Item: Abarth 124 Spider
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

Abarth 124 Spider

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The Abarth 124 Spider costs more than the equivalent Fiat, while the gap to the Mazda MX-5 is larger still, so you're paying a lot for the extra performance. It’s worth remembering that for not much more than the Abarth you can have an Audi TT Roadster that is much more spacious, plusher insider and cheaper to run.

It's not all bad news, though, because the Abarth returns the same 44.1mpg as the Fiat and is more efficient than the more powerful of the two MX-5s.

All three cars come from the same Mazda production line in Japan, too, which bodes well for reliability, because Mazda sits near the top of our reliability charts, some way above Fiat.

The Abarth 124 Spider comes with four airbags and cruise control with a speed limiter as standard. It hasn’t been crash tested by Euro NCAP yet, but expect a similar overall score to the MX-5’s four stars out of five. Both cars are only held back by a relative paucity of driver assistance equipment.

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While the engine in the Fiat 124 Spider produces 138bhp, Abarth has extracted an extra 30bhp from it, which cuts the 0-62mph time from 7.5sec to just 6.8sec. There’s a little turbo lag, which sets you back for a moment each time you upshift, and can be annoying in traffic, but once on song the engine pulls strongly.

The six-speed manual gearbox helps, with a short, neat action that makes it easy to stay within the ideal power band. It's a much better option than the optional automatic, which can't seem to decide which gear it should be in. True, you can override it using paddles behind the steering wheel, but these manual shifts aren't very smooth.

The Abarth 124 Spider sounds racy in the mid-range, but there’s a bassy drone from the exhaust below, while high revs bring a loud, strained engine note, and this soundtrack remains prominent even with the roof up. You also have to put up with a fair amount of wind noise as well as that exhaust drone on the motorway. Taller individuals may find the top of their head blasted by wind with the top down, too.

Much more positively, the revised suspension tames the body roll that you get in this car's Fiat and Mazda cousins, yet the ride is still fairly supple. The limited-slip differential provides fantastic traction out of corners, and this is a thrilling car to drive down a winding road, because it's as involving as it is playful, and you can adjust your line with ease using the accelerator.

The problem is that the Abarth starts to feel raggedy the harder you push it. The stiffer suspension causes the body to wobble more over bumps and sometimes you can’t quite tell how much grip the front tyres have. Take it to a track and you might be disappointed, especially as the cheaper MX-5 handles more sweetly.

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The story behind the Abarth 124 Spider is rather convoluted, with it being essentially a sportier version of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/fiat/124-spider/sports/review/n17213">Fiat&nbsp;124 Spider</a>, which is itself based on the hugely successful <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mazda/mx-5/sports/review/n17349">Mazda MX-5</a>.

Abarth, you see, is Fiat's in-house tuner. However, you won't find any Fiat badges on this car and it's sold in separate dealerships.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PAMGwqGJVKM"></iframe>

What you do get is the two-seat interior and rear-wheel drive platform from the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/mazda">Mazda</a> (and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/fiat">Fiat</a>), but with stiffer suspension, a traction-enhancing limited slip differential and a more powerful version of the turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine found in the Fiat.

So, the Abarth is the fastet version of this fine-handling sports car, but it's also the most expensive. Read on to find out if it's worth the extra.

The interior design is identical to that of the Mazda MX-5 and Fiat 124 Spider, aside from some different finishes. However, that means all-round visibility is very good and head room just about acceptable for most six-footers.

Dropping (or raising) the manual roof is a moment’s work, and can be done without leaving your seat. And although the range of seat and steering wheel adjustment is limited, most people will find it easy enough to get comfortable.

Clear instrumentation is viewed through the chunky steering wheel, with a prominent rev counter taking centre stage. Meanwhile, the infotainment system is easy to use and responsive to both touchscreen inputs and a rotary controller, even though the sat-nav maps can be a little slow to load.

