New York 2011: Fiat 500c says spalancata e lasciare che il sole

New York 2011: Fiat 500c says spalancata e lasciare che il sole

2012 Fiat 500c – Click above for high-res image gallery

That bit of Italian in the title? It means "open wide and let the sun in"... we think. Either way, the 2012 Fiat 500c is doing just that. Maybe not the sun, but it is letting in the bright lights of the New York Auto Show stage.

Set to hit our shores this spring, the droptop two-door Fiat is powered by a 1.4-liter MultiAir inline-four-cylinder engine. Output is rated at 101 horsepower and 98 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a five-speed manual transmission, the powertrain is good for 38 miles per gallon on the highway.

The real magic of the 500c, however, sits in the cloth top that serves roof duty. With the press of a button, it slides back and can work like a soft sunroof or go all the way down and give occupants the sun's full monty. Check it out in the gallery below, and then click past the jump to read the full press release