The Fiat 500, as diminutive and dorky as it looked, was a cool car. Arriving at the tail end of one of the worst recessions, the Cinquecento offered commuters hope. It was actually fun to drive. Its quirky styling was something unique that stood out in the sea of crossovers and eggy hybrids. The little Fiat was easy to maneuver, even easier to live with, and it delivered all of those dandy commuter car ingredients mixed in with a splash of love and character that only the Italians could inject. Sadly, the Fiat 500, including its hotted-up, turbocharged Abarth model, slipped away into memory as a changing market and recovering economy essentially killed most, if not all, demand for microcars in the States. But thankfully, the 500 will return to America as a niche, boutique EV brand, spearheaded by the current-generation Fiat 500e that’s been making waves in Europe. With the return of the Cinquecento, the enthusiast-minded Abarth should follow suit. Or at least we hope.

Stellantis has yet to announce any official plans to reintroduce the Abarth performance sub-brand to America following the debut of the 2023 Abarth 500e, but that can’t stop us from wishing our little hearts out. The Abarth 500e would be a stellar and refreshing take on all the typical electric vehicles we’ve become accustomed to stateside. For once, it’d be an electric car that’s fun, relatively fast, and relatively affordable without awkward Prius styling or being a super-luxury rocket ship that costs…