The newly launched Fiat 124 Abarth spider has a big dollop of Italian 1960s retro cool factor, and a fair slab of 1970s European rally heritage.
Priced from $52,990 for the six-speed manual and $54,990 for the six-speed automatic, the New Zealand model is specced up with rear parking assistance, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic assistance and leather seats.
“The Abarth 124 Spider is not just an amazing performance vehicle, but the return of one of the world’s most iconic nameplates to New Zealand roads,” said David Smitherman, chief executive officer of Fiat Chrysler New Zealand.
“It offers the perfect blend of performance, handling and road holding, and style to ensure that it is, once again, the epitome of everything that a sports car must be.”
The 124 Abarth Spider is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine producing 125Kw of power and 250Nm of torque.
That’s more torque than the standard Fiat 124 Spider.
Pictures / Christian Brunelli.
It’s been 50 years since Fiat launched the 124 Spider and the famous Italian sports car had a run until 1985.
The new 124 Spider’s has many design cues from the original Spider, including the headlight cutouts, grille shape and hood contours, plus the character line running down the Fiat’s flanks.
The roadster retains the regular 124’s 50-50 front-to-rear weight balance while incorporating stiffer anti-roll bars.
It also delivers best-in-class power and torque, along with segment’s most comprehensive suite of performance components as standard.
The Spider also has Abarth heritage and performance expertise.
The Abarth 124 Rally was a special model built from 1972 to 1975 by Fiat’s Abarth performance line.
Though the name Abarth is linked to the Italy factory established in 1949 by Carl Abarth (and taking the scorpion as its badge due to his horoscope sign), the 124 Abarth we get here has no physical links to that background.
Instead it garners the name thanks to such additions as a quad sport exhaust, Bilstein shock absorbers and Bremo braking system.
The Fiat 124 Abarth Spider is on sale now; The interior of the Fiat 124 Abarth Spider differs from the Mazda MX-5. Pictures / Christian Brunelli.
Each front fender, all four wheel caps, the steering-wheel center, and the car’s nose wear Abarth’s signature scorpion badges.
The Fiat 124 Abarth Spider comes in five colours, all linked to the brand’s European rally history.
There are: Turini 1975 White, Costa Brava 1972 Red, Isola d’Elba 1974 Blue, Portogallo 1974 Grey, and San Marino 1972 Black.
I’d take the blue.
The red is too close to Mazda’s famous red, so you’d be mistaken for having a MX-5.
The grey doesn’t do the design lines service, while the white and black are too conservative.
Then again, I don’t want everyone driving around in my blue Fiat 124 Abarth Spider, so pick whatever you want.
But you can’t talk about the Fiat 124 Spider without talking about the Mazda MX-5.
The Fiat 124 Abarth Spider has a long bonnet, a 1.4-litre turbo engine, and racing seats. Pictures / Christian Brunelli.
The Fiat 124 Spider is a joint venture with Mazda using the new MX-5 platform, with both roadsters built in the same plant in Hiroshima, Japan.
The Italian version was originally going to be marketed as the Alfa Romeo Spider, but was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year as the Fiat and is now on sale globally.
Fiat Australia and New Zealand are quick to point out that that 124 Abarth Spider doesn’t share any body panels with the MX-5, and has a different drivetrain and engine than the Mazda.
Mazda’s MX-5 1.5-litre four cylinder engine produced 96kW and 150Nm, and is priced from $40,990.
There aren’t many visible differences between the 124 Spider and the MX-5 inside.
The Fiat has its own gauge faces, different door panels, some softer trim, and Fiat badges.
There’s also Fiat’s acoustic windshield, thicker rear glass, and the extra sound deadening under the carpet and along the firewall.
The longer bonnet plus sound deadening material makes the Fiat 60kg heavier than the MX-5 1.6-litre, which is 1009kg.
Pictures / Christian Brunelli.
And then there’s the noise from the Fiat, which is loud and proud, thanks the the quad exhaust and Abarth tuning.
The boot can accommodate two cabin bags, a camera bag, laptop bag and a handbag.
The Australasian launch of the Fiat 124 Abarth Spider was held around Byron Bay, heading inland and then to the Gold Coast.
It tore through some challenging back country roads without hesitation. It likes to be driven hard and, due to the weight gain, feels more grounded than the 1.6-litre MX-5.
The six-speed manual transmission has short ratios, and it is easy to mix up third and fifth gear.
The 200km took us through quiet hinterland roads and up Mt Tamborine before we arrived at the Gold Coast’s Norwell track.
The Fiat was given time on the track for circuits and a play on the skidpan with traction control on and then off.
Pictures / Christian Brunelli.
First tries on the skidpan were through cone “gates” but due to lack of “drifting” action, the instructors just made a circle circuit for us and soon the 124s were doing 360s to the delight of drivers.
On the track, I stayed in third and fourth due to the track’s multiple and frequent corners, and drove it at a modest 160-180km/h speed, though when I encountered a few 90s degree turns, the 124 was prone to understeer.
The Abarth has sport mode that changes the calibrations of the engine, electric power steering and stability control.
On the track that gave a sporty response and performance-oriented drive.
The latest Spider is a small, lightweight, rear-wheel-drive sports car that is a recipe for fun, especially when you add the Abarth heritage and expertise.
FIAT 124 ABARTH SPIDER
PRICE - $52,990
ENGINE - 1.4-LITRE PETROL ENGINE (125KW/250NM)
PRO - Retro styling
CON - Pricier than MX-5
Pictures / Christian Brunelli.