Another day, another Fiat 500 variant that we Americans can drool over knowing we can't get it here in the States. This one is special, though, as it was designed to commemorate Karl Abarth's 100th (born on November 15, 1908) birthday. Not just a styling exercise, the 500 Abarth "DA O A 100" tribute comes with an upgraded 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Acceleration to sixty takes just 7.3 seconds, helped along by shortened gear ratios while its top speed is now 131 miles per hour. Suspension bits are revised as well, with lowered springs and new 17-inch alloys fitted with low-profile Pirelli PZero Neros.

Click above for high-res gallery of the Fiat 500 Abarth Assetto Corse

With the revival of the Abarth tuning division, Fiat is serious about motorsports. They've been racking up victories in the Intercontinental Rally Championship with the Punto, and have even been sponsoring Valentino Rossi's MotoGP Yamaha. And to drive the point home, while the "esseesse" (read: SS) version of the Cinquecento Abarth was the division's new reveal, it was this racing version, called the Assetto Corse, that took center stage.

Click on either image to view in high resolution

As if the Fiat 500 didn't look cartoonish enough as it was, a special edition of the retro supermini has been created. But truth be told, the Fiat 500 Diabolika looks far more badass than the original, sporting a matte black finish with red tail fins, Borrani wire wheels, Brembos and special Pirelli tires hand carved with the Diabolika eye motif. The interior is decked out in black leather interior with all manner of custom touches from the digitally-painted "serial art" frames to the special steering wheel, shifter and handbrake lever.

Click to view the '66 Fiat 500 Giannini Tony Stewart

http://buzz.yahoo.com/article/1%3A3cafef6339dbfb9fffdbd6dbc2b4cc69%3Ac35... would Luigi make of this? The little Fiat 500 from Pixar's Cars said he only follows Ferrari, but then his cousin shows up, decked out in NASCAR livery.

Fiat is set to debut the high performance version of its fashionable 500 -- possibly in October at the Paris Motor Show -- and spy shots have revealed that development is well underway. If fans of the retro-mobile were let down by the Abarth model's relatively puny 133-horsepower and sub-eight-second run to 60, the SS model will improve those numbers considerably. For its range-topping city car, Fiat is likely to fit a revised turbocharged engine offering an estimated 160 horses along with the Q2 Torsen C limited slip differential from Alfa Romeo.

Click above to view the Fiat 500 Aria concept in hi-res

Having already had to increase production several times over, the Fiat 500 continues to win the hearts and minds of consumers around the world... tree-huggers included. But that isn't about to stop Fiat from seeking out even more buyers, especially those of environmental conscience. And so reports indicate that the Italian automaker is preparing a hybrid version of the popular retro-mini.

Click image for high-res gallery of pics of the first Fiat 500 in the States