Abarth 124 Spider – Track Test – Sports Cars
Abarth 124 Spider – Track Test – Sports Cars
This question: Abarth 124 Spider, with list price dand 36.000 euros, GOOD 8.000 euro more than its sister Fiat 124? Maybe it depends on what you are looking for in the car. Parked in the pit lane of the autodrome Tacio Nuvolari, The Abarth 124 Spider undoubtedly has special features: a pronounced aggressive front grille, a lower and more prominent rear end, polished rims and a brake system with Brembo calipers that invite you to drive ... criminal. It's prettier and more masculine than the Fiat, but the elongated deltoids don't justify the price difference. The engine is the same 1.4 turbo Multiair from Fiat, but I horses 170 (instead of 140) and the pair rose to 250 Nm... As a result, the Abarth 124 Spider uses 6,8 seconds sprint from 0 to 100 km / h (versus Fiat 7,5 seconds) and touches i 224 km / h maximum speed (instead of 215 km / h).
The tuning has also been revised along with an exhaust system that finally sounds right; but the real defining element is the mechanical limited-slip differential, which is not found on the Fiat 124 Spider. This makes it more like its Mazda Mx-5 cousin (with which it shares the chassis), also equipped with a limited-slip differential, but which, unlike the Abarth, has a naturally aspirated 2.0 hp engine under the hood.
AMONG THE TERRITORY OF NIVOLA
Il Tazio Nuvolari Circuit It is ideal for this type of car: it has only one long straight, a couple of medium-fast and many constant radius corners to be tackled in second and third gear. And already from the first corner there Abarth 124 Spider it turns out that the car is very different from Fiat: muzzle inserts faster и steering immediately turns out to be a more accurate, progressive, better ally. The rear also does “other work”, and while on Fiat it is almost impossible to move it (both when entering and exiting corners), then on the Abarth it precisely follows it and helps to close trajectorybehaves almost like the back of a sports compact.
Not a bad start. However, the setup is not as rigid as I imagined, on the contrary: there is just the amount of roll it takes to instill confidence at the grip limit (and beyond). Even when you overdo it, everything happens gradually and naturally, and in this situation Abarth does better than both Fiat, both cousins Mazda... This is undoubtedly one of the funniest RWD sports cars I've tried in a while.
Il engine 1.4 turbo multithreading it is now more energetic in the midrange and does not choke even around the limiter. There Sonora Column then he lets out a hiss, slaps and gurgles without being rude or annoyed with neighbors. It wouldn't ruin a few more horsepower just yet, but the power is still enough to get some fun. Also because the mechanical limited slip differential now allows an almost infinite number of transitions, and the temptation to drive the "flag" on the track is really great. IN Speed in addition, it has a shorter lever and maintains dry and precise grafts, and even if it does not reach the pleasure level of its Mazda cousin, it is very close.
I brakes they now resist abuse better and boast a more responsive and modulated pedal, and on the track they instill much more confidence.
ABARTA OR FIAT?
Se Fiat or Abarth, you decide. If you are not a fanatic sports drivingbut you're just looking for a spider that makes you enjoy the sun and wind in your hair, then Fiat can also make you appreciate it all without disfiguring you on the mountain road. But if you like to drive with a knife between your teeth, Abarth offers so much fun and even more. Therefore, indeed Another 8.000 euros? I think so. Yes, there are quite a few of them, but considering the changes (engine, differential, tuning, brakes, seats and all the various "badges and parts"), there are not many of them. Of course the car is bigger definitely faster, but above all more fun, while maintaining a good level of comfort and low fuel consumption (with careful driving on a liter, you can drive 17 km). You will not be disappointed.
