Thursday 19th November 2015

Abarth to take 124 Spider rallying

The day after the 124 Spider is revealed Abarth is talking more power and - get this - WRC!

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Fiat is heading back into WRC with an Abarth version of the Fiat 124 Spider, a source close to the tuning company has told PistonHeads. The car will compete in what's said be a new sports car category designed to restore some petrolhead credibility to the supermini-dominated series. The likely entry date looks to be 2017, when the 124 Abarth road car will also go on sale.

Just announced and already going racing

That car, also based on the Mazda MX-5, is expected to use 160hp and 190hp versions of the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder used by the 500 Abarth. That's up from the standard 140hp used by the recently announced 124 Spider and should create a gutsy little sports car given the Mazda's 1000kg weight. The source also claims there'll be a version making over 200hp from the same 1.4 engine to tie in with the rally car's introduction.

The road-going Abarth comes with a beefed up front bumper to create a sporty counterpoint to the rather mild-looking 124 and will be sold with an optional matt black bonnet to draw comparisons with the Abarth tuned 124 Stradale homologation car built in the early 70s to satisfy entry requirements for the 124 rally car. It'll also be available with a hardtop like that car.

The last time Fiat was seriously involved with world rallying was the golden period in the late 70s/early 80s when it won the World Rally Championship three times with the iconic 131 Abarth, once with Markku Alen at the wheel, the last time in 1980 with Walter Rohrl.

The 1980s was the Golden era

Fiat's return to rallying via Abarth has long been rumoured and the tuning arm has competed on a national level with versions of the 500 and Punto, but this looks finally to be happening (although at Fiat, plans are always subject to change).

Abarth itself is going great guns with global sales on course to hit 10,000 a year, up from around 7,000, the head of the brand told us. That's purely based on versions of the 500, latest of which is the hardcore 190hp Biposto two-seater (the Punto version was discontinued). The range will expand further with an Abarth version of the Fiat 500X small SUV, the brand said, giving three models in total. We're told the UK vies with Italy for the title of world's largest Abarth market, and the UK arm tells they're increasing the number of Fiat dealerships authorized to sell Abarths from 68 to 103. Stick a gleaming red 124 Abarth Stradale with matt black bonnet and hardtop on the forecourt and you'll get us through the door.

[Rally shots: LAT]

[Blayney]

This suddenly got a whole lot cooler.

[VanquishRider]

Said all along the WRC should re-introduce the RWD class. We would all go and watch again.

[Crusoe]

reminds me that I spotted this last week, looks like a lot of fun
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C670051


New Abarth has lots of potential, 200bhp characterful light engine, rwd, under 1000kg and should be available with a manual, ticks a lot of boxes for a fun daily driver.

[confucuis]

While I would love to see it happen I don't think it will.

Wasn't their supposed to be a WRCGT class for the likes of an Exige WRC car, as well as the Porsches which haven't really taken off.

Though I would dearly love to see the fiat 124 go up against the GT86 and the Porsche in a two wheel drive category. Thinking about it I would be more excited to see that the Citroen Vs. Volkswagen!

[dinkel]

Rally Punto boasts a 280 brake 2 liter - I'm just suggesting.

[Buff Mchugelarge]

I want one of these...


MX what?

[gbruckner]

Now the design makes sense - nobody will notice frontal impacts.

[Crusoe]

Keep the spec as close to the old one 190bhp and 900kg yes please

[Pereldh]

As boring as wrc has gotten, and as much of a Fiat Fan I am - I vote YES

[DeltaEvo2]

This has to happen! Growing up my mate's dad had a Fiat 131 Abarth...the noise and the speed of the thing going around our village...and please Mr. Marchionne stop saying that you are not interested in the Lancia name anymore you p***k! 124 and a new Delta in the WRC now!

[GravelBen]

The R3 class would certainly be more interesting with this and the GT86 giving the fwd hatchbacks a hustle along.

Edited by GravelBen on Friday 20th November 07:47

[cptsideways]

Come on Mazda, you can have a go rallying too, you have a few drivers to choose from

[untakenname]

I'm guessing the MX-5 will outsell this at least 4 to 1, I wonder if any of the body parts will be interchangeable?

DeltaEvo2 said:

Mr. Marchionne stop saying that you are not interested in the Lancia name anymore you p***k!

I don't know why they don't use the Lancia name, for someone my generation (30's) the Stratos and Delta means that I value Lancia far higher than I do Fiat, the only decent car Fiat have made in my lifetime is the Coupe. Lots of people I know stay away from FIAT simply due to the badge.

Saw an NL plate Lancia the other day and it was a rebadged Chrysler, I thought it was someone just sticking the badge on like they do with Bentley one but it's actually legit. Shame the Lancia range doesn't include the 6 litre SRT version.

[dinkel]

A real shame Lancia is dead. Delta rally heritage seems ancient - only 40 year old men remember the odd turbo guns.


Pinninfarina did a good job as did Alfa with the Spider: over 25 years of production!

MX5 is 25 years too. Seems there's a market for these cars and I wonder why it took FIAT so long to come up with this one. Like the design and I'm sure the market will pick it up.

[Wardy5]

This is great news, well done Fiat.

More of this in the WRC please! Can Porsche also enter a works team - reckon a Cayman WRC would be really quite good! :-)

[mightymouse]

This has to be good news...along with the Toyota GT as well....things could get a load more interesting.

Funny that, as well, I was out on the Builth Stages recently and there was an MX5 fully rally prepared running - going quite well too

[JimiGT]

I posted in the thread the other day after pictures of the standard 124 were released saying how disappointing it was as I own and mk1 MX5 and an Abarth 595 and had been planning on swapping to an Abarth 124 when it came out.

This gives me a glimmer of hope I can hang on to until 2017 or when they release pictures of the Abarth version. Hopefully they sort it out how it looks and make it a bit less... meh.

[smilo996]

Imagine if they ralied it as a rag top dispensing Martini's along the way. It would not win but they would sell thousands.

Great idea.