2017 Fiat 124 Spider Review - Shhh, Do not Say Her Name - If you are not in secret, much of this morning presentation at the Park Hyat...
If you are not in secret, much of this morning presentation at the Park Hyatt Aviara have been meaningless. A series of four members of the FCA staff got up to talk about the new 124 Spider, who was behind them to stage right. On stage left was a virgin Euro-bumpered 124 Sport Spider late '60. Each of them spoke of "what has changed on the car."
"There are five inches longer, with new exterior sheetmetal," said a presenter. "He earned a panel aluminum folding roof, and the thicker rear glass, "another note. "The suspension setup is completely different," said another. I could see the confusion on the faces of some of the old auto journos newspapers. There are five inches longer than the original 124? It is obtained by thicker rear glass? The suspension is different? Well, duh, right? For more than an hour, marketing, style and engineering of Fiat staff spoke of "what has changed on the car."
There was the word who never escaped the lips of anyone, not once. Even when I raised my hand to ask "how weight compares," I could not quite bring myself to say the word. But we can say here on CAPD: Miata . The new Fiat 124 Spider is based on the ND-generation Mazda Miata, the car that your humble author has led in Spain a year and a half and that was quite rightly hailed as the best small roadster of this century. The 124 Spider is assembled next to the Miata in Japan, with a VIN "J". The main difference: when the Miata has a 2.0-liter SKYACTIV normally aspirated four-cylinder, the 124 turbo 1.4-liter MultiAir four-banger of the Fiat 500 Abarth, built in Italy and shipped to the line Mazda assembly
Fiat would prefer that we did not mention the Miata. But as we shall see, the 124 Spider need not fear any comparison with his brother in store brand. On the contrary, actually.
As fate would have it two weeks ago I had the chance to put about 400 miles on a fully charged Miata in the context of a piece I do for R & T next month. This was my first chance to drive a 2.0 liter, US-spec Miata ND and I must say I am quite surprised by how near the small Mazda comes to perfection. All Miata is in perfect balance. The chassis, engine, and weight control -. All but impossible to improve
What a relief, then, to see that Fiat did not even try to improve it. Instead, they took the plant, the advanced nature of the Miata and broken, creating three cars a perfect one. I'll explain. You see, all Miatas are basically the same. Sure, you can get some trim levels, but that's all they are - different groups of options that sit lightly on one essential character. If you do not want the MX-5 Club, you will not be like the Grand Touring, and vice versa.
With the 124, on the other hand, the three trim levels available each represent a fundamental change in the mission of the car. Start by Classica, the base model $ 25.90. I started my morning driving a six-speed manual gray Classica through about 40 miles of canyon roads of San Diego. It is much quieter than the Miata, even from top to bottom, and rises very slowly. The interior, however, is essentially identical to what you get in a Miata base, right down to the three buttons in metal finishing that control climate control. Grip from 16 inch tire package is modest, and the suspension fleet a little when you experience sharp increases or hollow of the road.
I am a veteran of several miles and years in the original Fiat Spiders. The Classica is truest to these relatively modest roadsters built as cheaply as possible by the sullen union work with cheap steel and overwhelmingly aromatic vinyl. There was nothing fancy or exotic even on the first 124 Spider. It is best to think of it as an Italian take on the Karmann Ghia, throwing a beautiful body of prosaic bases and double camshaft head on the same engine that took much of Italy to work every day .
The stellar unit Miata is absent from the Classica. It does not handle quite as well as I would like and MultiAir, like most modern turbo engines, you prefer to spend the last thousand revolutions in favor of a strategy to short passage that goes up the meat of the torque curve . The net effect is to undermine that Jinba Ittai just a little. It does not feel as special as the car which it is derived. As real, everyday practice driver, however, it is miles ahead. NVH improvements reduce driver fatigue and the turbo engine followed with effort traffic. I would recommend the Classica on Miata for anyone who does not have a license from active racing.
