IS THIS the Mazda MX-5 you’ve always wanted?

The 2016 Fiat 124 Spider was revealed at the 2015 LA motor show as the start of Fiat’s renaissance, and comes with a more powerful turbocharged engine and Italian dressing inspired by its classic 1960s namesake.

The highly anticipated soft-top convertible, which is based on the Mazda MX-5 and built in the same Hiroshima, Japan, factory, was launched in the prime convertible market at the LA motor show.

Fiat -124-spider -front -side

Despite the Mazda MX-5 platform, which means it shares the same hard points and overall proportions, Fiat exterior design chief Felix Kilbertus says that the team didn’t reference the MX-5’s styling as it developed the 124, nor was the look an abandoned Alfa as parent company Fiat-Chrysler decided which marque would get the new roadster.

Fiat -124-spider -rear -side

That means that not a single body panel – not even the doors – are shared with the Mazda, with the windscreen and that clever, lightweight roof mechanism carrying over from the MX-5.

Fiat -124-spider -top

“We put a lot of effort into the things you interact with directly – the door handles, the shifter which was then covered with beautiful leather, the steering wheel which has a unique section,” Kilbertus said.

Fiat -124-spider -top -front

There’s double-wishbone front and a multi-link rear under that body, which at 4054mm is 139mm longer than the MX-5. It’s also 5mm wider, with broader front and rear tracks, and weighs in at 1105kg for the manual entry-level model, making it 96kg heavier than the Mazda.

Fiat -124-spider -interior -top

Fiat-Chrysler Australia is yet to confirm the 124 Spider for this market, however it salivating over the opportunity the car may present. “It will provide a huge boost to Fiat here,” said a company spokesperson. “It’s a hugely exciting car for Australia, and more exciting still because it’s just one part of the 124 story, and one part of the Fiat story.”

Fiat -124-spider -interior

The Fiat 124 Spider goes on sale in North America in the second-quarter of 2016, and may be in local showrooms later next year.