Our adventures (in a car, at least) always start from the gas station – the fuel tank is never full and ends up emptying too quickly. On one hand, it is a bit of a subtle confirmation that we have milled a good amount of kilometers, on the other hand the obvious and redundant reminder … [Read more…]
The Abarth 124 Spider is what you might call ‘a bit of a giggle’. Most Mazda MX-5 owners would have a lot of fun in one for an afternoon, we suspect, hut then would probably be quite happy to swap their car keys back. Compared with the Japanese sporting icon from which it is sprung, … [Read more…]
Last year we saluted Fiat for the canny reasoning that resulted in the 124 Spider, its first rear-drive sports car since the original model was discontinued in the early 1980s. Although the amalgamation of Mazda MX-5 mechanicals and Italian styling was not a flawless integration by any means, it delivered the kind of desirable product … [Read more…]
I love classic cars , so I’m a little protective when a car manufacturer relaunches something from their past. It’s a genuine relief, then, when I first see the new Abarth 124 in the metal.
Without much warning, Abarth’s 124 Spider has touched down in South Africa with a footprint as light as the car itself. The surprise newcomer of 2016 will be content as a low-volume, niche seller with driving thrills and exclusivity at its owner’s behest. The charm here is weight. Every possible gram cleaved from the 124’s … [Read more…]
Simplistically, you can describe Abarth as the performance arm of Fiat cars. But to understand the brand, you need to go back to 1949 when celebrated racer and speed engineer Karl Abarth had a vision that racing needn’t be an elite sport. He started producing performance car kits and exhaust systems for the average Joe … [Read more…]
It seems the world has gone crazy for SUVs, crossovers and high-riding hatchbacks, so it’s refreshing to drive a new drop-top sports car. It’s even nicer to drive a new small, Italian sports car, even if the Abarth 124 Spider isn’t exactly all-new or, for that matter. All-Italian. The Abarth is the more performance-orientated version … [Read more…]