TURBO tweaks have created two new hot shots from the Fiat stable in the shape of the latest Abarth 500 convertible and the Abarth Punto Evo.

Since its return to glory as a standalone brand a couple of years ago, Abarth has carved out a niche in the UK for producing incredibly sporty little cars.

The company founded in the 1950s by Karl Abarth cut its teeth on the race tracks of Europe and now as part of the Fiat Group its famous scorpion badge is back in business.

Having established itself in the UK with hot versions of the Fiat 500 and the larger Grande Punto, Abarth is now adding the 500 convertible and Punto Evo to its line up.

The latter replaces the Grande Punto and priced from £16,500 is the more affordable of the two newcomers.

The Abarth 500C costs from £17,500 - £1,500 more than the most expensive Fiat version - and realistically is an expensive plaything for the serious motorist.

Make no doubt about it, there is a lot of race-bred engineering under the skin of the Abarth 500C which can be enjoyed to the full only on a track - as we discovered at the Teesside Autodrome in Middlesbrough.

A turbo charged 1.4-litre engine pumps out 140bhp giving it a 0 to 60 acceleration time of 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 128mph with average fuel economy of 43.4mpg and emissions of 151g/km.

On the road the Abarth 500 is a wasp of a car with a smashing buzz from the exhaust and sharp handling.

A sport button firms up the suspension and steering response while altering the gear ratios to give more zip.

An advanced traction system can be brought into play which mimics limited slip differential improving high speed stability - but that's a device best enjoyed on a circuit.

The car is also fitted with a five speed semi-automatic Competizione gearbox, which as its name suggests is not entirely suited to everyday use.

Manual operation is from steering wheel mounted paddles - and shifts are rapid - but in auto mode it is not at all smooth through the box.

There is no gear lever as such, with four buttons mounted in the dash for manual/auto selection, first, neutral and reverse. While that frees up space inside and gives a high tech look to the instrumentation it does mar the everyday enjoyment of the car.

A manual version is due later in the year - as is an even hotter 160bhp esseesse version - but at the moment the MTA box is all you can get.

The turbo fittings have meant changes to the front of the car making it slightly bigger than the Fiat with an extended air dam. There are also side skirts, alloys and a rear diffuser which give it the necessary sporty appeal.

Inside, yellow and red stitching set off the leather upholstery and with metal foot pedals, a boost meter mounted next to the instrument binnacle and flat bottomed steering wheel it's got all the right attributes - not to mention the rag top roof which can slide open in less than 30 seconds at speeds of almost 40mph.

The Abarth 500C is really about having fun. The Punto Evo has a little more practicality about it - but still delivers the goods.

It has a six speed manual gearbox which makes the drive much more user friendly. Again it uses a 1.4-litre turbo engine but this one is boosted to 165bhp resulting in a top speed of 133mph and 0 to 60 acceleration of 7.9 seconds.

Fuel consumption averages 47.1mpg with CO2 emissions of 142g/km which is very respectable for a hot hatch. It's also fitted with stop/start to help economy.

As such this is a fair rival to a Ford Focus ST - but some £6,000 cheaper.

The performance of the Punto Evo is much more accessible than on the 500C. Flick the sports mode lever to the side of the gear stick and the car leaps into life and drives as if on rails with the torque traction control in play.

The Punto Evo has a nice blend of eco and sports features - and that goes for the technology as much as the styling which has plenty of body kit.

It's only a three door but space in the back is usable and there's adequate luggage space for getting away.

As with the 500C an esseesse version is slated for the UK in November and that will have more power at 180bhp.