Fiat Abarth 124 Spider 2016 review

Fiat's new roadster may look suspiciously like the Mazda MX-5, but that's not too bad.

Japan's Mount Fuji race track is an odd place to run an Italian convertible, but once you know the history behind the new Abarth 124 Spider, it all makes sense.

The spider rolls off the Mazda production line in Hiroshima, and parent company Abarth Fiat sends its engine and other parts to Japan for assembly.

From the outside, it's a different car, but all the hard body parts are identical, and the interior is pretty much the same as the MX-5, right down to the central control screen and dashboard. Even the latch on the roof is the same as most rear wheel drive props, including the multi-link rear suspension.

Abarth, Fiat's performance division, puts its own mechanical limited-slip differential under the 124 and crams a 1.4-liter turbo into the engine bay.

The end result is that the 124 has more power than the MX-5; 125 kW/250 Nm compared to 118 kW/200 Nm for the MX-5 2.0 hp.

The Abarth exhales through four tailpipes with a loud Monza exhaust system available as an option. Fiat has a cheaper variant of the 124, but it won't show up here because the company wants to avoid price competition with Mazda.

The Abarth version is expected to cost around $40,000 plus the road version, about the same as the top 5 MX-2.0 GT.

Aside from a different engine and differential, the Abarth has Bilstein dampers, stiffer anti-roll bars and four-piston Brembo front brakes.

The car looks bigger thanks to flat rear and front guards and a large flat hood.

It is fitted with ultra-low-profile 17-inch tires and comes with a six-speed manual transmission or a conventional six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. It also has a sport mode and switchable stability control for track driving.

The extra equipment means extra weight - about 50kg more than the 2.0-liter MX-5 - but the extra ballast doesn't slow it down much.

Abarth claims to reach 0 km/h in an average of 100 seconds, compared to a claimed 6.0 seconds for the MX-7.3. However, it consumes 5 liters per 7.5 km compared to 100 liters per 6.9 km for the 100-liter MX-2.0.

Sharper-edged styling gives the 124 a strong road look, and it looks bigger with flat rear and front guards and a large, flat hood.

Inside, the 124 differs even more from the standard Fiat with leather and microfiber sports seats, a Bose audio system, climate control, air conditioning, a rearview camera, an engine start button and tire pressure monitoring.

Advanced safety features for driver assistance are optional.

On the way to

From a driver's perspective, the Abarth and MX-5 are predictably similar - we're talking about degrees of difference and nothing more.

The Abarth has a turbo, but it's a smaller, low-boost unit, and there's additional weight associated with the turbo setup, including a front-mounted intercooler. At its peak, the MX-5 feels more relaxed, perhaps due to the firmer Abarth suspension, which bobs a little more on bumps.

On the flip side of the coin, it's easier to control the progressive throttle to avoid oversteer, even if you're hard on the throttle out of a corner.

The Abarth is stronger at some points in the engine's rev range due to its higher torque output, but the engine's redline is 6500 rpm and the real action tapers off a little sooner than that. The gearbox is perfectly matched to the power of the Abarth engine, as the power is always at hand.

The manual Abarth we rode had a nice shifting feel, but surprisingly not as nice as the MX-5.

With big Brembo's on all four wheels, stopping power is excellent and doesn't fade after a few laps of high-speed track riding. The same goes for the Bilstein-based suspension, which provides a stable and controlled ride.

The Abarth retains the MX-5's ability to flare its tail when pressed, but the chassis is great.

The real question here is Abarth or MX-5?

It all comes down to price and taste. If Fiat can offer a small Abarth at a reasonable price, then this is a worthy contender.

The Abarth has better brakes and more power, but we're not sure if this will translate into faster lap times.

However, the distinctive and more aggressive look could put it above the line for buyers looking for that wow factor.

Abarth or MX-5? Tell us about your choice in the comments below.

Click here for more pricing and specs for the 2016 Abarth 124 Spider.