![]() ![]() Easy to deploy, and once up, takes nothing away from the clean, fast lines of this beautiful machine. The slick soft-top, a feature that when combined with the 718’s 2-seater layout is what earns this model the “Spyder” moniker, is manually operated and comes complete with electronic latching. In fact, Porsche’s special GT department tweaked and tuned the 718 Spyder, essentially creating a convertible GT4! With 20-inch alloy rims framing bright red 6-piston brake calipers, new underfloor aero components, dual exhaust, and an auto-deploying rear wing, you know right away this Porsche is something special. – Manual.Ĭlassic Porsche mid-engine Boxster styling, which means business, but doing business all while wearing road-hugging, bullet-fast bodywork. Though sporting just 40 horsepower from a rear-mounted, slightly souped-up Beetle engine, the first Porsche quickly made its mark with agile handling, as well as attributes almost unknown among sportscars of the day – comfort and reliability.”Īnd the tradition continues today. The younger Porsche helped grow the new company and was instrumental in designing the first Porsche sportscar, the 356. He brought a half-century of experience with innovation, from a turn-of-the-century, four-wheel drive, gasoline/electric hybrid vehicle, to the virtually unbeatable Auto Union Grand Prix cars of the 1930s. The senior Porsche, whose engineering experience included Daimler-Benz, established an independent design and engineering firm in 1931 famously designing the Volkswagen Beetle. and son Ferdinand (Ferry) set out to build when they first set up shop in Stuttgart, Germany in 1948. “The Porsche name has become synonymous with sports cars and race cars because that is exactly what company founders Ferdinand Porsche Sr. We fit just one carry-on suitcase inside the Fiat's trunk.So, let’s start there, Porsche and its history The Spider has a small trunk and barely any cabin storage for phones, knickknacks, and the like. If you were holding out hope that the 124 Spider might swallow cargo better than it gulps two people, dash that optimism here and now. At least when the soft top is folded behind the seats, as it should be as often as possible-remember, this is a roadster!-the sky's the limit on headroom. The top, when raised, arcs tightly over the cabin, and the small rear window contributes to the interior's confining nature. ![]() ![]() Cabin space is tight, especially for drivers and passengers measuring more than six feet tall. Interior, Comfort, and Cargoīase-model 124 Spiders have manual climate controls, while Lusso and Abarth models gain automatic climate control and heated seats, but don't expect many other luxuries. In our real-world highway fuel-economy test, the 124 Spider with the manual transmission bested its highway EPA rating of 35 mpg with a 39-mpg result. Seeing as it's lightweight and small-and powered by a tiny engine-it's no surprise that the Fiat earns sparkling fuel-economy estimates on the EPA's test cycle. Lightning Lap 2017: Fiat 124 Spider Abarth.Fiat 124 Spider Set to End Production Soon.The 124 Spider rides decently for a small, flyweight roadster. The stiffer-sprung Abarth model is more of an eager little scamp, and every 124 benefits from quick, feedback-rich steering and good body control when the road deviates from the straight and narrow. Where the Toyota 86 and the MX-5 Miata are autocross and track-day darlings, the softer-handling Fiat is the small roadster to buy if you prioritize sunny-day cruises over track events. At low engine speeds, the 1.4-liter has little to give, and its gusto wears off well before the tach needle hits redline. At least when kept in the middle of the range, the Fiat engine amuses with solid punch and a brassy exhaust note. It can be fun trying to keep the 124's engine on boil by constantly working the buttery six-speed manual ( a six-speed automatic is optional), but the nonlinear power delivery makes the task tricky. In this case, we'd stick with the most affordable version, the Classica since the 124 Spider is about the simple joy of piloting a wind-in-your-hair roadster, why pay more for extra features that don't add to that experience? Engine, Transmission, and PerformanceĪll 124 Spider models come with a turbocharged four-cylinder making 160 horsepower in Classica and Lusso models and 164 horsepower in the Abarth. But if you're looking for a pure-driving roadster, the Miata is an even better choice. Usually when it comes to selecting a manual-transmission, rear-drive roadster we'd be tempted to gravitate to the sportiest model in the 124's case, that is the Abarth with its optional rorty exhaust and upgraded brakes, along with Abarth-specific suspension tuning and a limited-slip differential. ![]()
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