FIAT 124 SPIDER REVEALED AT 2015 LA MOTOR SHOW
Fiat’s new 124 Spider has been officially revealed at the LA Motor Show. The Mazda MX-5-based 124 was confirmed by Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne earlier this year.
These images show the 124 Spider in all its glory for the first time. The most noticeable feature is the front-end, with a significantly longer bonnet than the fourth-gen Mazda MX-5 on which it is based. With similar proportions to a BMW Z4, the 124 gets a jutting jawline, hexagonal grille and caved-in LED headlamps, while at the side you can clearly see the MX-5 underpinnings. The rear end is completely different to the Japanese roadster, too, with hints of the old Dodge Viper in the design. Fiat says it is defined by two main features: the 'seagull' wings that fall inwards towards the bootlid, and a sharp horizontal tail lamps, which echo those on the new Fiat 500 supermini. You'll also find a small spoiler and twin exhausts – both hinting at the car's sporting potential.
Moving inside and the cabin is very similar to the Mazda. Every dial, switch and knob is identical to those you’ll find in the MX-5, with the same seven-inch colour display on the dash controlled by the swivel wheel on the centre console. Like the MX-5, the 124's roof is operated by hand, with no electric option.Fiat will ditch Mazda’s naturally-aspirated 1.5 and 2.0-litre engines for its own 1.4-litre turbocharged MultiAir petrol engine from the 500 Abarth. With 138bhp and 240Nm of torque it's liekly to be faster than the MX-5, and a more powerful 160bhp version will be offered in the in some countries as well.
Standard equipment will include Bluetooth, USB connectivity and a six-speaker stereo, while an enhanced setup features a seven-inch touchscreen sat-nav, DAB and a reversing camera. Upgrades include a nine-speaker Bose stereo.
This should be an interesting car to buy for enthusiats as an alternative to the Mazda MX-5.