OK, we know that it’s just a Miata with an Italian engine but hey, this is the Abarth version and regular readers of this blog know I have a soft spot in y heard (head?) for Fiats.
But this is not just an Abarth, it’s a Fiat 124 Elaborazione Abarth, an heir of the roadster that drove Fiat to its first European Rally Championship win in the 1970s. The new 124 Spider has a 160 horsepower four-cylinder turbocharged MultiAir 1.4 Turbo engine and is available with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox with flappy paddles but why would any body choose that?
A mechanical limited slip differential, featuring a low torque bias ratio, provides improved traction and handling, as well as improved launch performance. The Elaborazione Abarth’s sport suspension includes mono-tube Bilstein front and rear shock absorbers for increased traction and more precise handling. The optional Brembo brakes has aluminum calipers with four pistons.
The Fiat 124 Spider Elaborazione Abarth has unique front and rear fascia, black side sills, 17-inch Gun Metal aluminum wheels and a sport-tuned, chrome quad-tip exhaust. The Gun Metal header, mirror cover and roll bar complement five available paint colors: Bianco Gelato (White Clear Coat), Rosso Passione (Red Clear Coat), Nero Cinema (Jet Black Metallic), Grigio Argento (Gray Metallic) and tri-coat Bianco Perla (Crystal White Pearl).
There is Rosso (red) stitching throughout, the interior including on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, wrapped instrument cluster hood, lower instrument panel and parking brake. A matte black instrument panel bezel, unique instrument cluster, aluminum-accented sport pedals and unique gear shift knob differentiate the Elaboration Abarth model. Unique Nero (black) leather/microfiber seats are standard, while leather seats in Nero (black) or Nero/Rosso (black/red) are available. For true performance enthusiasts, leather and Alcantara Recaro seats are available in Nero (black.) The price? Not announced yet. Hopefully priced like a Mazdaspeed Miata.
Mary loves Miatas and I love Fiats, so this should be a marriage made in heaven but we only have a three-car garage and parking on the street is not an option. (We’re in the middle of a Spring blizzards as I type this.) So Mary is unlikely to dump her Mercedes Benz 350 SLK anytime soon but not surprisingly, she loves this car. We’re looking forward to seeing on at Automezzi 2016. Hope to see you there too