Pricing for the Fiat 500 Abarth model has finally been announced, starting at $22,000 making it cheaper than the Volkswagen GTI, MINI Cooper S and (presumably) the Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

Rather than a version of the Alfa Romeo 4C, Abarth‘s upcoming sports car will be a front-drive machine. Rumors of a stand-alone model for the Fiat performance brand have been circiling for months, with initial speculation that Fiat would share the 4C among brands.

Fiat could blame American consumer sentiment. They could also blame J.Lo’s advertising debacle. Or perhaps, the fault lies with the car. Whatever the case may be, sales numbers for the 2012 Fiat 500 are disappointing.

With Italy as one of its main markets, it’s no surprise that the Fiat Group would bring a huge collection of new and special edition models to the Bologna Motor Show. This year, the Fiat Group will headline the local auto show with a new 2012 Fiat Sedici model, a Fiat 500 Nation Limited Edition, a Fiat TwinAir 500, a Fiat 500C by Gucci, a Lancia Ypsilon Black&Red, an Abarth 595 turismo, 595 competizione, 695 Assetto Corse, and a Punto scorpione.

Don’t live in LA, or you just can’t be bothered to face the crowds and finish off your day with sore feet? Then you’re in luck. AutoGuide has done all the footwork (and the talkie talkie, and the video editing), to bring you the highlights from the 2011 LA Auto Show. From the Subaru BRZ STI Concept, to the 650-hp Shelby GT500 watch our video series to get the rundown on the most exciting vehicles at this year’s show.

Watch all of AutoGuide’s 2011 LA Auto Show videos below:

The Fiat 500 was just an appetizer. This is the car Fiat fans have really been waiting for, the 500 Abarth. Built by the automaker’s in-house tuning division, the Abarth model gets a long list of upgrades, from a lower and stiffer suspension, to upgraded wheels and, most importantly, a turbocharged mated to the 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine to deliver 160-hp. Find out more on the Fiat 500 Abarth in the video below.

Fiat‘s ad spot featuring Jennifer Lopez might have been excellently targeted at the Italian automaker’s prospective female clientele, but it was jeered by the brand’s traditional male buyers – the ones who carried on the brand in America for decades, waiting for its return.

Debuting the new Fiat 500 Abarth performance model at the LA Auto Show yesterday, Fiat previewed an ad spot that will undoubtedly appeal to the male demographic. Our apologies to J-Lo, but this spot is sexy enough to make you feel uncomfortable in front of the kids. And the best part? It’s funny too.

Watch the video after the jump and check out all the details on the new Fiat 500 Abarth here:

Did he just say that? Yes, Fiat Brand boss Oliver Francois commented that the new Fiat 500 Abarth “arouses without the need for a prescription”. Spoken with a thick French accent at the vehicle’s launch today at the LA Auto Show, it sounds much more eloquent than “Viagra on wheels.”

Fiat has officially confirmed it will add a third model to its U.S. lineup, debuting the new 500 Abarth at the LA Auto Show.

Two employees at Italian tuning house Abarth have been arrested for selling $1.3 million in stolen parts, while 23 other employees and Italian postal service workers have been summoned for questioning after an 8-month investigation.

Romeo Ferraris is clearly looking to offer a street-legal version of their widebody race Abarth 500, and now the Italian tuning firm has released some photos of their Abarth 500 Stradale. Not many details were packaged with the photos, but Romeo Ferraris was quick to announce the 1.4L turbo engine will pack 300-hp.

Abarth is looking to make a real impression at this year’s 64th Frankfurt International Motor Show, scheduling three world debuts at their booth. We’re teased with photos of the three models that will be at the show, the Abarth 500 Cabrio Italia, Abarth Punto SuperSport and the Abarth 695 Competizione. These three specialty models, in Abarth’s eyes, embody the sportiness, heritage and undisputed racing spirit essence of Abarth.

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.

Initially built as a one-off to celebrate Gulf’s 10th anniversary in Luxembourg, Fiat has made the decision to go ahead with a limited production of this custom 500. More than just a 500, it’s an Abarth 500 EsseEsse model, making 160-hp; far more than the standard car’s 101-hp.

