{"id":53173,"date":"2026-08-13T11:48:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T09:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.italpassion.fr\/?p=53173"},"modified":"2026-08-13T10:55:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T08:55:39","slug":"fiat-offers-a-kit-to-boost-the-topolinos-top-speed-to-40-km-h-this-american-tuner-is-doubling-down-and-aiming-for-80-km-h","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.italpassion.fr\/en\/fiat\/fiat-propose-un-kit-pour-faire-passer-sa-topolino-a-40-km-h-ce-preparateur-americain-double-la-mise-et-vise-80-km-h\/","title":{"rendered":"Fiat offers a kit to boost its Topolino's top speed to 25 mph; this American tuner is doubling down and aiming for 50 mph"},"content":{"rendered":"
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No sooner had she arrived in the United States than the Fiat Topolino<\/a> is already attracting the attention of tuners. And not just any tuner: 500 MADNESS, an American specialist in Fiat<\/a> and Abarth<\/a>, has just taken on the little Italian electric car with a rather spectacular modification. His goal? To boost the American Topolino\u2019s top speed from just 19 mph\u2014or 30 km\/h\u2014to potentially 50 mph\u2026 about 80 km\/h!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The timing is quite interesting. Just a few days ago, we reported that Fiat was offering American owners a free kit<\/a> allowing the Topolino to go from 19 to 25 mph (40 km\/h). This modification was necessary to qualify it for the Low-Speed Vehicles<\/em> (LSV) and drive on certain roads. At 500 MADNESS, they apparently decided that 25 mph was still way too reasonable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 8 to 14 hp and up to 50 mph<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The tuning company is now marketing a device called the MAXPower Performance ECU, priced at $1,199.99. And unlike the performance upgrade offered by Fiat, this is no longer just about gaining a few kilometers per hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In its stock form, the American Fiat Topolino produces about 8 hp. With the new ECU, 500 MADNESS claims 14 hp and about 43 Nm. That still represents a power increase of 75 % in a vehicle that\u2019s barely 2.53 meters long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most importantly, the electronic speed limiter is removed. According to the tuner, the top speed achieved is 50 mph, or about 80 km\/h. Performance may vary depending on battery temperature, charge level, wind, incline, or tire pressure. The conversion is also designed to be particularly simple. 500 MADNESS does not reprogram the original ECU; instead, it provides a preconfigured ECU that directly replaces the original one. The process is described as plug-and-play<\/em> and it's completely reversible\u2014all you have to do is put the original case back on to restore the original configuration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Topolino going 50 mph\u2026 is that really a good idea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, turning a Topolino into a little electric speedster raises a few questions. This vehicle was designed for very modest performance, and even though 500 MADNESS claims that its control unit stays within the thermal and electrical limits of the various components, nearly doubling its top speed inevitably changes the game when it comes to braking and handling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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