FIAT CONSIDERS 124 SPIDER COMEBACK

[bradartigue]

Years ago (2003 or 2002) I was at an event held by many of the now board-of-directors of "FIAT Club America" or what used to be FLU. For those of you new to the game, FLU came about because people couldn't get FIAT support, parts, etc., and in the pre-Internet days it wasn't easy to come by service manuals and tools...

Anyway, I went to one of these events and a guy drove up in one of these Miata body kits: http://www.gomiata.com/sdmiatitbodc.html and tried to get into the show. An announcement was made that "only Italian cars will be allowed to park in the main lot."

Which begs the question, where does FIAT Club America park the new 500?

[KidDingo]

More to the point, I think it begs the question of why would you try to build a fake Ferrari!

Without meaning to be bitchy and sounding like an arsehole, I think it just looks naff. I will probably come across as a snob, but in my opinion, they had a valid reason for banning a kit car, which might look brilliant next to other kit cars at a kit car show.

As for the 500, I have no feelings about it one way or the other. It's just not relevant to me.

But my Spider IS relevant to me, and I think it's lineage is something to be proud of and should be preserved.

In the end, though, it's all speculation. Fiat is floating a balloon to see what kind of reaction it will get. If they're trolling these posts they'll see some indifference towards and acceptance of the Mazda platform.

But now, hopefully, they'll also see some spirited feelings against it.

[spidernut]

If they're going to steal a platform, I'd recommend that they steal the Honda S2000 platform. Even the name almost fits S2000 and Spider 2000. Hmmm. Awfully similar!

The Honda is reliable, closer to the size of the Spider and would be easier to adapt.

[opus10583]

...Wow.

"Life is a Rorschach test; be careful what you see."

Some of what's being missed here is FIAT Auto group and Mazda have been in development deal for some time concerning a shared platform underpinning the next MX-5 and a "FIAT" to be named later. FIAT will suffer a financial loss/pentaly if they don't follow through.

FIAT were said to be bringing it out as an Alfa but Marchionne's playing Hamlet in Turin, so it may be a FIAT.

Widely rumored to be fitted with the 500 Abarth/500L turbo multiair it wouldn't be a crossflow twin-cam.

Haters gonna hate, but I'd sell both my '78 CS1 and '12 500 Abarth if they bring it with the MX-5's excellent folding hardtop.

Ciao,
Mark

[ga.spyder]

Good call,Opus. There is no speculation as to the mfg. who will collaborate with Fiat. It is Mazda. Period. That deal was signed years ago.

[FiatJB]

Wait.....
what we really need and want for our wish list
1. a good rust inhibitor
2. quality "plastic" dash and console material
3. Wood steering wheel with chrome spokes
4. a clock with a glass face... but keep it traditional but quartz
5. seats with real metal in them that doesn't bend when you reach back to pull the top up in a sudden rain storm
6. visors that actually stay up by themselves
7. I could go on, but hey I've had over a dozen Fiats over the years...so you really think those points are a deal breaker?

lol, I love my Fiats, even with all their quirky characteristics

[spidernut]

I'd be O.K. with the turbo multiair...just not with the diminutive size of the Miata. I also can't stand the windshield frame on the Miata. It looks like something out of a bad cartoon. I'd never buy a re-badged Miata under the Fiat name.

[narfire]

My wish list... #1 rear wheel drive
#2 some room behind the seats to store stuff including your dog. NONE of the smaller cars today have that feature, not the Honda 2000, Z3, Miata.....Solstice..
#3 Simple, not a ton of fiddly options that are a pain if not impossible to fix.
#4 around 180 + HP with a 6 speed.(normally aspirated)
#5 dealer network that have trained techs..

Design it with a nice style not a chunky crap look. Seems to be difficult today with the safety standards that have to be met.
I'd like a retro look.... I'd like to think it would be popular.

[opus10583]

"]I'd be O.K. with the turbo multiair...just not with the diminutive size of the Miata.

Current UK MX-5: WB 91.7, L 158.3, W 67.7, H 49.4

1966 124 Spider: WB 89.75, L 156.25, W 63.5, H 49.25

(Inches, source: Wikipedia)

I'd never buy a re-badged Miata under the Fiat name.

..."Shared development agreement": Distinct engines, tuning, design and styling.

No one is suggesting an Alfa/FIAT/Abarth badged MX-5, a la Chevy/Pontiac.

Ciao,
Mark

[speedracer]

Delusional, that says it all. People that dont really know spiders dont complain because they have no idea of the history of the spider. Talk about a run on sentence.. If you like your big bumpers, thats fantastic. Ive seen some late model spiders with these truck bumpers that look really good. Its just not me preference.

Delusional? Maybe a little!

I wish that Fiat could have kept the lower stance and pretty, slim chrome bumpers of the early Spiders. Without a doubt, it was a much better look. But when you compare the tube bumpers that Fiat made for the new government regulations, I think they did a half-decent job of it, especially when compared to what other car makers stuck on their cars during that dreadful era of car building. Hey, at least they're chrome!

On my own Spider, I deflated (or drained to be exact) the bumper shocks and pushed the bumpers in real tight to the car, IMHO it makes the bumpers look more like they are part of the car instead of having them hanging way off the ends..

Sorry for going off topic!