People Are Already Modding The Tiny Fiat Topolino. I Want One, BadlyInsideEVs[email protected] (Nico DeMattia)Tue, September 15, 2026 at 6:58 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleTOP_L_FRONT_CORSASome see a glorified golf cart. I see potential.Sometimes overused cliche's are overused for a reason. If you like cars even a little bit, there's a good chance you've heard the expression that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. It's one of the most commonly used sayings in the car world. However, it has good reason to be: It's very often true. Driving something small and underpowered can absolutely be as fun as driving a supercar, depending on the context. And with modified versions now surfacing, it looks like the Fiat Topolino could be a perfect example of what I'm talking about.Despite having less horsepower than a Victorian carriage, the Topolino has actually inspired enough some enthusiasts to start modding it. Right out of the box, Fiat's little mouse is a low-speed quadricycle, and it isn't even road legal in the U.S. due to its 19 mph top speed. A software update is coming later that will bump U.S. Topolinos' top speed to a residential 25 mph. While that isn't fast, the shoebox-sized EV is tiny and light. Very light. At only 1,073 pounds, its light enough to get enthusiasts exited. With the right suspension, body, and even battery mods, it could be a hilariously fun little toy.Top_LTuning shop Madness Auto Works decided to take delivery of a Fiat Topolino shortly after it was announced, and immediately started tinkering with it. First, they lowered it on coilover suspension, which makes it handle far sharper than before, and it's hilarious. They also upgraded its vehicle control module (VCM) software to double its top speed. While that sounds hilarious, I'm not sure I want to be in a Topolino at 50 mph. After the mechanical and software upgrades, though, they also added a wood-rimmed Momo steering wheel, custom quilted leather seat padding, and new wheels. So it looks much better than the stock car, and has a couple of quality of life upgrades.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut the folks at Madness aren't the only ones who are tweaking the Topolino's recipe. Italian businessman Lao Elkann and Fabrizio Giugiaro — yes, the son of the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro — came up with the idea to create two special Topolinos and they're awesome.One of them is called the Top.J, and it turns the normally two-seat Topolino into a four-seat beach cruiser. The stock hard-top roof was removed and replaced with a fabric canopy, and the rear end was chopped to fit a rear-facing bench seat. So you can cruise around beautiful beachy towns along the Mediterranean with four people in style. Fiat will sell you a Topolino without doors, called the Dolce Vita, which comes with stanchions in stead. But Elkann and Giugiaro's version has metal bars.TOP_J_REARThe other version from that Italian duo is even more exciting, called the Top.L. It has stanchions instead of doors like the Dolce Vita, but no roof at all. There are no pillars, no rear window, and not even a fabric roof to put up. Just a little windscreen to keep some bugs out of its front passengers' teeth. It's essentially a Topolino roadster and it looks like hilarious good fun. The press photos even show it on track, with a driver wearing full race gear, helmet and all.Neither of those two Topolino projects have modified running gear, so they're stock under their skin. However, imagine combining the two? Imagine having something like Top.L with no roof and no doors but with added power and sharper handling? It'd be an absolutely riot, something I couldn't wait to get in and drive everyday. I live in a small town and can take residential-speed roads for 90% of my driving. So a car like a juiced up Top.L would be my choice of car for almost every trip outside of my house. I can't wait to see what more people do with these things and I have a bad feeling about what I'm going to do to one, and my wallet.Here be some similar storiesFiat's $13,995 EV For America Is Cute, But Barely A CarThis Chinese Micro EV Makes The Fiat Topolino Look Bare-Bones