Abarth has announced the Abarth 124 Spider, a sporty convertible that will arrive in the UK in the summer – but how affordable will it be?
Prices start from £29,565 for the 1.4-litre TJet with a six speed manual gearbox linked to a short-throw gear stick or £31,605 if you want the six-speed Sequenziale Sportivo automatic. That makes it £10,020 more expensive than the standard 124 Spider.
Either way, 0-62mph takes 6.8 seconds ─ an improvement of a second on the standard 124 Spider. Top speed, meanwhile, is 143mph so it’s also 9mph faster. It should also be louder, thanks to a Record Monza exhaust.
Not since 1972 has there been an Abarth Spider so you can understand why the 2016 model is a bit special. No wonder, then, there is a choice of five unique paintjobs inspired by its predecessor, including Brava 1972 Red and San Marino 1972 Black.
The interior of the Abarth 124 features a large central rev counter, speedometer to the right of that and a data display on the left, giving the driver all the information they need at a glance. Plus each car gets a unique number on a plaque.
Abarth’s interpretation of the 124 Spider gets cruise control, electric mirrors, four stereo speakers and a 7-inch colour display and infotainment system as standard.
You will have to shell out more money for navigation, the more technologically advanced infotainment system and a nine-speaker Bose sound system, which has a speaker in each seat headrest and a subwoofer.
Key rivals for the Abarth 124 include a top-spec Mazda MX-5, which shares the same underpinnings as the 124 Spider, and the Mini John Cooper Works Convertible Mini, which has 231hp, four seats and front-wheel drive.
Leave a Reply