Here’s What a Fiat 124 Spider Abarth Could Look Like

BOLD RIDE

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Posted by Zach Doell 

                               

 

With a dazzling debut at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, Fiat’s latest classic reborn is the new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider—a car with Mazda MX-5 origins, Japanese production, yet the energetic engine from the Fiat 500 Abarth.

 

Fiat says it’s a true and worthy successor to the original 124 Spider, which debuted in 1966, and all signs would seem to indicate so. But what isn’t so clear, at least temporarily, is whether it will spawn a spicier, tuned variant. If the Fiat 500 Abarth is any indication however, that would appear to be a big “yes.”

With that concept in mind, render artist X-Tomi Design set out to give the Fiat 124 an Abarth makeover (pictured above), and we doubt we’re alone in thinking the mockup looks stunning.
The Abarth render swaps its Fiat badge for the iconic scorpion shield, adds the racy Abarth side stripes, sprouts a larger wheel and brakes package, and very likely would house a bit more “engine” under the hood than in the standard car.

For comparison’s sake, the 2016 Mazda MX-5 gets a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 155 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft. of torque. The new Fiat 124 shoehorns the company’s turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir engine into the MX-5 chassis, which nets 160 horsepower but a significantly larger 184 lb-ft of torque. Both cars are available with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

At its launch, Fiat revealed the 124 Spider will arrive to U.S. showrooms in summer 2016, offered in base “Classica” and higher-lux “Lusso” models. The first 124 units sold in the U.S. are said to be part of a limited-run “Prima Edizione Lusso” series.
While it can’t be confirmed yet, enthusiasts should be able to bank on an Abarth in the 124’s future, and if it’s anything like the 500 Abarth we’ve come to adore, the exhaust racket will be tremendous. Stay tuned.