Abarth Abarth 124 Spider History

Introduced at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show alongside the Fiat 124 Spider, the Abarth 124 Spider was the performance variant of the Mazda MX-5-based roadster. Built at Mazda's Hiroshima plant on the fourth-generation ND MX-5 platform, the Abarth version was differentiated by a Fiat-sourced turbocharged 1.4-litre MultiAir four producing 170 hp (versus the MX-5's naturally aspirated Skyactiv units), retuned Bilstein dampers and stiffer springs, a Record Monza sport exhaust, and Abarth aesthetic detailing.

The 124 Spider Abarth offered genuine rear-wheel-drive sports car dynamics in a lightweight package: 0–100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and a 232 km/h top speed. In Europe, the model ran through the 2019 model year before tightening WLTP emissions rules made the 1.4-litre MultiAir engine non-compliant. A Rally version competed in the FIA R-GT Cup, winning the class championship in 2018, 2019, and 2020.