Debuting at the Eibach Springs booth at the Essen Motor Show this year will be a Fiat 500 Abarth model sporting Polizia livery and a nice adjustable Eibach suspension kit. For those who don’t know, Fiat’s in-house Abarth tuning arm builds hopped-up versions of cars like the Fiat 500 ( which just debuted in U.S. Spec as the LA Auto Show), including everything from new wheels and tires to a turbo under the hood.

Abarth’s rumored mid-engine sports car will apparently use the KTM X-Bow as a starting point, replacing the X-Bow’s Volkswagen mill with a Fiat Multi-Air engine good for 180 horsepower.

Abarth, Fiat’s in-house tuner, launched two new vehicles at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, both which feature the optional “esseesse” kits that give the cars a modest power boost.

With the Fiat 500 on the horizon for a North American release, Fiat’s tuning house, Abarth, has released an additional pair of models to showcase what is possible with the hot hatch. The 500C Essesse and Punto Evo Essesse will both be on display at the Paris Auto Show on September 30th, 2010.

Along with a new stand-alone coupe and convertible, Fiat sub-brand Abarth will look to expand its lineup of original models with a Lotus Elise rival based on the KTM X-Bow (above). If you’re not familiar with KTM or the X-Bow, the company is best known for building motorcycles and the X-Bow was a limited project to build a track car along the lines of the Ariel Atom or Lotus 2-Eleven.

The Fiat 500 hot hatch and Nissan Quest minivan are among the 20 world debuts expected to bow at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show this November.

Having traditionally lived in the shadow of Detroit’s International Auto Show, the lineup for this years event appears to be expanding, even though only two of the 20 debuts have been announced. Porsche is expected to debut a Cayman ClubSport at Los Angeles, but little else is known beyond that. In addition to the world debuts, another 20 vehicles are expected to bow in some form or another in L.A., pushing the total up to 40 debuts. The Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are expected to appear in final production form as well, with the Volt hitting dealerships right around that time as well.

With even the 2010 Detroit Show coming off as a more subdued affair due to the economic downturn, Los Angeles is hopefully a harbinger of things to come, with a ton of product hitting dealerships and consumer confidence restored.

[Source: Los Angeles Auto Show]

Hit the jump to read the official press release

Fiat frenzy is on the horizon and we’re excited for the Fiat 500 to finally come over to America. We imagine it won’t be too long before Abarth renditions are released, regardless, it’s time to shine the spotlight on Fiat/Abarth tuners worldwide.

G-Tech has taken the already hopped-up Abarth 500 and converted it to a 207-hp, 229 ft-lbs of torque street machine. The 1.4L has been beefed up with a Garrett turbo, larger injectors, new spark plugs and cat-back exhaust system. Considering the stock powerplant puts out a meager 135-hp and 152 ft-lbs of torque, we imagine G-Tech’s RS-S Kitted Abarth 500 is a blast to drive.

In addition to the engine mods, G-Tech outfitted their model with some green accents (not our cup of tea, red would definitely be more fitting), 17-inch wheels from OZ Racing and coilovers to adjust the suspension. The only pricing we caught whim of is $37,745 for the complete car as shown here, but we reckon you can order the parts individually.

Check out the video of G-Tech’s Abarth 500 after the break.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

GALLERY: G-Tech Abarth 500 With RS-S Kit

While there’s a lot of excitement building surrounding the return of Fiat to the U.S. and the launch of the Fiat 500, enthusiasts, auto journalists and car snobs alike have been patiently awaiting word that the Italian automaker will also roll out a line of Abarth branded models. Finally, we can confirm that we won’t have to suffer disappointment and can instead rejoice behind the wheel of the Abarth 500.

Fiat’s Abarth brand has been tuning economical pint-sized Italian runabouts for decades, but under a corporate restructuring the high-performance division is set to expand its expertise. The company’s marketing boss, Antonino Labate has confirmed that select Alfa Romeo products will get Abarth tuning packages. It’s not clear what models will be included, but Alfa does have significant plans to grow its brand, even in North America.