The upper swathes of the interior are coated in tactile materials, but you'll find scratchy plastics if you look further down - something that's acceptable in the Mazda and Fiat, but a little disappointing here given the Abarth's higher price.

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Sports

A former motorsport team and independent tuning company, Abarth is now owned by Fiat and responsible for the firm’s sportiest cars.

In recent years, Fiat has even tried to establish Abarth as a standalone brand – in the same way that Citroën has split off its DS luxury division. However, the major difference is that DS cars look completely different from the Citroëns on which they’re based, whereas Abarths rely on bodykits and big wheels to mark them out.

The Abarth 595, for example, is a beefed-up Fiat 500 hatchback, while the Abarth 124 Spider is a hotter version of its Fiat namesake.

ABARTH

124 SPIDER

The Abarth 124 Spider is a sportier version of its Fiat namesake

There’s sufficient space for most adults in the 124 Spider, although some may find the non-height adjustable driver’s seat to be mounted too high. That means we’d definitely recommend trying one with the roof up before buying, though; some of our testers can’t fit without having the top down. Leg room isn’t an issue but the narrow interior does push you close to your passenger making it feel claustrophobic with the roof up.

What you do get is a pair of flimsy, movable cupholders, one of which can be fitted next to the passenger’s right leg. Alternatively, both can be mounted on the transmission tunnel, in prime position to be knocked by your elbow.

The boot loads from the top like an American washing machine, but is sadly far less capacious at just 140 litres. The boot’s shape is irregular, too, so to get a week’s luggage for two inside you’ll need to bring squashy bags and go easy on the packing. At least the boot doesn’t get smaller with the roof down like some cabrios.

It’s not like you get plenty of room inside for your belongings, either. Oddment storage is stingy as it has no glovebox, the cubbies in front of and behind the gearlever are tiny, and the three compartments behind the seats are pokey, too.

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The Abarth 124 Spider is a sportier version of its Fiat namesake

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Ride comfort shouldn’t be sacrificed at the altar of handling sharpness</li> <li>Plenty of power from a melodic engine</li> <li>Handling that doesn’t come at the expense of a back-breaking ride​​​​​</li> <li> Practicality is not essential but nice to have </li></ul>

Driving fun is right at the top of any sports car buyer's priority list, and every one of our award candidates has backroad entertainment coded into its DNA.

The Mazda MX-5 embodies sports-car spirit without wearing an exotic price tag, and has deservedly gained a strong following over the years. Much newer to the scene is the mid-engined Alpine A110. It may carry a name from the past, but this potent, mid-engined sports car was designed with the very latest lightweight thinking.&nbsp;

Rounding off our shortlist, though, is a name that'll be familiar to even those to whom sports cars hold little interest. The Porsche 911 was born an icon in 1964, and the latest generation bridges the gap between sports car and supercar. Yet, somehow, it manages to preserve a distinctly civilised character.

What we're looking for:<ul><li>Wind-in-the-hair excitement</li> <li>Roof that’s quick and easy to raise and lower</li> <li>Comfortable seating for four adults</li> <li>Sufficient practicality for everyday use</li> <li>Little wind buffeting</li> <li>Quietness, whether the roof is up or down</li> <li>Minimal shaking and shimmying over bumps</li></ul>

Despite the British weather, UK car buyers are among the biggest enthusiasts for wind-in-your-hair motoring, so convertibles have always been surprisingly popular here. It’s best to be able to react to the fickle climate, though, so we’re after a roof that opens (and closes) slickly and quickly and good top-down cruising refinement.

There are precious few bespoke drop-tops these days, so your choice of models is generally limited to soft-top&nbsp;versions of existing models. Mini will sell you a drop-top version of its style-focused hatchback, if you’re after a bit of flair. The Audi A5&nbsp;Cabriolet, meanwhile, brings all of the benefits of the regular A5&nbsp;– refined engines and a beautifully finished interior. Alternatively, the much more expensive Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet is one of the most luxurious convertibles on sale.

Abarth 124 Spider review

Introduction

What Car? says...