being the ill-fated “music video trailer” for the single “Papi.”

Enough of that so-called image building, what about the actual product? Romeo Ferraris, an Italian tuner, is focusing on that – and it is unlike any Fiat 500 you’ve ever seen.

And Romeo Ferraris isn’t a typo – its Ferrari with an s at the end. This 500 wears the “Stradale” moniker, which is used on high-end Italian exotics from Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati. The car is a street legal mini super car and Ferraris labels it as “extreme.” Indeed. It is based on the racing-only Abarth 500 model, hence the Stradale name, which means street in Italian.

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The tuner takes the 500’s 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder and gives it a complete reworking, delivering 300 horsepower. That is a power-to-weight ratio of 7.9! 300 hp in the Fiat 500 will deliver startling performance – the standard car puts out 101 hp and isn’t a slouch. Romeo Ferraris hasn’t released specifications on 0-60 but it will no doubt be lightning quick.

To match the upgraded performance, the 500 Stradale gets an extreme makeover on the exterior as well, with a body kit that includes large air intakes on the hood, wheel arches, side skirts, a new rear diffuser with center mounted exhaust and a spoiler. The look is topped off with new wheels and a black finish. If you want to seat people in the back of this car, you’re out of luck as the rear seat has been taken out. The car has been fitted with a full-roll cage and bucket racing seats with OMP harnesses.

All the key details, like how much it will cost, how many will be produced and if it will be offered in the United States, have yet to be answered. This thing would be handful to drive, but insanely fun. More details should be forthcoming. Until then, check out the Romeo Ferraris 500 Stradale in our gallery below. Unfortunately the photos are a bit grainy.