Designers Turn Fiat Topolino Into Speedster and Four-Seat EV Barred From Public Roads

Designer Fabrizio Giugiaro and entrepreneur Lapo Elkann, grandson of former Fiat head Gianni Agnelli, have unveiled two unique concept cars based on the miniature Fiat Topolino electric quadricycle. Named Top. L and Top. J, the vehicles debuted on September 11 at the Salone Auto Torino show in Italy.

A Speedster and an Unusual Four-Seat Cabin

Both vehicles were created as design experiments and exist as one-offs. The bodies were radically overhauled, but the mechanical underlying hardware remains untouched: according to Stellantis specifications, underneath is a standard Fiat Topolino equipped with a 6 kW electric motor, a 5.5 kWh battery, and a top speed of 45 km/h.

The first concept, the Top. L (short for Love), is a two-seat speedster without a roof. Its body is painted in matte aquamarine, with a matching leather and Alcantara interior. The creators note that they drew inspiration for the silhouette from the rebellious spirit of classic sports cars, specifically James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder, known as the Little Bastard.

The second model, the Top. J (Joy), turned out to be even more unusual. The engineers managed to convert the 2.5-meter EV into a four-seater. The rear row of seats is positioned back-to-back with the front seats. The car lacks a rigid roof; a light fabric awning is all that protects passengers from bad weather. As Forbes Italia notes, the concept’s blue-green paint job pays homage to Gianni Agnelli, who owned a rare Ferrari 166 MM in a similar color scheme.

Legal Barrier to Serial Production

Such design solutions, particularly the four-seat layout, face strict legal restrictions in the European Union.

The standard Fiat Topolino is certified in Europe as an L6e light quadricycle. By rule, vehicles in this category cannot exceed 45 km/h, and the maximum seating capacity is strictly capped at two, including the driver.

Adding two more passenger seats, as highlighted by AutoNext, automatically reclassifies the Top. J into the heavier L7e category. This requires a full driver’s license, whereas the base Topolino can be driven in many European countries from age 14 with a basic moped permit. Because the chassis and braking system remain unchanged, the four-seat Top. J cannot be certified for legal use on public roads.

That is why Giugiaro and Elkann’s project will remain a one-off experiment: the creators have no plans to put the Top. L and Top. J into limited production.