2017 Fiat 124 Spider Set For 2016 Showroom Arrival

Jerome, please don't make assumptions about Fiat. The modern Fiat is not like the antiques remaining after Fiat left 40 years ago. In a lightweight car, that "puny 4 cyl" has a LOT of life. I know because I own one with the MultiAir (non-turbo) 4 and it amazes people around me with how quick it is.

I'll have owned my Abarth for 3 years as of May 13th and I'll never tire of that sound. It's a ridiculously fun little car to drive me a pleasure to own. I expect this new Spider will add some personality and fun to an already great platform.

It seems many have forgotten the whole reasoning behind a roadster; it's not intended for speed, but rather for simply enjoying the act of driving through the countryside. Small, open and honestly slower than many bigger cars when they came out; their whole purpose was a means to escape stress. Owning a Fiat 500 now, with the 1.4NA under the hood, I've found its performance more than adequate for the size and weight of the car (just under 3,000#). I don't deny the 1.4T would offer more acceleration, but it would also have a habit of kicking in that acceleration when you least want it--just after the apex of the curve where it would kick out the tail unexpectedly, at least, until you get used to that turbo lag. I would expect the 2.4 MultiAir to be the optional larger engine but I'd also bet the gearing would be raised a bit while shortening the ratios to help keep the car from getting too squirrelly. Look at it this way: It wasn't all that long ago that Ford attempted to resurrect the original Thunderbird by planting it on a Miata platform. It looked nice and had some of the throwback features, but it fell far short of what people expected it to be. Now, Fiat's bringing back one of its own classics that simply does not have the cachet the Thunderbird name carried, nor the level of performance even that original Thunderbird offered. It was never fast in the sense of muscle cars, but it was quick and agile, making it a dream for the old two-lane highways that would be killers for those overpowered pieces of iron (don't argue, the proof is quite evident). International road rallies simply don't use big iron for their races; they use tiny cars with tiny engines--admittedly built for much higher performance and speeds, but lightweight so they remain agile. You simply don't need massive horsepower in a car barely pushing 1.5 tons.

@ Vulpine - I don't disagree with your point in principle. I think that in Europe the 1.4 NA will be a fine motor for the car. My parents have a 500C 6AT that I've spent plenty of time driving, and I've had 500s for rentals so I know what it is capable of. The reality is that "slow" has a different meaning today and in the North American market. I think Fiat will have a difficult time selling what I have to imagine will be a $25k (certainly more than $20k) sports car that is less powerful and slower than a Honda Fit or a Toyota Corolla, much less its still sexy, more powerful, and better known cousin down the street at the Mazda dealer. There's a reason Mazda doesn't bring over the smaller displacement Miata, only the larger 2.0. With the Miata recognized as the entry level sports car, I think its power has become the defacto benchmark starting point in the market. I think the 2.4 is unnecessary. Its too heavy and a large displacement 4 cylinder doesn't suit the character of this car. I would think a detuned Alfa 4C engine would be more likely as the upgrade power plant.

@tjh: With this argument, "...My parents have a 500C 6AT that I’ve spent plenty of time driving, and I’ve had 500s for rentals so I know what it is capable of," I really have to ask: What grade of gasoline have you been putting in those cars? I can't believe you consider them "slow" next to a Fit and a Corolla; those two models have to work hard to keep up with me in my 500 Pop. By no means is the 500 slow if you use the recommended fuel octane! That said, I will admit that the new model Miata will be about 500 pounds heavier than the Fiat 500, so I will imagine the new Fiat 124 will be similarly heavy. This doesn't mean the turbo is necessary though, only that something like 150 horses may be more lively than a mere 100--though again the gearing can make a difference. The reason I suggest the Tigershark is that it's a readily available engine in the Jeep Renegade and other FCA models, pushing roughly 185 horses. This would make the engine a very lively one for the bigger and heavier 124 without having to rely on turbocharging for sharp acceleration and probably still achieve respectable fuel mileage. Oh, and while I will agree that the 1.4 MultiAir may be slow compared to your Abarth, it is by no means slow compared to a lot of cars of similar size and larger. Again, putting the right grade of gasoline in will make a difference.

@Vulpine - I'm going based on published numbers. 0-60: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport 5mt: 9.7-9.9 seconds 2012 Fiat 500C 6AT: 11.5 seconds 2015 Honda Fit EX 6MT: 7.7 seconds 2014 Toyota Corolla S CVT: 9.5 seconds I can't find an instrumented test for a manual Corolla but the estimates published both put it slightly quicker than the CVT. As you can see, all match, if not beat the Fiat's performance. Putting 93 instead of 87 isn't going to make up the 2 second difference to a Honda Fit. Your numbers are also off as far as curb weight. the US spec 2016 Miata is listed at a 2300 lb curb weight, which is about 100-200 lbs less than a 500 coupe.

@tjh: According to the owner's manual of the 500 I own, the curb weight is 2700 pounds while the 2016 Miata, as I saw on their website is 3200 pounds. I'm not sure where the 2300 curb weight comes from that you found. On reviewing the page now, I have to agree that the weight is significantly lighter now--apparently due to a misprint, so to speak when I first checked. That said, if the Miata/Fiat 124 is that much lighter, it certainly doesn't need more than the base 1.4MultiAir to give it peppy performance.

@Vulpine Sounds like you're looking at the GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, which is the maximum safe weight for the vehicle including passengers and cargo.

@Vulpine You're right, Bumpy, there is a difference between GWVR and curb weight. What I said is what the book says. Of course, I could go back out and look on the door jamb if you wish. (maybe tomorrow. I'm in for the day, now.)

@Vulpine - perhaps we are arguing against each other here. My argument is not that a NA 1.4 powered 124 would be "slow" in any absolute terms. I don't dispute that it would in fact be peppy and adequately powered. As I said several times, I would not at all be surprised to see it sold in Europe, where Mazda also sells the 1.5L 129 hp Miata. However, whereas peppy and adequate is fine for a $15k subcompact, it is not for a $25k sports car. I see no reason to think that Fiat will reach a different conclusion than Mazda, which is that the car better be able to comfortably outrun Honda Fits and Ford Fiestas, something that the numbers say it will struggle to do with the same hp and similar curb weight as a 500. I'll refer you to Jack Baruth's article a week or two ago about dealership inventory limitations. While I'm sure a limited number of people would buy it, I doubt most Fiat Studios will want to devote precious space to a niche version of a niche model. The Studio I bought my Abarth from has very limited parking, and I don't see them stocking more than 1 or 2 124s at a time. I can't imagine them devoting that space to a base model non turbo 1.4 when a 1.4t model will inevitably sell much quicker and at a higher transaction price.