Good news for those who like to spot obscure cars out in the wild — Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani Edition is officially coming to America, and while a special edition of a relatively short-range EV usually isn’t huge news, you’re going to want to check this one out, because it rolls on an absolutely outrageous set of wheels.
What we’re looking at here is a fitting continuation of a lineage. The previous-generation 500 had a Gucci edition and a GQ edition, and you could buy both in America. Hell, fashion brands and cars go back way further than that with the Lincoln Designer Series cars and AMC’s Levi’s Edition cars, so the 500e Giorgio Armani Edition is just the latest in a 50-year-plus history. However, it might have the best wheels of the lot because they are insane.
See, the Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani Edition gets special 17-inch alloy wheels that don’t so much have spokes as they have a freaking monogram. When oriented the right way, the detailing spells out “GA” for Giorgio Armani in exactly the same fashion as the monogrammed headrests. When oriented the wrong way, the wheels don’t spell anything. Structurally, these wheels effectively work out as four-spoke units, but how insane is this? Think of them a bit like the old AC Courrèges wheels for the modern era.
Beyond the bonkers wheels, the Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani Edition is available in two colors — a pleasing dark green and something called “Ceramic Greige,” which sounds flavorless. Oh, and Giorgio Armani’s signature is on the window trims in case you want to do a bit of identity theft. However, the interior is where things get good, because hot damn, it’s been a while since we’ve seen a wood-faced dashboard.
Yes, in an era where most so-called luxury brands are adding lightness by sticking on carbon fiber dashboard trim that didn’t actually need to be there, Fiat is going with laser-cut wood and it’s magnificent. Want to richen the ambience of a space? Wood. When done tastefully, it’s worked for decades, and it works here, even in a relatively dark stain. The chevron stitching on the seat inserts is also properly nice, and the addition of a JBL hi-fi system sounds welcome. Mind you, it does come with an odd addition.
Yep, this special edition comes pre-loaded with, um, “signature Giorgio Armani tunes,” according to Fiat. What’s a Giorgio Armani tune? Probably not “Yankee Doodle” or “Cotton Eye Joe” or Switchfoot’s hit 2003 single “Meant To Live.” Anyway, pre-loaded tunes probably won’t affect how fun the 500e is, because although it only has city-sized range, its small 42 kWh battery pack imbues it with exactly the sort of right-now responses you’d expect from an Italian city car, from steering to damping. It doesn’t feel like a big, heavy EV because it’s neither big nor heavy.
The 2025 Fiat 500e Giorgio Armani Edition is neat. From the bonkers wheels to the wood trim, it offers the right sort of high fashion elements in a city-sized package. However, since Fiat is doing fashion-style batch drops of the 500e, what I really want to see is a 500e Giorgio Moroder Edition. Sure, it wouldn’t be as iconic as the insane Cizeta-Moroder V16T supercar, but a city-sized EV with a synthetic soundtrack composed by one of the greatest pioneers of electronic music sounds like an epic idea. Fiat, if you’re listening, feel free to take this idea and run with it. You’ll probably sell at least 16 of them to Berklee College of Music kids.
(Photo credits: Fiat)
Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.
-
The Electric 2024 Fiat 500e Is So Damn Fun You Won’t Care About Its Range
-
The Fiat 500e Abarth Is A Great Hot Hatch That Argues Engines Don’t Matter
-
The New 2024 Fiat 500e Is An Adorable $34,095 Electric Car With Acceptable Range
-
The Spike Lee Commercial For The Electric Fiat 500e Is My Everything
-
The Fiat 500e Is Coming Back To America In 2024 And This Time Not As A ‘Compliance Car’
Got a hot tip? Send it to us here. Or check out the stories on our homepage.
All these replies with examples need be made into a post!!
Why not have a series about funky wheels?
“the old AC Courrèges wheels”
Seems obligatory to post a pic or two whenever mentioning those wheels especially since they’re still so obscure here in the US so here goes:
https://kyushashoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/ac-courreges-linup1984700web.jpg
And the ACB variant as seen on an absolutely 80stastic Honda City cabriolet:
https://kyushashoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/oyajinscity.jpg
May day has gotten much better since seeing this. Thank you.
Oh, I really like those. This whole trim package seems like it would be a very classy little city run-about.
Who remembers Pirelli P Slots?
Nothing like a clean P Slot.
The “GA” part has to be a removable hub cap. It’s covering the lug nuts.
As the owner of multiple 4×98 cars, MUAHAHAHAH WE GET THE BESTEST WHEELS ALL TO OURSELVES!
I dunno, I’m pretty happy with my BMW BBS 4×100 wheels from my E30, that also went on my MX5 and would fit a Toyota/VW/Honda as well.
Let’s be honest… the best EV wheel design was the last gen EV Mini Cooper, where the wheels mimicked the Euro-Style electric plug. So freaking clever.
I’ve been seeing more and more of these kinds of wheels with oriented designs and every time I ask “Why did they not put the oriented part on a weighted bearing?” Having the design always oriented the right way seems like it’d be pretty important. They do it for the center caps but nothing bigger. It’s amazing that those gaudy ass “Dollabling” wheels from the crunk/DUB era were the only widespread application of this.
I hear VW is countering with a Diesel ID.Buzz.
I expect this’ll cost an Armani a leg!
Dang it…take my like.
Will I be able to charge one up at the Armani Exchange outlet?
That interior is gorgeous.
Yeah, I scoffed at first but, like… that looks like a nice place to be when commuting.
Kelleners K-Sport wheels have a pretty sweet double K motif.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/256554465495
Love the look, that wood dash is swoon-worthy!
Can I have one with the Abarth 1.4T in it?
Darn you Fiat for sticking with the dang weird bolt pattern of 4×98. Yes you’re just one set of wobble bolts away from the most interesting set of Miata wheels, but why?
These are absolutely incredible, and I sincerely hope someone brings some sets to the US to put on a prior gen 500 Abarth.
I’d Rather have ronal Teddy on it
Gemma Atkinson will be guying it too
Nahh I still like those Pirelli wheels from old schoold Golfs more:
https://www.wheelprice.com/l/659c04c8-6c05-4b99-a51b-a39854c74305
I thought it was the new JaGuar monogram for a second
Same, though this is better executed (and actually plays into the brand instead of throwing away 90 years of history).
Oooh, kitty’s got claws!