The Fiat 124 Spider is a rare car. Not just because its U.S. sales (so far) are miniscule, but because it’s better than the car that spawned it, the Mazda MX-5 Miata.
I recently put more than 500 miles on a Spider from the press fleet, and I have also tested the Miata this year.
Can you think of another “badge-engineered” car quite like the 124 Spider? Usually, when automakers build cars for a partner, such as the Mazda2/Toyota Yaris or the Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S, the changes are limited to different badges and perhaps a new front fascia and not much else.
The Fiat 124 is very different, and the changes could be the blueprint for a different type of car-sharing among automakers. Here’s why I think Fiat nailed the Spider:
Read Article