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Fiat 124 Spider review – The MX-5’s classier cousin? - Performance and 0-60 time

The drop-top Italian posses a distinctly calmer persona than the Mazda that it shares its underpinnings with

Evo rating
RRP
from £21,050
  • A characterful cruiser
  • Lacks finesse when driven enthusiastically

Performance and 0-60 time

The Fiat 124 Spider develops 138bhp from its 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and maximum torque of 177 lb ft is available from just 2,250rpm. That’s much lower down than the more rev-happy Mazda MX-5, which develops max torque at 4800rpm in the 1.5-litre car or 4600rpm in the 2-litre.

The 124’s 0-62mph time is dispatched in 7.5 seconds – just shy of the 7.3 seconds that the 2.0-litre MX-5 requires to do the same. The 1.5-litre Mazda takes 8.3 seconds.

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