Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Abarth 124 Spider (2016-2019) – performance and 0-60mph time

Driven by its high torque-to-weight ratio rather than power, speed builds more quickly than its 184bhp would suggest

Evo rating
  • Lots of fun, accessible performance, engaging character
  • Quite expensive, steering lacks feedback

With a useful boost in power over the standard Fiat 124 Spider comes a modest increase in pace. The Fiat’s 0-62mph time drops from 7.5sec to 6.8sec for the Abarth 124, while top speed grows by 10mph to 144mph. Incidentally, automatic models are barely slower than the manuals, being just a tenth slower to reach 62mph and only 2mph down at the top end.

Advertisement - Article continues below

While the Abarth is only a little more powerful than its 2-litre Mazda MX-5 counterpart in horsepower terms, it does still knock half a tenth from its 0-62mph time and bests it by 12mph when flat out – no doubt a result of developing 25 per cent more torque and doing so 2000rpm lower down the rev range.

The way the Abarth delivers that performance isn’t quite perfect, however. As you’d expect from a turbocharged engine there’s a definite sweet spot where the 1.4 delivers its best work, but that sweet spot feels all too brief. Little happens below 2000rpm – the non-turbo Mazda feels more responsive here – and there’s little incentive to use the full 6500rpm sweep to the red line when working the engine hard, as it begins to feel flat beyond around 5000rpm.

In contrast, the Mazda’s larger, naturally-aspirated engine isn’t as strong through the mid-range, but doesn’t protest at lower revs and feels (and sounds) sweeter all the way up to its cut-off. Drive on its mid-range torque though the Abarth feels usefully punchy, if not truly fast, and as you’ll see from our ride and handling comments, its performance can be more readily accessed as a tool to play with the car’s balance.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Honda Civic Type R (FN2) – the car world's greatest misses
Honda Civic Type R FN2
Features

Honda Civic Type R (FN2) – the car world's greatest misses

Its lineage contains some hot hatch greats, but the late-noughties Civic wasn’t one of them
26 Mar 2025
Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 review – an MX-5 with Honda VTEC power
Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 – front
Reviews

Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 review – an MX-5 with Honda VTEC power

A screaming 296bhp Honda VTEC engine and a full chassis upgrade package turn the NC-generation Mazda MX-5 into something altogether more thrilling
25 Mar 2025
Used car deals of the week
Main used car deals
Advice

Used car deals of the week

In this week’s used car deals, we’ve sourced everything from a Mazda MX-5 to a McLaren 720S
26 Mar 2025