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2016 Fiat 124 Spider
In-line four-cylinder, 1.368 cm3 (72,0 mm * 84,0 mm), compression ratio 9,8 : 1, charging turbo, engine control OHC, 4 valves per cylinder, sequential injection, cooling pump circulation, 7,2
liters, lubrication pressure circulation, main flow filter, 3,8 liters, torque 240 SAE-Nm at 2250 rpm, performance 103 kW (140 SAE-HP) at 5000 rpm, Front/midsized engine, rear drive, manual-six-speed, wheelbase 2.310
mm, turning circle 9.400 mm, double wishbone front, multilink rear, steering gear rack, servo, electric, disc brakes, front ventilated, wheels f/r 195/50 R 16 up to 205/45 R 17, length 4.054 mm, width 1.740
mm, height 1.233 mm, tank capacity 45 liters, kerb weight 1050 kg, year of manufacture from 2016, electric system 12 V/85 Ah/150 A
Under Sergio Marchionne's leadership, Fiat was always good for a surprise. Most of the time, one found oneself rejecting the latest one, but upon second glance, one had to revise one's opinion a little. We don't want to list
them all now, but this one, if it is by him, fits perfectly into this series.
What an idea! The world's most talented designer of small sports cars, and convertibles in particular, after Great Britain, took a license from the Japanese manufacturer Mazda. He delivered his engines to Japan, where
they replaced the MX5 engine and, together with significantly modified front and rear sections and a new hood, also appeared on the local market.
But let's look at the facts. Power is specified in SAE horsepower. Fiat was represented on the US market by Chrysler, but at that time only with a special version of the 500 and crossover, some of which featured the latest
Jeep technology introduced by Fiat. Fiat itself was still hardly visible in the USA.
The Mazda MX5 is by far the most popular sports car in its class, repeatedly celebrated as the successor to the British post-war classics. Pitting a front-wheel drive convertible against it is virtually hopeless. Developing our
own platform with a front engine and rear-wheel drive was far too expensive because, as with Mazda, it could not be shared with any other model.
Time was pressing if the fiftieth anniversary of the launch of the last Fiat convertible was to be duly converted into advertising success. From the MX5 side, too, the timing was well chosen. The latest model has returned
somewhat to its roots and become significantly more streamlined.
Even the engine was likely to be the better choice, as it had significantly more power than Mazda's naturally aspirated engine. And 103 kW (140 SAE hp) was just the start of testing, because the Abarth version 595 achieved
140 kW (190 DIN hp) with this engine in the Biposto. Of course, the entire substructure has very little in common with the rigid-axle 124 from back then.
And the design? It's not something you can say out loud, but it may have attracted some viewers even more than the Mazda, which meant that its manufacturer ended up scoring an own goal.
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