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

Saw it at the NYIAS and it does look much better in person, especially the Abarth version (which should be a bit lower)

 

Fart can muffler but its kinda cool anyway

 

US FIAT 124 Spider sales:-

June - 1
July - 480


Europe:-
May - 32
June - 779

July still being totted up - 143# in Italy.

 

Head to head reviews coming out now and miata is winning them all.

 

Mazda more hardcore driver car. Fiat poor engine choice with the 1.4. Should have used the 1.7.

 

Fiat always manages to mess up great ideas.

 

fiat shouldve gone for luxury version and leave sport to mazda. abarth makes no sense.

 

Fiat should have played to its strengths - Italian design. Imagine if this car looked like a Dino.

 

ding ding ding. Winner.

 

Spot on!

 

Saw in C&D, MSRP is $37k. Really?

Sounds like the original Maserati pricing strategy, and we know how well that worked.

 

That looks like the price for a fully loaded Abarth edition. The others start in the mid 20's, not far off the Miata.

I considered getting one but my local dealer only has automatics so far. Instead I walked out with a very slightly used manual Abarth cabriolet...which is a hoot to drive. And I have a back seat. So unlike the spider I can carry 4 people (albeit short people).

 

Maybe Fiat should have let C&D test the regular car. They didn't like the turbo much.

 

i think theyre all turbo. abarth has extra 10 hp or so

 

I wonder if the Fiat will get the targa/coupe variant of the Miata as well

Car and Driver

 

I have only come across one 124 in Europe. I don't think it is selling well over here. The MX-5 looks much better.

 

I saw one very briefly front front the other day in Fort Lee. Gosh that FIT emblem is huge.

 

From the Truthaboutcars site.

Fiat 124 Spider arrival reduces Mazda Mx-5 Miata sales:-

"The fourth-generation ND Mazda MX-5 Miata is undoubtedly, indisputably, undeniably the best addition you could make to your garage.

Some people disagree.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles reported 480 U.S. sales of the Fiat 124 Spider in July 2016. The Spider is a thoroughly transformed version of Mazda’s fourth Miata: different body, distinct suspension tuning, unique powerplant.

With the 124 Spider’s arrival in the United States, 13 months of Mazda MX-5 Miata sales growth came to a screeching halt.

Mazda USA reported a 22-percent year-over-year drop in MX-5 sales. With volume down to 881 units, U.S. MX-5 sales fell to a five-month low precisely one year after sales of the MX-5 rose to a seven-year July high.

Coincidence? Who cares — total Hiroshima-built roadster sales jumped 20 percent in July, good news for any enthusiast who wants to see the MX-5 live a long and prosperous life."

 

Possible Coupe to join the Spider.

Report from GoAuto Australia:-

"FIAT is reportedly developing a hard-topped version of the 124 Spider two-seater sportscar that could offer a more driver-focused alternative to the convertible.

British publication Autocar says it was given an inside line to the Italian car-maker’s design department, and is reporting that a fixed-roof version of the Mazda MX-5-based car could surface as early as next year.

Fiat has nothing official to add at this stage and all details surrounding the potential for a coupe are speculative, but some rumours suggest the coupe version would allow the company to focus on a sharper, performance-focused 124.

Whether the model will show up on Australian shores is dependent on initial confirmation of the Coupe, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Australia has not yet been given any information regarding a second 124 variant, according to FCA corporate communications director Lucy McLellan.

If the coupe is chalked for production, it is unclear if the fixed-top will be offered Down Under but GoAuto understands the business case is not strong enough at this stage.

If local sporty coupe fans regarded a 124 Coupe in the same light as the Mini Coupe for example, then sales would likely struggle, however, if the hard-top was priced to compete with Toyota’s 86 and the Subaru BRZ then it could be a very different story.

Fiat’s high-performance sister brand Abarth revealed a Rally version of the 124 at the Geneva motor show in March this year, featuring a hard-top, which was the closest thing to a production coupe yet released.

Its roof appears to be more of a bolt-on afterthought rather than the permanently integrated roof panel that is being reported.

Another possibility is a version of Mazda’s retractable hard-top as worn by the MX-5 RF, but it is likely the Italian brand would prefer to distance itself from the Japanese models in a bid to maintain its own identity and target consumer.

Other reports speculate that the roof would be a more complete redesign from the A-pillar to the trailing edge of the boot for a more Jaguar F-type Coupe aesthetic, but the cost of developing such an approach may be prohibitive.

Powertrain possibilities range anywhere from the Fiat 124 entry-level 1.4-litre MultiAir with 119kW, the tuned-up versions under the Abarth 124 bonnet, up to a 224kW 1.8-litre engine that powers the 124 Rally.

Historically, a 124 Coupe fits into the Italian brand’s heritage, with the first 124 Sport Coupe introduced in 1967 a year after the arrival of the original Fiat 124 Sport Spider.

The modern Abarth 124 Spider arrives in Australia later this year."

 

2016 US FIAT 124 Spider sales:-

June - 1
July - 480
Aug - 460
Total - 941


2016 Europe:-

May - 32
June - 779
July - 317
Total - 1128

 

So I was thinking about picking up a 124 (in gearshift) and they are hard to find, the one I wanted had a $32, 235 sticker. I find the car at a dealer in Texas and we come to terms (or at least I thought so), and they send the numbers which are suddenly well above sticker price (the original deal was well below sticker). They tell me because six speeds are so rare they are selling at above sticker. Anyone who buys one of these cars at above sticker in my opinion needs serious help. I paid over 9k below sticker for my Abarth and it was still only worth half of what I paid for it 2 years later with less the 5K miles on it. The Miata is a far better car and a smarter choice.

 

I agree with you. Stand your ground. This hostage situation always changes over time.

 

They really are doing everything to screw the brand.