Ever since the Fiat 500->ke1708 rolled back into our lives a few years, we've been inundated with plenty of concepts and special edition models for the lovable little hatchback.

That trend appears to be continuing with the North American International Auto Show->ke222 debuts of two new 500 concepts, the 500 Abarth Tenebra and the 500 Cattiva.

The Tenebra, in particular, is based on the high-performance Fiat 500 Abarth. Fiat certainly didn't pull any punches, giving this concept a unique aesthetic upgrade with hopes of highlighting the unique sportiness of the compact hatchback.

The new goodies you'll find in the 500 Abarth Tenebra will show you how a 500 Abarth can be accessorized to stand out from the crowd. Who knows, you might find these concept versions find their way in dealerships sooner than later.

For now, though, check out all the upgrades Fiat->ke30 did to this 500 Abarth after the jump.

2013 Fiat 500 Abarth “Tenebra” Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth “Tenebra” Concept
  • Engine/Motor: MultiAir
  • Horsepower: 135
  • Torque: 152
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

We tried to look up what exactly the word "tenebra" means and found out that it's actually spelled as "tenebrae" and it's Latin word that means "darkness.” That sounds appropriate considering that Fiat decided to dress up the 500 Abarth Tenebra with a Matte Grigio exterior paint, which explains the name choice the Italian automaker gave it.

Fiat also threw in other new design details for this concept 500, including the use of Nero Chrome exterior accents and a Gloss Nero headlamp, tail lamp, and parking lamp bezels, all of which validate the monochromatic appeal of the vehicle. "Colorful" is the last description you'll make of this vehicle and at least for once, that's a good thing when it comes to the 500.

Even the Abarth body-side stripe, the mirror cap, and the roof-sized Abarth "Scorpion" logo, are all in the same Grigio hue, albeit in a glossy finish to give the vehicle some contrast. And don't forget the fancy set of wheels Fiat chose for the model: lightweight 16"-inch Hyper Nero Chrome Abarth-design aluminum wheels. Long and fancy-sounding, just the way Fiat likes it.

Interior

As for the interior, there are plenty more changes to help set off the cool grey touch of the exterior. The Abarth-designed front performance seats come with racing harnesses and have been finished in Nero leather with Grigio piping and accent stitching. The flat-bottom steering wheel and the instrument-panel-cluster brow also carry the same Nero leather treatment, as well as the Grigio accent stitching, while the width of the instrument panel carries some fancy carbon-fiber detail with a unique matte finish. Finally, the Grigio accent stitching on both the seats and the steering wheel can also be found on the shift knob and the parking brake handle.

Suffice to say, the interior appears to carry the same "darkness" theme the concept carries. We're not sure how that's going to work in creating a lively ambience for the driver and the passenger, but hey, at least it's consistent with the car's overall packaging.

Performance

No mechanical upgrades were given to the 500 Abarth Tenebra, so expect to see the same 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine from the standard model, one that delivers a total of 160 horsepower and a peak torque of 170 pound-feet.

Beats!

For whatever monotone this car imbues with its design characteristics, Fiat did install a fancy audio system on it: the segment-exclusive Beats Audio system with six premium speakers, an 8-inch dual-voice coil (DVC) subwoofer with trunk-mounted enclosure and eight-channel amplifier with Beats Audio’s proprietary digital sound processing (DSP) algorithm. Hey, with all that grey, having a bouncy audio system is an ideal way to add some color to this concept.