Although I had seen many pictures of the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider in the past year or so, seeing it in the flesh still brought a lump in my throat.
Cars have been a large part of my life, but sports cars are my passion, and one of my first loves was a Fiat 124 I owned more than 30 years ago.
With the reintroduction of the 124 Spider, I am in love again.
Unlike Hollywood, one can’t go back in time and relive one’s youth, court the girl that got away or buy shares in Microsoft and Apple.
To make its comeback, the Fiat Spider DNA was spliced into another popular roadster — the Mazda MX-5 Miata.
During my test drive, the 124’s heritage came up: “That’s just not right. It’s just a Miata with some new body parts,” said one critic.
There is validity to that statement, as the car platform and 95 per cent of the interior has been lifted from the Japanese car. But it is perhaps ironic that people have an issue with the mixed marriage, as the original Miata was itself a modern interpretation of classic 1960s British sports cars, especially the Lotus Elan.
But the Italian design team did get it right. As a former owner, I see familiar lines and curves that evoke the character of the original. It follows similar evolutions of classic designs, such as the Ford Mustang and the Mini Cooper.
The 124 is about 14 centimetres longer, with a more elegant/classic hood and a boxier rear section. If you compare the two cars side-by-side you may notice the only items exactly the same are the windshield and doors.
The Miata’s convertible’s folding top, by far the best in the segment, remains unchanged. This means one-handed operation to either raise or lower the top.
The trunk volume, at 130 litres, remains the same, so, like the Miata, golf clubs have to ride shotgun.
Fiat takes great pains to let people know that they have also fine-tuned the suspension with different springs, shocks and anti-roll bars to give it a more European feel, lest people think that this is just an exercise in brand engineering.
The biggest infusion of Italian DNA was to add some extra brio into the new car. Gone is the naturally aspirated 2.0-litre. In its place is a turbocharged 1.4-litre four producing 160 horsepower and 183 pound-feet of torque. That’s five more horses but, more importantly, 35 more lb.-ft. of torque available as low as 2,500 rpm.
The engine is mated to a six-speed transmission from the previous-generation MX-5. The reason given for this change was that the older unit had taller gearing that better matched the characteristics of the turbocharged powerplant.
Although it is more powerful, one has to consider that the new sheetmetal and turbocharger components add 47 kilograms to the curb weight of the 124.
Even with the added weight, the 124 feels livelier than the MX-5. The 1.4 turbo sounds raspier — it communicates how hard the engine is working. I hardly looked at the tachometer in my time with the car.
With the engine singing its happy tune, with the top down and driving my favourite country route on a sunny summer day, an Italian phrase came to mind: La dolce vita — the sweet life.
People who like wind in their hair will appreciate the efforts made to tame airflow into the cockpit. The 124 was comfortable to drive on the highway with the windows down.
The cockpit is mainly a carryover from the MX-5, with the same gauges, dials and controls. The seats have different bolstering and stitching, but are fundamentally the same. There is an adjustable thigh support but the seat height is fixed. The steering wheel tilts, but does not telescope.
The infotainment system remains Mazda’s, as developers were unable to adapt the Chrysler Uconnect system with the Japanese hardware. The only complaint I have with this layout, as I did with the MX-5 when I drove that car, is the placement of the control toggle.
Its location aft of the gearshift is precisely where I rest my forearm. This results in no shortage of the automotive equivalent of butt dials, with radio stations changes a common occurrence.
The 124 debits with three trim models: Classica, Lusso and Abarth, ranging from a starting price of $33,495. My tester was the Lusso, with a base of $36,495. A six-speed manual transmission is standard and an automatic is available in all three trim levels.
Lusso trim comes with larger 17-inch wheels, heated leather seats, back-up camera and a host of other convenience features.
As a sports-car lover, I rejoice at the reintroduction of the 124, as it adds competition — and life — into the segment. I am less concerned about the car’s heritage than the fact that it retains that joy of driving missing in some cars.
Bentornato mio buon amico. E bello rivederti (Welcome back my good friend. It’s nice to see you again).