Fiat plays Mazda at own game

…with the new 124 Spider, based on Mazda’s MX-5. drives a pre-production prototype

almost 50 years to the day since the original 124 Spider made its debut, Fiat has revived the badge. However, while it’s packed with retro cues – the headlight fairings, grille and bonnet bulges – and an interior that gets more upmarket materials, under the skin it’s almost 100% Mazda MX-5.

Almost, because the Spider uses Fiat’s own 138bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre MultiAir engine, mated to a six-speed gearbox with tougher internals. There are also stiffer springs and dampers, plus thicker anti-roll bars, and remapped electric steering to give greater weighting. There’s not much in the way of mechanical fettling but it’s just enough to give the Spider a character of its own.

That turbocharged engine serves a muscular 177lb ft of torque – 30lb ft up on the peakier 2.0-litre MX-5 at a usefully low 2250rpm. The 0-62mph sprint takes 7.5 seconds, an academic 0.2sec slower than the Mazda, and while the 1.4-litre doesn’t have the same appetite for revs as the MX-5’s naturally aspirated units, it’s smooth and responds eagerly to throttle.

Turn into a corner and you’ll discover a meatier feeling to the steering and less body roll than in the Mazda, while the extra torque makes it easier to trim the Fiat’s line through a corner using the throttle. And though there’s a firm edge to its low-speed ride, the Fiat takes bigger bumps in its stride.

Ultimately, the Fiat has a more grown-up feel than the Mazda, yet