Fiat introduced a new convertible called 124 Spider at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. The basics have already been covered in these pages: it’s based on the fourth-generation Miata and built in Japan by Mazda, but it features a retro-inspired design and it’s powered by a Fiat-specific 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder MultiAir engine that makes 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft. of torque.
The Spider made its European debut at the Geneva show, and Fiat’s Abarth division introduced a more powerful version of it that receives an evolution of the aforementioned turbo four tuned to produce 170 horsepower in its most basic state of tune. We’ll talk more about the Abarth 124 — and the rally-bound model that was also presented in Switzerland — next week. In mean time, here are a few shots of the original 124 Spider next to its 21st century counterpart.
it will be interesting to see a road test of the miata vs 124.