Fiat gets naughty, supposedly, with the 500 Cattiva special editions

Monterey car week is the perfect time for automakers to launch new concepts and debut special edition vehicles. But it's usually the big names in the luxury/performance world -- the heavy hitters, if you will -- that show up and show off. Cadillac unveiled the Ciel concept a few years back, BMW featured a Zagato roadster in 2012 and the Porsche 918 concept used Pebble as a stage for its first North American appearance.

So we've got a lot of respect for Fiat's decision to enter the fray with its Fiat 500 Cattiva special editions, which will bow before a golf course full of gazillionaires during the Concorso Italiano on Aug. 16.

Apparently “cattiva” is the Italian word for “naughty but cool” -- basically it's the same as the concept of being “bad to the bone,” only it sounds better when whispered in a sexy Italian accent than George Thorogood lyrics typically do. The Cattiva package for the 500 Sport and 500 Turbo is supposed to create a “devilish designed-for-the-street-look” rounded out by blacked-out headlamp and taillight bezels, unique wheels and a big spoiler.

Fiat
Fiat says the 500 Cattiva was designed for the street. We're glad to see they've stopped designing vehicles for railroads and waterways, at least.

That's nice and all, but what exactly makes these things naughty -- a word Fiat couldn't seem to stop using in its press release?

Best we can tell it's the paint scheme -- which features a Nero-colored roof and Hyper-Nero painted aluminum wheels. “Nero” is just Fiat's term for “black,” but we guess the real-life Nero was a pretty naughty dude. Hyper-Nero must have been even worse. So there's that.

To get the 500 Sport Cattiva later this year you'll have to shell out at least $19,150, while the 500 Turbo Cattiva starts at $21,150. Compare that to the $18,300 and $20,300 base prices for the non-Cattiva 500 Sport and Turbo and it's not a bad deal if you're looking to inject the little car with some style. If you're looking for real performance, however, the truly naughty Fiat 500 Abarth is still your best bet.

Monterey car week is packed with car shows, vintage racing and car auctions. Autoweek will be there providing streaming photo galleries and live coverage of the Pebble Beach Concours, historic racing at Laguna Seca, the Monterey car auctions and plenty more. Go to Autoweek's Monterey car week section for complete coverage and live updates.

By Graham Kozak