Confirmed: the roadster from Fiat, based on the Mazda MX-5, will be called 124 Spider

These are good times for lovers of nostalgia and classic cars. The CEO of FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles), Sergio Marchionne, has confirmed that the Fiat range will be expanded with a small convertible.

This was something we already knew for some time after the agreement between Mazda and Fiat to develop models together came to light. One of the first to see the light of day will be a small convertible based on the newly launched Mazda MX-5, which will be called none other than 124 Spider.

The chosen name is no coincidence: there was once a small cabrio from the Italian brand with that name and a similar philosophy to what is now being proposed for repetition with this model, which is expected to arrive during 2016.

The 124 Spider will share its platform with the current MX-5, although the Italian model’s engines will not be the same as the Japanese one’s. Instead, it will use engines already known within the FCA Group, such as the current 1.4 MultiAir, which has been giving the brand very good results across different models and power outputs. One of the key points of the 124 Spider will be its weight, as it is reportedly going to be around one tonne, a very remarkable figure by today’s standards.

The design, of course, will be completely different from that of the Miata, offering a much more retro style, with clear reminiscences of the original model from the 1960s and 1970s. The reinterpretation will be similar to the one it has already carried out with the Fiat 500, one of the biggest successes in the modern history of the Italian brand. A version from Abarth is being considered for one year later (we are now in 2017), which would be crowned as the sportiest and most performance-oriented, with a version of the same 1.4 MultiAir engine but with a power output that would exceed 200 CV, though not by much.

Via | autoexpress.co.uk