Even though it’s a Mazda MX-5, Fiat seems to be gambling on the rear-drive, two-seat 124 Spider being a big feather in its cap. Which is why a faster Abarth version seems just the thing the company needs.
According to AutoExpress, a Fiat Chrysler representatives confirmed there will be a hotter 124 Spider to sit atop of the Abarth line after the car goes on sale sometime next year. COO Alfredo Altavilla alluded to a Jekyll-Hyde scenario for the 124 Spider, with a “comfortable” base model and an “extreme” Abarth version.
This seems to explain the recent sighting of a prototype 124 Spider in Michigan sporting more exhausts than would be normal and sounding a lot more aggressive than previous examples caught testing, according to Autoblog.
It’s believed the 124 Spider will be powered by the 1.4-liter turbo four that motivates the 500 Abarth, as well as the Dodge Dart, Fiat 500L and versions of the 500X and Jeep Renegade. The 124 Abarth, however, would get a variation of the 1.75-liter turbo four found in the Alfa Romeo 4C, with between 200 and 237 horsepower. This engine, however, may only be mated to a dual-clutch transmission as in the Alfa.
With Mazda uninterested in putting more power in the MX-5, your performance option for a roadster may be found at a Fiat dealership. But we’ll have to wait until the Fiat 124 Spider is unveiled, likely this fall ahead of its spring/summer 2016 on-sale date.
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