Would you buy a brand new Fiat 124 Spyder?

[herr_oberst]

Fiat is teaming up with Mazda.
The car will be a redesigned MX5, powered by the Turbo Abarth motor, backed by the last generation Mazda six speed, the same basic chassis with some Fiat specific tweaks, built in Japan.

Probably more money.

Hmmm. Judgement being withheld....

[DanielDudley]

124. As far as I can see, the Abarth motor is non direct injection, and likely to suffer less carbon fouling on the intake valves than the Mazda motor. Being a turbo, it ought to be easy to coax a few more ponies out of it as well...

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by DanielDudley

124.

Fixed!

[gchappel]

I had a 79 spyder- I would buy another in a heart beat.
Mine was great until my mechanic got drunk and wrecked it into a tree at 3am.
Gary

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by gchappel

got drunk and wrecked it

Argh.

I love those cars.

FL is a death penalty state, isn't it?

[DanielDudley]

I had a few hot ones back in the old days. Satisfying like a stunt biplane, flying at 3/4 speed.

The new one should be a good driver, but they say it is coming in at 100 pounds more than the Miata.

[FLYGEEZER]

Had one for three years,drove it hard, loved it, traded for 79 C3 Corvette. Those were "living to the left" days.

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Fixed!

You are indeed a model citizen, Herr Oberst.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I would buy a new Miata. I don't want to see how Fiat will screw up an otherwise fantastic car.

[Reiver]

Too bad it's not a deal with Alfa Romeo....now those I liked. The Fiat Ferrari's were nice tho.

[Nickshu]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I would buy a new Miata. I don't want to see how Fiat will screw up an otherwise fantastic car.

Haha...This.

There are plenty of turbocharger and supercharger kits available for the Miata. Mazda has a superior dealer network. I'd be hard pressed to go Fiat.

[Flieger]

I'd get the Mazda. Saw the 124 at the auto show. Don't like the looks. The Fiat engine wouldn't be enough to get me to switch.

I sat in the Mazda though and the pedals are pretty close together. Shifter is really short.

I like the 911 much better as a fun car. Fits like a glove.

[jamesnmlaw]

I'd be interested in a new Fiat 850 Spider with a Mazda turbo. Driving that car was like slow dancing with a skinny woman.

[techweenie]

It looks pretty good in person. Interior is pure Miata.

[aigel]

I'd just buy the Miata and be done with it.

[sc_rufctr]

I drove the original for about 4 years back in the 80s. Great car for its day but we expected less from our cars back then.
(lots of little things went wrong but most were easy to fix)

I mostly DIY'd it but I took it to an Italian Mechanic when anything major went wrong with it and it did. The motor had to be rebuilt at about 110,000km.
An exhaust valve broke which basically totaled the engine. (destroyed the piston, bent the rod and ruined the crank and a whole lot of other stuff)
He rebuilt it using a second hand engine taken from a wreck. I sold it shortly after I got it back.

So would I buy the new one now? I like the idea but I can't imagine the Fiat engine being as reliable as the Mazda especially turbo charged. That's just asking for trouble in an Italian car.

IME... Cheap Italian cars tend to be very expensive to own.

[LakeCleElum]

In the early 80's, I bought a 1969 124 Spider from a dentist to flip........Lost of rust repair around the wheel wells before I could paint it. Fun little car, I had it about a year. Made about $1,500 on the deal....

[tchanson]

[JavaBrewer]

Buy a Fiat? No.

[tabs]

Sterling is the silver ware I keep in my drawer.