Abarth 124 Spider

The Abarth 124 Spider arrived as the performance version of Fiat's 124 Spider, itself built in partnership with Mazda and sharing its platform with the MX-5 Miata. Where the standard Fiat leaned toward relaxed cruising, the Abarth version sharpened everything, adding a turbocharged 1.4 liter engine, a stiffer suspension tune, a lowered ride height, and a dual-mode exhaust that could switch from quiet to genuinely loud at the push of a button.

The 124 name is not incidental. It directly recalls the original Fiat Abarth 124 rally cars of the 1970s, which Carlo Abarth's team campaigned to considerable success in European rallying. Reviving the badge on a modern rear-wheel-drive roadster gave Abarth a way to connect its motorsport history to a genuinely engaging driver's car rather than just another hot hatch.

With its lightweight structure, rear-wheel-drive balance, and turbocharged punch, the 124 Spider stood apart from the rest of the modern Abarth lineup, offering a classic open-top sports car experience wrapped in scorpion-badge attitude. It was produced for a limited run, making surviving examples a distinctive pick for Abarth enthusiasts.