Fiat North America is ready to launch its first national ad campaign. The new campaign will kick off with a special event on July 4, the 54th anniversary of the original Fiat 500, said Laura Soave, head of Fiat North America.

“We’re confident we can do a national launch and have the network in place to support the traffic,” said Soave, speaking at a media event.

“Just as the Fiat brand’s products have been adapted to meet market needs while keeping their Italian style and functionality, our websites will also offer a tailored yet consistent experience for consumers ,” explained Laura Soave, Head of Fiat Brand North America. “For a global brand like Fait, it’s in our nature to explore new ways of doing business. It’s also essential that the marketing and advertising campaigns reflect the same individual sense of expression that the Fiat 500 will deliver to consumers.”

Fiat North America appointed 72andSunny as their head digital agency of record. The two companies will work to develop a comprehensive digital marketing stratgey that will increase awareness of the brand in the US.

GALLERY: Fiat 500

[Source: egm CarTech]

Avid collectors of special edition Fiat 500′s may have to travel all the way to Japan to get their hands on one of 50 limited Pop-Bi 500s, for around $26,000. The exterior features a bumble bee-themed black and yellow finish and comes with either a fixed roof or retracting canvas panel.

The black and yellow finish is applied to the base model of Japan’s Fiat 500 variants, sporting a meager 1.2L powerplant with 69-hp. But hey, passionate Fiat 500 collectors could care less about what’s underneath the hood, just the fact that they have yet another limited edition Fiat 500 under their roof.

GALLERY: Fiat 500 Pop-Bi

[Source: Autoblog]

Aznom’s Abarth 500 seems unsuspecting from the outside, with a fancy set of wheels and upgraded brakes being most noticeable. But closer inspection reveals this Abarth 500 packs 230-hp thanks to a powerplant no longer housed under the hood, but rather a transparent box in the middle of the vehicle. Yes, Aznom’s Abarth 500 is called Motore Centrale R230 for a reason: it packs 230-hp and is a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicle.

Perhaps it’s a tribute to the classic original 500, but Aznom rearranged the entire setup of this Abarth 500 while tuning the 1.4L turbocharged powerplant to 230-hp and 243 ft-lbs of torque. In addition to the entire drivetrain and powertrain modifications, Aznom also outfits the Abarth 500 with Bilstein dampers, upgraded brakes, wheels and Kumho tires. It’ll be interesting to see if Aznom offers this conversion to the general public down the road.

GALLERY: Aznom Motore Centrale R230 Abarth 500

[Source: Topspeed]

The seemingly endless stream of limited edition Fiat 500s doesn’t seem to end. Adding onto the list is Fiat’s announcement of their 500 Bicolore, which is surprisingly simple. The Bicolore will simply be a standard Fiat 500 sporting a two-tone paint job, white on the top and red on the bottom.

Revealed at the Bologna Motor Show this week, it’s unlikely Fiat will bring this particular special edition here until the initial excitement of the 500 wears off in the North American marketplace.

GALLERY: Fiat 500 Bicolore

With the Fiat 500 having just launched at the LA Auto Show, the aftermarket has already started releasing plenty of toys for the Italian economy car. Set to debut at the Essen Motorshow in Germany later this month, Hamann and H&R have teamed up to release their Fiat 500 rendition and there’s quite the surprise under the hood.

Hamann has taken the little Fiat 500 and turned it into a potent street machine, taking the stock 135-hp to an impressive 275-hp. Move over MINI Cooper! The horsepower bump is attributed to an ECU retune and a new exhaust. Worth noting however is that the horsepower jump comes from the 1.4L turbocharged powerplant – so the ECU retune obviously shoves in a ton more boost and fuel.

Along with the performance upgrades, Hamann has come up with an entire kit with new front and rear bumpers, side skirts and wheels. Braking has also been enhanced through Hamann. All of this means nothing if the car is still rocking a stock ride height. Thankfully H&R has already developed a lowering kit for the Fiat 500 and a set of their billet wheel spacers gave the wheels a more aggressive fitment.

GALLERY: Hamann and H&R Fiat 500

[Source: Topspeed]

And just like that, Fiat has sold out all 500 of their limited edition Fiat 500 Prima Edizione models in the United States. We already knew that the Fiat 500 would be a hit in America, and now this just properly solidifies that thought, with this special edition model being offered to existing Fiat owners who have helped keep the brand’s image alive in North America. Additional Fiat 500 models will be available to order starting in early 2011.

The Prima Edizione was offered in three different colors: Blanco White, Grigio Gray and Rosso Red. It sports Fiat’s 1.4L MultiAir four-cylinder engine with a manual transmission. “The Fiat Cinquecento Prima Edizione was developed especially with the Fiat fans in mind,” said Laura Soave, Head of Fiat North America. “It’s important that the Fiat enthusiasts and fans are among the first to receive their very own Fiat 500 Prima Edizione special edition vehicles, as they share the same excitement about the brand’s presence in North America.”

We can’t wait to see the iconic Italian car buzzing around our local freeways.

Get more Fiat 500 news and info at Fiat500Owners.com