New Fiat/ Miata 124 spider ---- what the?

But it's got Brembo brakes!

 

Has anyone heard firm numbers on pricing and availability? I went to the local FIAT dealer and they literally had no information about the car. In fact, the first sales guy I talked to didn't even know it was planned.

 

For reference, Motorweek's review of the 1982 Spider Turbo:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoAudAslNwE[/ame]

"a quite fast 17.5 second 1/4 mile time"

$15k in '82 is around $36k today, probably where a fully loaded Fiat comes in.

The new one:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrs1NrLR3-M[/ame]

I see some new Mustang in the wheel arches/flares.

0-60 in 6.2 seconds is plenty quick.

Think I'd take the retracting targa Miata, but still a cool looking car.

 

This is not the 124 Abarth, it is the Fiat 124 Abarth line, just as BMW does with their M line, or Audi does with their S line...pretty much a looks pkg. Notice this car has Fiat badging, the real Abarth 124 Spider will come later, maybe by the following spring. Not sure if that has been mentioned here.

 

Mid 30's for 0-60 in 6.2?? I can't agree. What's the argument for this over a Nissan 370Z (or like I mentioned above, an S2000). The choice would have to be purely on emotion or looks. I know it's a completely different car, but I got my Mustang GT Premium with the Performance Pack for $35k even. That's a WHOLE lot more car for the money.



Mark

 

Abarth 124 getting 10hp bump in europe that we wont see. Big deal 10hp not going to make or break it

 

As someone that owned and enjoyed (when it was working :/) an Abarth 500 I'd have thought you'd be able to appreciate nicely balanced, light, lower hp cars.
0-60 isn't nearly as relevant here as it is with a Mustang or other mega HP car. Those keenly interested in neck snapping acceleration aren't the intended customer.

And at least you can get it with a stick

That said, yeah if it's going to cost $10k more than the Miata it should have at least 25 more hp&torque if only to differentiate. We'll see what the final pricing looks like.

370z is ok if you have smooth roads, but too much like sitting in a deep, dark bathtub for my tastes.

I love S2000s and would save the $10k on one now vs a new Spider or Miata, but we're comparing a 10-15 year old car to a brand new one. In 5-10 years when the Fiatas are the same $15k as a 15-25 year old S2000 it'll be a different story.
S2000s are pretty high strung for the street though, and after driving one around the Nurburgring the lasting impression I got was they felt a little heavy for track work. That, and my brain needed re-calibration to not shift 2000rpm short of redline
To be fair, I was coming from an Opel Speedster so just about anything short of a Caterham would have felt ponderous.

Mustangs are indeed badass, but out of ~150 cars in my office's parking lot there are SEVEN new stangs. 2 are rented by colleagues from Germany and Mexico, the rest a mix of 4, 6 and 8 cylinders. They've taken over (for now) the Camaro's ubiquitousness crown, down here at least.
One of them is owned by a girl in accounting, and she thinks it has an "ecoboost 6 cylinder"

I've driven a manual V8 with the sport pack and it's indeed scary fast, but the interior quality is a let down coming from 15 year old BMWs. Plus, driving one in Houston is simply frustrating. Point, squirt, brake, repeat. Don't need IRS for that...

BTW Have you done the clutch pedal return spring mod? I drove a stock one, but the owner just did the swap to a lower spring rate and claims it's much easier to get smooth shifts.

 

Of course I can appreciate a light, nimble car. But, you have to think about the market for this car. The market is true car people. The casual buyer won't see the value; I'm not a casual buyer and I don't see the value at its price point. This is a car enthusiast's car, but a car enthusiast will shop used cars and new cars (at least that's been my experience) for what they're after. They're not the buyer who has to have a new from the dealer car.

I know the Mustang is a completely different car; I wasn't really trying to compare the two, just saying for the price you can buy a ton more car. I haven't modified it. I really don't have an issue with the clutch. It took some practice, but once I got the hang of it, no problem. And to be honest, I don't really car that you see one on every corner or every blonde has a V6 or turbo 4. I buy cars for me, what I like, I don't buy not for appearances or to be different.




Mark

 

Technically, the Mustang is only 1/2 a ton more car

And hey, I never said she was a blonde!



If Mazda/Fiat sold 100,000 Miata/124s per year they'd be significantly cheaper. Much more of a niche product than the Mustang.

lol yeah Mayor that is one honking big scorpion badge! At least it looks extra big on the small nose...

 

Miata or 124 is question of style. Why did people chose camaro over firebird? Turbo has more torque for better cruising esp with auto. Miata for high reving canyon carving. Both niche vehicles

Vette is double price. Why not get a boxster instead? Not comprable cars and not cross shopped

As for abarth hp, doesnt the euro abarth only add 10 extra hp? Thats inconsequential. Yea fiat turbo should have another 100 hp, but this is it. Alfa 4c should have 300 hp too

 

Oh man I'd have loved to have had 160hp to play with in a Smart Roadster.... but 81hp from the turbo 3 cylinder was still plenty fun!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=478Nuyv1aa8

Rental car, 1st lap of the day, wet track, slowdown at Hocheichen from an M3 that flew over the armco earlier... so no lap record but quicker than most on the track at the time.

RE the new 124 - how many do you think they hope to sell? 5k/year? 10k?
Their previous roadster was definitely more curvaceous, but they weren't hamstrung by another platforms limitations like they are now with the Miata.
Rare in the USA: 1997 Fiat Barchetta | Bring a Trailer

I drove a Barchetta for a couple weeks in Germany and it was a very neat, fun car even with FWD. I frequently saw a guy having a ball tracking his on the Nordschleife, and it wasn't slow. Even with ~150hp.

Most Corvettes on the Ring were being babied around the curves, only to mash the throttle on the straights. Very frustrating when they wouldn't let you past unless you got quite aggressive and/or had a very loud horn.

 

oh yeah I've driven several Alfa Spiders (both 70s and 90s vintage). The newer ones looked cool but were definitely NOT a driver's car.

My dad has a '79 in his garage right now and as you know in one of these 60mph feels like 60mph. On a smooth highway that is. Throw in a few curves or bumps and it feels like 100mph

In a new Vette, Mustang, etc 100mph feels like nothing. Sure the brutal acceleration and raw speed is impressive, but that's never been a big draw for me.

I don't know how this new Fiat Spider will feel, but being based on the Miata and still weighing under 2500lbs (about the same weight as a 70's Alfa Spider BTW) chances are good it'll be a VERY fun drive.

If Fiat doesn't add much or any performance you're absolutely right: nothing there for a real driving enthusiast to spend more money on vs a Miata.

 

Its a stylish italian fashion accessory build on a good and reliable foundation

 

IMO, it's not Italian. It's an Italian tuned Miata.



Mark

 

Plenty of italian fashion manufactured in asia.

 

Right, I have Italian shoes made in Italy and Italian shoes made in China...the latter are not Italian.



Mark

 

+1

 

Agree. That said, at least marchionne was smart enough to want all the Alfas built in Italy.

 

We need the sound of the Abarth 124 Spider in our lives

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovv12s3FEvU[/ame]



That's not exactly a pleasing sound. Wow.



Mark