The starting MSRP of the 2012 Abarth 500 will be $22K, not including a destination charge, when it goes on sale. A John Cooper Works Mini, by contrast, starts at $30,600.

For your $22,000 you get a 1.4 liter engine putting 160 horsepower and 170 lb.-ft. of torque to the 16 inch front wheels, not to mention new suspension, brakes, dual exhaust, and about a million little scorpion badges scattered around the cabin.

Costing only about $2,500 more than the Fiat 500's top trim level, the little Abarth that "feels like a double shot of espresso straight to your veins" (according to the stereotype-laden press release) is a venti for the price of a tall.