Video: Fiat creates café racer 500 for SEMA

Fiat is preparing a café racer-style 500 for this week's SEMA show by stripping down an Abarth version to take it "down to the essence of what you need to drive a car."

The café racer philosophy of ‘more speed, less comfort' was born around the 1960s British 'biker scene and while initially focussed on increasing performance, quickly developed into a culture as concered with 'the show' as 'the go'.

"It takes something like this to really get noticed at SEMA," says Craig Buoncompago, Project Manager at Fiat Product Design. "The Café Racer is really going to be one special car that you guys should really come and see."

The 500's roof has been chopped, while also shorn of its door handles and being fitted with hot rod billet rims. Inside, nearly everything has been removed save for a single, low-back bucket seat.

"They're pretty much a simplified bomber-style bucket seat to keep it sleek, lower-profile and clean-looking," says George Paul of Soft Trim Concepts.

The SEMA show runs from 30 October to 2 November at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and you can find out more about the show on the official website.

By Rufus Thompson