2013 Gumball 3000: Romeo Ferraris' 300 HP Fiat 500 Abarth

We are talking about the Abarth Cinquone Stradale, which is the tuner’s street version of the Abarth 500 racer. Romeo Ferraris released the development back in 2011, but they may have something new for the Gumball.

This may be a tiny machine, but it sure packs a lot of punch, as its turbocharged 1.4-liter engine has been pushed to 300 hp. The extreme technical package is dressed in a wide body kit that manages to change the identity of the Fiat 500 Abarth.

The driver and his passenger are treated with motorsport-inspired elements, such as bucket seats and a rollcage, as well as lightweight Alcantara trim.

Now, since we mentioned the exclusive event, we may as well talk a little further about Gumball 3000. The 3,000-mile international motor rally takes place on public roads and was held for the first time back in 1999. Initiated by Maximillion Cooper, it did come with some controversy especially in the first issues.

Most of the cars are quite powerful, and participants would regularly drive heavily customized autos. It also has received its fair share of criticism for being both too opulent and quite risky. It all culminated in 2007 when two pensioners died in an accident in Macedonia after their car was hit by a Gumball rally car. Participants have been stopped for speeding, with some of them even losing their driver’s license over breaking traffic regulations.

All these issues didn’t stop the rally from becoming world famous and growing in popularity from one year to the other. There even are a movie and a video game named after the rally. Some of the world's most famous people participate, with some being even veterans.