This year marks the 50th anniversary of the original Fiat 124 Spider - opens in new window or tab., the legendary roadster that won European Car of the Year when it was introduced a half-century ago. It enjoyed a long run—with more than 170,000 units built between 1970 and 1985. As most gearheads know, it’s back - opens in new window or tab.. To gain our first experience behind the wheel of the lightweight drop top, we took the all-new 2017 version of the Fiat 124 Spider for a journey along Highway 1 from Los Angeles to the recent Monterey Car Week - opens in new window or tab..
This Fiat roadster—which shares its chassis with the latest Mazda Miata—is motivated by a turbocharged Fiat four-cylinder engine, rather than the Miata’s naturally aspirated Mazda motor. Yet, the Fiat 124 Spider’s differentiation from the Mazda MX-5 doesn’t simply begin and end at the power plant.
Fiat wanted to give this roadster its own character without losing sight of what makes the Miata a sports car icon. Every body panel on the 124 Spider is unique to this model, with the design handled at Fiat’s Centro Stile division in Turin, Italy. While similarities in the proportions of the two cars are unavoidable, the Fiat cuts a decidedly more chiseled figure than the smooth, flowing design of the Mazda. The 124 Spider’s unique visual identity is also characterized by its prominent bug-eye headlamps and split grille.
Like the Miata, the 124 Spider’s size might seem like a daunting proposition to taller drivers. While it normally wouldn’t be my go-to choice for grand touring duty, my 6’ 3” frame comfortably settled into the 124 for the five-hour drive to Monterey. Although adjustment of the 124’s seats is fairly rudimentary, the overall comfort of the buckets—which differ in MX-5’s construction—was very accommodating considering the lengthy stints behind the wheel for this trip.
Fiat’s efforts to establish a unique identity for the 124 Spider are most obvious under the hood. The Fiat’s personality is louder and more raucous than what's communicated by Mazda’s understated naturally aspirated 2.0-liter. The 124 Spider has a wonderfully raspy exhaust note, which is particularly prominent in the Abarth model. At the same time, given the Italian Multi-Air’s heavy reliance on turbo-boost to make power, the motor can feel lethargic below 3,000 rpm. Yet if you’re willing to play by the turbocharged rules—less power at lower revs—this new little Fiat can be a legitimate riot to bomb around in. It offers peak output gains of nine horsepower and 36 pound-feet of torque over its Mazda counterpart. Its curb weight of less than 2,500 pounds is a refreshing change of pace from the industry’s bigger-is-always-better philosophy.
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