Saturday 21st November 2015

Fiat 124 Spider - more info [Updated]

Official info following Fiat 124 Spider's LA unveiling updates our earlier story

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It is no secret Fiat and Mazda have been collaborating on a pair of related roadsters sharing common MX-5 based underpinnings. The fourth-generation Mazda model is now well established, on sale and winning us over on road and track. Leaving the Fiat 124 Spider a lot to live up to.

Fiat originally released the 124 Sports Spider, designed and manufactured by Pininfarina, at the Turin motor show in 1966. Just shy of 50 years on, the new 124 Spider takes a nostalgic approach by unashamedly borrowing retro styling cues. A distinctive line flows along the side from the front wing back over the haunches to the rear lights while the headlamps and upper grille are all clearly inspired by the original, including the bonnet bulges that were necessary additions to fit larger engines.

Powered by Fiat's 1.4 MultiAir Turbo, the engine produces 140hp and 177lb ft and is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox specially optimised for high torque output, says Fiat. Those who don't want to be as involved may opt for the automatic transmission. Compared with the base 1.5 MX-5, power and torque are up but no word on weight as of yet. As reported in our original story, and in earlier ones from WorldCarFans and Autocar, it'd seem a more powerful 160hp version is also coming for some markets with further power for hoped-for Abarth versions down the line.

Unlike the front-wheel drive Barchetta that attempted to take on the original MX-5, this 124 is, of course, rear-wheel drive. The front suspension comprises a double-wishbone set-up with a multi-link arrangement out back purposefully engineered to "increase toe-in under high cornering forces for improved stability." Reducing wind noise has not been an afterthought. The roof has been fitted with a headliner, said to improve sound absorption and Fiat has also designed the bootlining to further absorb and insulate. Roof down and it is the same story - air is guided above the heads of the occupants to the rear of the car. According to the official release even the seatbelt position has been taken into account to reduce wind noise.

Keeping the 124 light has been addressed with a mixture of steel and aluminium panels and using a spring-assisted soft-top, eliminating the need for a heavy power assisted one. Inside, the Mazda link becomes more apparent, with familiar switchgear and layout. A three-gauge binnacle with its central rev counter gives an idea what the car is designed to do. Due on sale mid-2016 we await to hear on further technical and equipment specs and - of course - price. [Nikolai]

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[Original story]
Fiat's reaction to the original MX-5 was, of course, the Barchetta. A pretty enough car, its unglamorous front-driven Punto underpinnings didn't stand a chance of competing with the Mazda's more classic rear-wheel drive configuration. That and LHD-only confined it to also-ran status against the all-conquering Mazda, Fiat accepting that this time round collaboration with the Japanese rather than a style over content imitation is the only way forward.

Based on the ND MX-5, although with a very different vibe

And so here we are, the much discussed, long awaited Fiat 124 Spider. It is, of course, based on the new ND MX-5 and recognisable so, despite all-new panels and a very different vibe. If Mazda has pushed ahead with a modernist vision of traditional MX-5 values Fiat is clearly being much more overt about plundering previous glories, with a clear retro look inspired by the original of the same name.

There's no official word yet but both WorldCarFans and Autocar are reporting that the car will use versions of Fiat's 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder MultiAirII engine with a choice of manual and automatic gearboxes and a choice of 140hp and 160hp outputs dependent on market. If the performance should be on a par, give or take, with the normally-aspirated Mazda the character should at least be sufficiently different to make them distinct choices from each other in driving character. And that's before Abarth gets its hands on it.

More details when we get them. [Dan]

[Sources: WorldCarFans, Autocar]

[Oddball RS]

Looks good to me, finally something in this price bracket that promises something warm (Abarth).

[Oddball RS]

Like the Alfa mock up shown above was ever going to happen, I mean really, it would have ended up a weird fat pastiche like the rest of the range, they don't make a good looking car, you have to take this into account when you criticise Fiats effort, and it has to be based on an MX5 to control costs, id rather have one more roadster than one less.

[Oddball RS]

dgmx5 said:

LaurasOtherHalf said:

This is not a good looking car

The side, rear 3/4 and bonnet looks like an aero kitted NC MX-5 with a bulbous front grin and hideous front lights. The chrome windscreen surround looks particularly dated without looking retro and I see little in the way of visual clues to the original spider.

The Mazda owes little visually to its predecessors but in the flesh does look good. As to whether an Abarth-breathed on version will be hot is debatable. Save for the Biposto, most Abarths for the past two decades have been restricted to addenda and badges and not tuning.

Still, Fiat were right not to attempt another Barchetta.

"Save for the Biposto, most Abarths for the past two decades have been restricted to addenda and badges and not tuning"



Well that and the other 10 models of Abarth 500? including the one make series track car that you can also buy with a cage in, and road register it? Do a little more googling next time.

[Oddball RS]

'I'd like to see it with the roof up' look at an MX5 then.........

'I prefer the MX5, I like my windscreen surrounds painted car colour' they are all black!.....

This car has a tough job, the Alfa owners hate it because its not an Alfa, (Realistically how many of those have actually bought a new Alfa with their own money over the last 3-4 years?)

The MX5 owners hate it because its not an MX5, and for the first time they have something they think they can feel snooty about.

I liked the style of the first 124, and I like the cues on this one, I like Fiat lumps, i've run 20v Coupes / Turbos and a 500 as well as an Abarth. (No failures or issues, many more on nameless Alfa though)

And someone pages back actually mentioned 'do Fiats still rot.......' take a look at an early MX5 to go back to 70's style rot!

There is so much biased bile on here about a new to the market rwd two seater............ (Shakes head)

[Oddball RS]

Munter said:

Oddball RS said:

The MX5 owners hate it because its not an MX5, and for the first time they have something they think they can feel snooty about.

OI! I know that's a generalisation. But I'd like to point out that while I love an MX5. I said I didn't care how it looked (It looks like a car to me). I wanted to know if it was going to be a good little sports car to drive. And with the turbo engine, if the engine tuning options would be better than the MX5. If it's still light and has the ability to take bigger power, there might be one on every trackday in 10 years time.

Ahh take my comment with a pinch of salt, I just cannot get my head around what looks a promising little sportscar, and people are just being so off about it all. I'd rather have another sportscar on the road than not, I'm sick of people thinking a 300Bhp hatch is a sportscar.