“It’s good, but what if it had more power?” Such is the question that has dogged the Mazda Miata for decades. Save for tuners and one turbo Mazdaspeed version, we’ve never really gotten it. Now the Italians are here to answer that question for us: the Fiat 124 Spider will get an “extreme” Abarth version.
You may recall that Mazda is working with Fiat Chrysler on a roadster using the new Miata as a base; first that car was to be an Alfa Romeo, then it went to Fiat under the name 124 Spider. Now we know for certain that a high-performance version is on the way, one company official told the UK’s Auto Express:
“You like performance? There will be an Abarth version,” said Alfredo Altavilla, Fiat Chrysler Group’s chief operating officer.
He confirmed that there will be two versions of the 124 Spider – a “comfortable” Fiat model and a more “extreme” Abarth.
Yes I DO like performance, thank you for asking!
No word on the specs yet, but some are saying it could have the 1.75-liter turbo four from the Alfa Romeo 4C, which puts out 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. That doesn’t sound like a lot but I personally guarantee you that engine is crazy as a rabid wolverine.
If the 124 Spider is anywhere close to being as fun as the 500 Abarth, but with more power going to the right set of wheels, count me in.
Contact the author at patrick@jalopnik.com.