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A rally version of the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth has upstaged the reveal of the production version at the Geneva motor show.
Sporting quad LED driving lights, white alloys, sticky Michelin rubber and a 224kW 1.8-litre turbocharged engine with sequential six-speed transmission, the 124 Rally Abarth celebrates 40 years since the previous model’s last race – the 1976 Monte Carlo Rally.
It is more than a concept, too, having been engineered to FIA R-GT category homologation rules, in which a Lotus Exige R-GT competes among others. Being an MX-5 at its core, the 124 Rally Abarth is therefore the most hardcore version of the Fiat and Mazda roadster twins we’ve yet seen.
The Abarth version boasts outputs only 23kW and 10Nm higher than the regular 124 Spider. It weighs 1060kg and claims a 6.8-second 0-100km/h, making it 27kg heavier and a half-second faster than a 2.0-litre MX-5.
Bilstein dampers, stiffer anti-roll bars and Brembo brakes amp up the dynamic aggression with the 124 Spider, though standard 17-inch alloy wheels remain and likewise choice of six-speed manual or automatic.
In Australia we may only get the 124 Abarth Spider. Fiat Australia has previously told MOTOR it is assessing whether to bring the standard version or just the Abarth. Read more here.
