This time, Fiat’s retro-ray homed in on the Abarth 124 Rally, a special model built from 1972 to 1975 by Fiat’s Abarth tuning arm to satisfy rally-racing homologation rules. Abarth built roadgoing Stradale versions for sale in Fiat dealerships, as well as more seriously prepped full-blown rally versions; the 2017 124 Spider Abarth you see here appears to be modeled after the tamer Stradale cars. Like the ’72 model, the new 124 Spider Abarth is lighter than its regular-production counterpart, wears an “anti-glare” matte-black hood and trunklid, and packs slightly more power, albeit without a face full of auxiliary driving lights, a raised ride height, and gravel-slinging intentions. If that’s more your bag, you’ll be excited to learn of the remastered that debuted alongside the Abarth Spider at the Geneva auto show.
Through unspecified means, the Abarth team stripped about 100 pounds from the stock 124 Spider’s already feathery 2436-pound claimed curb weight. The squad then added 10 horsepower to the turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder—the torque rating is the same as the regular Spider’s 184 lb-ft—and bolted on a “Record Monza” quad-outlet exhaust that’s said to sound bellissima. A standard-fitment limited-slip differential replaces the Fiat 124’s open rear diff and helps evenly distribute torque application in corners. We’re happy enough with the slight power bump and the weight savings, but the rear diff might just be the Abarth’s most critical upgrade, especially for owners looking to make the most of their race-inspired Fiat at the track.
In fact, we appreciate how Abarth seems to have focused more on its tweaked 124’s driving experience than chasing outright performance numbers. (For the record, Abarth claims the 124 Spider can accelerate to 62 mph in 6.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 143 mph.) The car retains the regular 124’s 50-50 front-to-rear weight balance while incorporating stiffer anti-roll bars, “Abarth by Bilstein” dampers for better body control, and aluminum Brembo brake calipers for improved stopping performance. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, but an automatic with a manual mode and steering-wheel shift paddles is optional.
More Visual Sting than Actual Sting
The Abarth’s visuals are more comprehensively enhanced than its mechanicals. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In addition to the matte-black hood and trunk, Abarth fits the Spider with dark-gray 17-inch wheels and matching paint on the windshield frame and the roll hoops behind each seat. The head- and taillights are LED units and sit above Abarth-specific front and rear fascias with aggressive-looking intakes and scoops. Each front fender, all four wheel caps, the steering-wheel center, and the car’s nose wear Abarth’s signature scorpion badges. Whereas the non-Abarth 124 Spider looks upscale but slightly delicate, more at home tracing a Mediterranean coastline on a warm sunny day, the Abarth model looks ready for the Targa Florio.
This sense of purpose carries through to the Abarth’s sporty cabin, where the 124’s leather seats have been given blood-red center inserts to match a similarly red tachometer and centering line on the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Red stitching is used on the seats, steering wheel, and on the faux-suede dashboard and center-console trim. Metal pedals poke from beneath the dashboard, and there are aluminum-look accents on the door pulls and around the shifter.
Going on sale this September in Europe, the 124 Spider Abarth is likely to come to the U.S. sometime later, after the Fiat-badged 124 Spider arrives. Each car will carry a serialized plaque, and just five colors will be offered: Turini 1975 White, Costa Brava 1972 Red, Isola d’Elba 1974 Blue, Portogallo 1974 Grey, and San Marino 1972 Black. For those with an eye for rally history, the paint-color names should be familiar: They’re all references to European rally events. We appreciate the 124 Abarth’s nods to history without resorting to the kind of overt pleas of, say, a Mini Cooper or a Volkswagen Beetle. The turbocharged engine and aggressive styling contrast nicely with the Mazda.
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