Abarth Version of Fiat 124 Spider Spied on a Highway in Italy

A test prototype for the Fiat 124 Spider has been recently filmed on a stretch of Italian highway. We've seen it before, about two months ago, so we knew what it was straight away. Four exhaust pipes, lowered suspension and more aggressive body design are clear indications of a Scorpion-tuned machine.

The 124 Spider is based on the all-new Mazda MX-5. The two companies signed a partnership many years ago and Fiat finally revealed its car at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. You still can't buy one, but we can tell you the American model will get a 160 hp version of the 1.4-liter turbo while the Europeans get only 140 hp. The power goes through the rear, not before passing through either a 6-speed manual or an automatic.

The 1.4 is like the universal workhorse of the Fiat brand. We still remember when it came out way back in 2005. For the 124 Spider, Abarth is going to tune that engine to produce around 200 horsepower, making it about as power-dense as the Mercedes-AMG M133.

We've seen only one road test of the 124, and it was in Italian. However, we got the general idea: this is an entirely different machine from the Mazda. Fiat has tuned the suspension for touring, not track use. Abarth engineers will change all that, and they will eventually make a racing version of the car. Expect stiffer anti-roll bars, bigger brakes and a throaty exhaust system with four pipes and a bypass system.

In the next few years, Abarth will become a distinct entity from Fiat, which now wants simple, cheap family cars for the average consumer. The company will also introduce an updated Abarth 500 and the tuned version of the 500X crossover.