This goes double or triple for Lusso, which adds leather upholstery and the ability to add a variety of additional options for just under twenty great-nine. Lusso I drove had an automatic transmission. LJK Setright told the turbo engine and automatic transmission torque converter were the perfect partner, because I think the vast majority of spiders in this country will automatically Lussos "it will work when the other is not." - And you know what? It is an absolutely fantastic car. I was ready to despise him, but 30 miles behind the wheel was enough to make me a believer. Aisin automatic transmission-source is direct and beautifully planned, keeping the turbo boiling and catapulting the Lusso forward with real authority. With the top up, I found myself go very fast without really intending to.
I've never been fond of all the self-transmission Miatas, but the 124 Lusso is simply a great car. It is quiet, it is comfortable, and it is no problem to drive. The nearest competitor with the same virtues should be the Mercedes SLK250, which costs almost twice as much. It is not the 124 I would choose for myself, but there is very little to criticize about it. Incidentally, the first twenty-four hundred spiders to indulge in this country will be special electric blue Lussos with a set of equipment Prima Edizione. They will be $ 35,995 and I guess they are all spoken for already.
As good as the Classica Lusso and are, I would still personally take a club or large Miata Touring for my own garage. The 124 Abarth, the other ... oh man. Just look. This matte black hood and trunk, Brembo calipers, the scorpion badging. He is aggressive in a way that makes Miata ever. Fiat has set up an autocross course at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego specifically to show off the Abarth. They said that we could have "unlimited tracks." After my ninth race, it was suggested to me that I take a break. As a long pause.
Without this suggestion, I would have led the course for an hour. Maybe two. The Abarth is just great. MultiAir is uncorked a little by a quad-pipe exhaust raises supposedly horses to 164. There is an aftermarket exhaust Abarth brand available and makes the Fiat's like a miniature Ferrari 488. I recommend. Try to forgive me for saying "1.6L" during the refill tower in the video, by the way!
The manual six-speed transmission, from the NC-generation Miata, a shorter, sharper shots that the new gen-box in the ND. It is absolutely trust. The frame thus is impeccable, allowing the tail to be thrown and caught by third recklessly. The front end has all the grip missing in the Classica and stiffer suspension removes both the float and the front-rear light height affecting the Classica Lusso and Miata itself.
The Classica deviates from the Miata formula to add the ease of daily use; the Lusso leaves to offer a great comfort-tourism. The Abarth is like a Miata tuner; low, angry, quick to respond. Speaking of the agreement: there are stores that get 230 horsepower from the 500 Abarth for a great couple. The Abarth starts at $ 30.540. Expect to see a lot in Friday night street racing across the country next year, sniffing and popping and hissing under the excessive charge pressure. There's something fun about the fact that the Miata is finally available in a variant that commands the respect of the young men; all they had to do was put a snail on the thing and the hardware store paint roller on the hood. I absolutely love
The best way to understand the 124 Spider is as follows :. There is a Bimota four wheels. Some of you will recognize as the Italian Bimota motorcycle manufacturer which wraps Italian chassis and style around the proven Japanese engines. In the 80s, when Suzuki and Yamaha put inline-fours powerhouse killer in perimeter frames rather impaired, Bimotas was unstoppable. The problem with them is that all things Italian, especially the wiring, is subject to a variable quality control.
This Fiat should offer the same bulletproof engineering and assembly quality that makes Miatas property proposals so great in the long term, but it also has an Italian style and a powertrain that simply speaks more authority than the SKYACTIV 2.0-liter relatively innocuous in the Mazda car brand. There is no penalty rates and penalty weight of about 100 pounds is useful for anyone who appreciates peace and quiet on the highway. I will not say it is a better car than the Miata; I do not think it is. But it strikes some very specific brands in a way that his brother can not.
Casual roadster enthusiasts will love the automatic Lusso. The Classica is probably better value than the MX-5 basis. And Abarth? Just to make you forget the word that we should not say in the briefing of the media today
Disclosure :. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles paid for travel, accommodation, and provided food and drinks for the purpose of this review.
[Images: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, © 2016 Jack Baruth/The Truth About Cars]
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