The digital driver information display and gauges mean that sport mode, in addition to sharpening up the steering and throttle responses (and adjusting the transmission mapping in automatic-equipped cars) now also makes the digital speedometer switch to an italic font (italicized digits look faster because they’re leaned over, right?) and replaces the guilt-inducing fuel consumption gauge with a gusto-rewarding throttle percentage gauge. Frankly, I’ve always found the 500’s sport mode to be a little too subtle in the manual-equipped cars (the most noticeable change is the automatic-transmission mapping), so having the gauges do something different when you press the sport button is a nice bonus, even if a gauge telling you what your right foot is doing seems a bit unnecessary.

In terms of other features, the 1957 Edition is equipped pretty much as an upper-trim Lounge model (the regular lineup includes Pop, Sport and Lounge), with the real changes being cosmetic. So it gets the automatic climate control, leather upholstery, premium audio with satellite radio, panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, fog lights, auto-dimming rearview mirror, security alarm, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and such. The interior is fitted in a two-tone, brown-and-ivory colour scheme with rich-looking leather upholstery, and the steering wheel is a thing of true stylistic and tactile beauty, while everything else in the cabin is built from unremarkable rigid plastics.

Up front, the seats are quite upright but decently comfortable, with tilt (though not telescoping) steering allowing a moderate amount of adjustment. Rear seat passengers over about 5’3″ will find the space somewhat cramped (at 5’11” I needed to move the front seat forward a little to sit behind myself, and I found my head brushing the roof), but at least there is a back seat, unlike in a Smart ForTwo. Cargo space is similarly tight at 185 L, but I found it was enough for a week’s groceries for two people.

Outside, the 1957 Edition adds a white-painted roof, white exterior mirror caps, retro badging with the old elongated Fiat lettering, and unique retro-style body-coloured wheels in the same 195-45R16 size as the Sport (the 1957 Edition retains the standard suspension, however, so its ride is less firm than the Sport). The wheels, which feature big, chromed-centre caps and chromed “trim ring” rims, seemed to garner plenty of attention, and at traffic lights I’d catch people staring at them in fascination.

Under the hood, the 2016 Fiat 500 is the same as it ever was, with a naturally-aspirated 1.4L 16-valve Multiair engine that develops 101 hp and 98 lb-ft of torque and drives the front wheels via either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. What the engine lacks in terms of raw power and brute acceleration it makes up for with an effervescent, free-revving character. Especially with my test car’s manual transmission, the Fiat 500 is genuinely entertaining to drive and makes you feel properly connected to the car, so while it might take nearly 10 seconds to accelerate from 0-100 km/h, you’ll likely have a smile on your face by the time you get there thanks to the burbly engine note and the sheer enthusiasm with which the 500 seems to operate. (And if you really can’t wait that long to reach 100 km/h there’s always the Turbo or Abarth models, although you can’t get them in the 1957 Edition trim.)

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