It's fair to say that reception of the Fiat 124 Spider hasn't been universally positive. The styling has come in for a bit of flak, and the turbocharged engines haven't pleased all. However, there's now a sportier one. And that has to be good news, right? It's quite surprising, in fact, that the fast Fiat version has come before Mazda offers anything based on the donor car.
Politics aside, what is this new 124? Well it's an Abarth for a start, not a Fiat, much like the Abarth 500 and Punto. No Fiat badges here! Bad news first: there's no additional power, the Abarth using the same 170hp MultiAir 1.4 turbo as the standard car. However, it's claimed this is good for 62mph in 6.8 seconds and 140mph, which sounds more than sprightly enough. A new sports exhaust delivering a "beautiful growling sound" is standard, along with a six-speed manual. There is a 'Sequenziale Sportivo' automatic 'box as well, but who wants that?
Over a regular 124 Spider, this car receives 'Abarth by Bilstein' dampers and stiffer anti-roll bars, which should hopefully go some way towards alleviating the awkward dive and pitch found in the MX-5. There's also a Brembo braking system with aluminium calipers, which are said to have very good resistance to fade. Sounds like a challenge... The standard mechanical limited-slip diff promises "exceptional dynamism". And cheeky little skids, you'd have to hope.
And look at it! Perhaps it's still not a design great, but the Abarth additions have certainly helped the 124's cause. There's a more aggressive front bumper with new intakes, a matt black bonnet on all models and a revised rear end too. Five colour schemes will be offered for the Abarth: Turini 1975 White, Costa Brava 1972 Red, Isola d'Elba 1974 Blue, Portogallo 1974 Grey and San Marino 1972 Black. Abarth did bit of rallying once you see; it might have been mentioned once or twice...
Inside there's Alcantara trim, aluminium pedals and a new wheel. All controls are said to be "perfectly in tune with the car's sporty set-up". There's no mention of additional adjustment to the steering wheel though, so it may still be perfectly in tune only for the smaller driver.
But let's not end on a downer; a more driver focused 124 Spider sounds like jolly good news. There's a rally car on show at Geneva too, which looks bloomin fantastic. Maybe once that's competing Abarth can sanction a Spider with more than 200hp. It could be the Essesse, with parts shipped in a crate that also works as a coffee table... This Abarth will be on sale in Europe from September at 40,000 euros. Full UK details as soon as they're available!