2016 Geneva Motor Show: Abarth 124 Spider adds power to Fiat’s MX-5

FIAT has unveiled a more hardcore version of its upcoming 124 Spider, adding the half-century-old Abarth sportscar nameplate to the Italian designed and branded two-door convertible.

Based of course on the Mazda ND MX-5 roadster, the Abarth 124 Spider has yet to be confirmed for Australia, but it will most likely be the only version to arrive when it lobs sometime next year.

Using the European pricing as a guide, it is expected to kick off well north of $60,000 before on-road costs.

Said to be developed “with input from the Abarth Racing Team”, the Abarth 124 Spider gains a slightly uprated version of the 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol MultiAir engine Fiat will place in the regular versions.

It delivers about 125kW of power (up around 6kW) and (an identical) 250Nm of torque to the rear wheels, via a six-speed manual or a specially retuned six-speed automatic transmission dubbed Sequenziale Sportivo by its Torinese overlords.

Tipping the scales at just 1060kg, the Abarth roadster can hit 100km/h from standstill in 6.8 seconds – half a second better than the 118kW/200Nm 2.0-litre-equipped MX-5 – on the way to a 230km/h top speed.

Other Abarth goodies include Bilstein dampers and stiffer anti-roll bars for the double wishbone front/multi-link rear suspension system, while the company’s branded Record Monza exhaust system ups the octave rating by a few decibels.

Conversely, the Racing Anti-glare matte-black bonnet (and boot lid) stripes work to tone down potentially distracting reflections, according to Abarth.

Along with a fresh set of 17-inch Forgiato Grey alloy wheel designs, the Abarth 124 Spider gains Alcantara cabin upholstery, as well as an individual numbered plaque to emphasise the model’s relative rarity.

Finally, a quintet of colours celebrating past rallying successes differentiate the Abarth from its more pedestrian Fiat sibling, with equally evocative names to boot – Turini 1975 White, Costa Brava 1972 Red, Isola d’Elba 1974 Blue, Portogallo 1974 Grey, and San Marino 1972 Black.

As with the Fiat-badged version, the Abarth 124 Spider differs from its MX-5 donor with a uniquely designed nose and tail treatment, as well as the fitment of the 1.4-litre MultiAir engine in various states of tune.