Abarth 595

What we have here is not strictly part of the standard Fiat 500 range. Abarth is a subsidiary company of Fiat that specialises in producing high-performance variants of Fiat's production models.

The Abarth 595 is packed with a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine that can make 0-62mph happen in as little as 6.7 seconds in its most powerful form - entry level models are more like 7.8 seconds.

Then you have the bewilderingly loud exhaust and a very, very stiff ride that make you feel like you ought to be travelling a whole lot faster than you actually are. This can all get tiresome quite quickly if you're undertaking longer journeys.

While there are bigger, better, and more practical performance cars out there, the Abarth 595 takes the enjoyment factor and multiplies it.