► Abarth 124 Spider scooped
► It’s a go-faster Fiat roadster
► Expected in late 2016, up to 220bhp
Just weeks after Fiat unveils its new 124 Spider at the Los Angeles auto show, a go-faster version purporting to be the Abarth performance derivative has been spotted testing.
CAR’s spies captured the prototype for the revved-up convertible on test in Europe. There are numerous telltale signs that suggest this could be the Abarth 124 Spider:
- Four exhaust pipes
- Enlarged front air intakes
- Beefed-up side sills
- Bigger wheels and brakes
Abarth 124 Spider: how much power?
A scorpion-badged roadster is a relatively easy product to engineer for Fiat: unlike the Mazda donor car, its version of the MX-5 uses turbocharged MultiAir petrol engines, which are easily tuned for more power.
We hear that two states of tune will be available – 170bhp for the regular Abarth and up to 220bhp for the top-spec EsseEsse model. That’s up from the stock Fiat 124’s 138bhp, so performance should be brisk.
The Spider’s due in the UK in the second half of 2016. Stay tuned for CAR magazine’s review when we get to drive it in the new year.
Click here for our Mazda MX-5 review.