Fiat Spider- The MX-5 Alternative that's based on an MX-5

[MR2 Fan]

I like it

http://www.motortrend.com/news/2017-fiat-124-spider-first-look-review/

http://st.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/5/2015/11/2017-Fiat-124-Spider-front-three-quarter1.jpg?interpolation=lanczos-none&fit=around%7C1000%3A%2A

[Cam]

Gah! I don't. :thppt:

[Rare White Ape]

*DELETED*

[Yw-slayer]

Horrific.

[KillerB]

Gross.

[Yobbo NZ]

Headlights make it look like it's on meth.

[MR2 Fan]

funny, it's a Pininfarina design also

[TheBenior]

I'm okay with it, though I find the tail lights to be a bit boring, and still prefer the MX-5 overall.

[Jason]

I swear this was already discussed in the Miata thread...

[Freude am Fahren]

And I thought everyone liked it in that thread...

[KillerB]

I didn't reply about it in that thread because I was too busy dry-heaving.

[Godson]

I just....I can't.

[Jason]

I didn't reply about it in that thread because I was too busy dry-heaving.

If you slapped a Mazda badge on it, instead, you'd be humping your monitor :lol:

[Yw-slayer]

He might, although it'd still be really ugly.

[KillerB]

Not really. They took a great shape (the current MX-5) and made it look like shit.

[thesameguy]

To me that's a weird thing to say, because I think the biggest issue with it is that it maintains too much of the Miata's shape, which I don't like. They grafted a Fiat-like nose and tail onto a Miata middle section and it doesn't go together. The Fiat needs to be a lot swoopier and it's just so bland between the axles.

The real upside of the 124 is the rumored Abarth hard-top - which even if it's ugly could be a nice damn car. A fastback version of this:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/digitaltrends-uploads-prod/2015/11/Abarth-124-Render.jpg

The only thing dragging me down on it is the 1.4l. While a competent motor, it's just so damned buzzy I don't see it being conducive to a real motoring experience.

[KillerB]

It's not a weird thing to say. They took a nice shape and grafted styling cues on that don't work with the original shape. Those cues would look fine on a vehicle that was designed for them to start with. I think we agree on everything other than you not liking the original Miata shape; we both agree the Fiat cues with the Mazda midsection is nasty.

If they put in the 1750 from the Alfa 4C, it would be tempting, but the Abarth motor only makes 5 more horsepower than the Mazda engine while it adds the weight of a turbo/intercooler setup. Sure, it adds 40 ft/lbs of torque, but torque is for people who don't understand how gearing works.

[CudaMan]

Says the guy who owns a Challenger. :lol:

[Jason]

I've learned to love a torquey four cylinder. :)

[thesameguy]

Count me onboard for turbo four power, and I like the idea of a turbo Miata a lot - it's just the Fiat 1.4l is pretty long in the tooth and a kind of unpleasant motor. The 1.6l Ecoboost is a wonderful powerplant... that motor in a Miata would be fun. The 1.4l Multiair is kinda icky. Maybe in a RWD configuration they can work some NVH magic or something. I'll definitely reserve judgment - an Abarth coupe is attractive to me.

[Kchrpm]

Sure, it adds 40 ft/lbs of torque, but torque is for people who don't understand how gearing works.
:rolleyes:


Says the guy who owns a Challenger. :lol:
:D


I've learned to love a torquey four cylinder. :)
:up:

Having a big ol fat band of torque, as long as it doesn't come with the wheeziness up top of some turbocharged cars (like mine), means not having to shift eleventy-billion times just to keep from getting bogged down, and means you don't have to risk shifting mid corner just to keep from banging off a rev limiter.

For future reference, you could have just said "Sure, it adds 40 ft*lbs of torque, but that wouldn't really improve the driving experience for me." More accurate, less douchey.

[thesameguy]

My big (maybe sole) complaint about turbos is non-linear power. A sudden surge of power somewhere in the rev range can definitely upset a good drive. Even after you get to know a car and have a really strong sense of what conditions (load, engine speed, ambient temp :lol:) yield usable boost it's still something ethereal to manage rather than pure engine note feedback. At least modern cars can fake you out on engine response with fancy timing/wastegate/throttle tricks, but you can't hide turboyness completely.

OTOH, the moment when the turbo spools and you're about ready to rocket off into the sunset is one of automobiledom's great joys. There's an RCR of the Grand National and you can tell Mr. Regular hasn't spent all that much time in turbo cars... every time the boost comes he giggles.

This one:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u8xlg-q5Xc

[The359]

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/kyrrnpsihm8jf6jfhqwj.jpg

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/acjzuuu3etjjrcbrf9us.jpg

10 extra horsepower, but adds Brembo brakes, Bilstein shocks, and a mechanical LSD. Hopefully it can be had without the black bodywork.

This, however, is unffff

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/pbabgbedgkqeo8v415mu.jpg

[FaultyMario]

Why the A.S. Roma colors?

[Phil_SS]

This comment from Jalopnik fits me perfectly:

When I saw the pictures of the 124 rally I made a sound so dirty the porn filters kicked in and blocked all images.

And the standard 124 Abarth is sexy. Love it. It might be a car that would make me choose a vert over a coupe.

[novicius]

The first image in blue? Dislike. :down:

The Abarth? Eh, getting better but still preferring the Miata.

The moneyshots that 359 just posted? Really staring to dig it. :lol: :up: #noclue

[The359]

The red/yellow car is the Abarth 124 R-GT for FIA Road Rally.

[The359]

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/ankrvb6bwoxeswwukxff.jpg

[Jason]

I'm liking the black windshield bar, instead of the silver :up:

[novicius]

Yup-yup. :up:

Getting to use the Miata was a great score for FIAT, and hopefully a good deal for Mazda.

[Phil_SS]

I find that to be much better looking than the Miata. But that is me, I like cars to be a bit boxier than swoopy.

[thesameguy]

I'm liking the black windshield bar, instead of the silver :up:

Word. The silver was too much.

[Kchrpm]

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/the-fiat-124-abarth-rally-car-is-real-and-it-is-perfect-1786728963

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--QUSeXLla--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/z6at3hccqbg2t7n5geuj.gif

[Jason]

That sounds so sexy.

It's too bad they didn't give the stock Abarth a more aggressive motor, from reviews it sounds like its pretty disappointing.

[MR2 Fan]

pushing 22 psi on the turbo...stock.

[Jason]

Yeah, they probably should have gone with a larger displacement engine to start with.

[Random]

pushing 22 psi on the turbo...stock.

Similar to the FiST, FWIW.

[Godson]

That's a 300hp engine. Not for the stock car

[KillerB]

They could use the 1750, but then it would have a similar power-to-weight ratio as the 4C... which is in the same showroom and costs 2.5x as much.

[Random]

And is MR and looks way better. :p