We've raved about the Fiat 500 Abarth before. It's certainly not the fastest hot hatch you can buy, but it is indeed one of the most enjoyable to drive. It's a crazy little machine, and if you get to spend any time in one you will step out of that car as a happier person.
Alas, many Americans don't just not know how to operate the mystical third pedal, but they staunchly refuse to learn how. While this is a truly lamentable fact, it fuels the equally depressing truth that the Abarth doesn't move in terribly high volumes. Fiat estimates that adding a six-speed, paddle-shifted automatic option to the miniature monster will result in about 2,000 additional annual sales. This is indeed a good thing.