Fiat 124 2017

The new Fiat 124 Spider marks the Italian brand’s return to the affordable roadster market after an absence of more than decade. 

Heavily based on the Mazda MX-5, the newcomer combines that car’s agile rear-wheel drive handling with Fiat’s own turbocharged MultiAir engine. The 124 Spider also features totally unique exterior styling – although the interior is carried over largely unchanged from the Mazda.

The Fiat can trace its roots back to the original 124 Spider, which made its debut back in 1966 and continued in production for nearly two decades. Then, in 1995, Fiat had another stab at the roadster market with the pretty Barchetta.

However, this car was front-wheel drive and only available in left-hand drive, meaning sales were slow, particularly in the face of rivals such as the MX-5.

So for this revived 124 Spider, Fiat has decided that ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’. As a result, the new car is essentially a re-skinned Mazda MX-5.

Every single body panel is changed to give the Fiat its own identity, but the underlying structure, suspension and even the interior are taken wholesale from the Mazda. The Fiat is also built alongside the MX-5 at Mazda’s Hiroshima factory in Japan.

Externally, the Fiat looks different enough from the Mazda MX-5. Yet with its longer overhangs (the Fiat is 139mm longer overall), gaping front grille and slab sides, the 124 Spider doesn’t looks as compact or stylish as the tautly designed and perfectly proportioned Mazda.

Yet while fans of the sixties original will no doubt be dismayed at this blatant badge-engineering, it does mean the 124 Spider is fun to drive, solidly built and relatively affordable. And while much of the Fiat is Japanese, its heart is still 100 percent Italian.

Under the sculpted bonnet (a clear nod to the sixties original) is Fiat’s own 138bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre MultiAir petrol engine. It doesn’t rev quite as eagerly as the naturally aspirated 1.5 and 2.0-litre units used in the MX-5, but it’s as quick as the latter thanks to its muscular 240Nm torque output. It’s also more relaxing to drive, because you don’t need to work the engine as hard to access strong performance.

Currently, this engine is the only option available to British 124 Spider buyers – the American market car gets a more potent 160bhp version of the same powerplant. However, sources close to the company have confirmed that an even more powerful and sharper handling Abarth model is in the pipeline for UK and European customers.

Like the Mazda MX-5 powerplants, this engine drives through a six-speed manual gearbox, yet unlike its Japanese cousin the Fiat 124 Spider is also available in the UK with a six-speed automatic.

Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta

It’s pronounced ‘duet-o-tanta’ – and rarely has a name meant so much for Italian sports cars. The 2uettottanta is Pininfarina’s beautiful Alfa Romeo-badged star of the Geneva Motor Show back in March.

But the complex name is more than just a ploy to draw crowds to the stands. It pays tribute to the firm’s glorious past, plus looks to the future – and Auto Express got behind the wheel during an exclusive photoshoot.

First, we should explain that tongue-twisting badge. The 2 refers to the two-seater configuration, the 2uetto to the influence of Alfa’s classic Duetto model and ottanta – 80 in Italian – to the number of years Pininfarina has been coming up with such stunners.

We drove the 2uettottanta fresh from its show debut, and there were no seatbelts fitted. But our time with the car wasn’t so much about pushing it hard on the open road – instead, we were keen just to get a taste of the car insiders say points to the look of the next-generation Spider.

Contrary to speculation, Pininfarina says the Mazda MX-5-sized newcomer is production ready. It’s also keen to scotch rumours that it’s based on the 8C Competizione, pointing out that the underpinnings are not from a current Alfa model.

Power comes from an all-new 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, while the 2,500mm wheelbase is identical to that of the four-wheel-drive Fiat Sedici and Suzuki SX4.

The bodywork’s soft curves are set off perfectly by the bold metallic paint. Red is the colour, of course, and the 2uettottanta features a blood-like shade that sparkles in the sunshine during our drive.

The form-fitting sports seats give outstanding support, and our arms are held at a perfect distance for us to clutch the small 14.2-inch-diameter retro-styled three-spoke steering wheel.

It’s a special place to sit. The driving position is low to the ground and the seatback steeply raked. Plus, with your backside suspended inches above the tarmac, it feels just as unique as an original Duetto spider.

As there’s no roof, and only a slender windscreen surround, visibility is excellent, while the car is incredibly aerodynamic.The major controls are placed logically around the steering column and on the central tunnel, as well as across the upper dash.

As you’d expect, the detailing is simply sensational, with glowing white Alfa Romeo badges on the centre of the speedometer and rev counter needles.

The gearlever is finished in machined aluminium billet, and is great to hold. Beautifully integrated into its design is the bright red start button.

But while we love the cabin’s architecture, we should mention that not everything you see here will make production. The thin, column-mounted paddleshifters for the seven-speed TCT twin-clutch box are only for show. Another little jewel that feels too finely finished to make dealers is the new design for the lever of Alfa’s DNA adaptive chassis system – it’s unlikely to stand up to daily use.

On the other hand, the seatbelt appendages, extending off the outside edges of the flying buttresses, are a really pleasing touch. They embrace you as you settle back into the seats, and are likely to make production.

Overall, the 2uettottanta’s cabin is as accommodating as the latest BMW Z4’s, and the swooping lines are not unlike those of the blue propeller car.

Under the bonnet, the turbocharged engine is very much showroom-ready – it’s set to feature in the Giulietta Cloverleaf, which goes on sale in the summer. Amazingly, this ultra-efficient 232bhp 1.7-litre four-cylinder motor delivers just as much power as the gas-guzzling old 3.2-litre V6 in the 147 GTA.

Alfa says the finished version of the 2uettottanta will use this same unit, as it targets class-leading rivals such as the Porsche Boxster and Audi TT Roadster. In the two-door – which tips the scales at a featherweight 1,220kg – it promises a 0-62mph sprint time of less than six seconds.

This impressive power output will be delivered to the rear wheels through the slick-shifting TCT box. Add that to the gorgeous barchetta styling, plus the detailing inside and out, and the 2uettottanta will make summer anywhere in the world like something from an Italian romance.