Honda K24-Swapped Fiat 131 Is a Screaming Drift Monster With Jumping Skills

Not only did Fiat roll out quite a few beefed-up Abarth road models back in the 1960s, but it also contested events like the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio since the early days. More importantly, Fiat dominated the World Rally Championship (WRC) scene from 1977 to 1981.

The brand's official involvement in rally racing began in 1971, with a race-spec version of the Fiat 124 Sport Spider. While competitive, the Abarth-prepped 124 failed to bring home the manufacturers' title, placing second, behind Alpine and Lancia, for three years in a row (1973-1975).

In 1976, Fiat returned with a modified version of the 131. Also prepared by Abarth for racing duty, the 131 scored just one win in its first year in WRC, but it returned with a vengeance and won the championship in 1977. Fiat came first in 1978 as well, and then scored its third title in 1980.

Overall, the Fiat 131 Abarth won 20 races between 1976 and 1981, with famous drivers like Markku Alen, Timo Salonen, Bernard Darnice, Walter Rohrl, and Michelle Mouton behind the steering wheel. Arguably the most iconic rally car wearing the "Fiat" badge, the 131 Abarth is now a race-spec collectible that shows up at classic car events from time to time. And it's a sight to behold when manhandled on rally courses.

I haven't seen a 131 Abarth do that recently, but here's a 131 that's a bit different, but just as spectacular to watch. Meet Paolo Diana's Honda-swapped Fiat 131 rally beast. Yup, this Italian two-door sedan has a Japanese heart of the K24 variety.

The latter was built in more than 20 versions since Honda introduced it back in 2001, so it's hard to say which iteration we're looking at, but I do know it's a heavily modified mill that cranks out 320 horsepower. That's more than any stock version of the 2.4-liter four-cylinder, which delivers a little more than 200 horses in cars like the Honda Civic Si and Acura TLX. That's also more than what a Rally-spec Abarth 131 was capable of back in the late 1970s.

And while it might not sound like a lot nowadays, it's more than enough for a rally-spec car, which is usually notably lighter than a production model. And you'll get a taste of the car's tremendous power-to-weight ratio in the footage below, which shows the 131 drifting like crazy and going airborne like there's no tomorrow. All while the mighty K24 engine screams as a proper Japanese racing engine should.

Crank up the volume, hit play, and hold on for the ride. I'm also throwing in a video of the Abarth-powered rally car for exhaust note comparison, so tell me which one you like more in the comments section below.