Abarth 124 Spider set for possible return
Dodge CEO wants a sub-$47k sports car, but Stellantis will want to maximise its appealAn old school, bare bones basic sports car could be in the pipeline at Stellantis following the December resignation of EV-centric CEO Carlos Tavares.
Speaking with The Drive recently, Dodge chief executive Matt McAlear revealed he sees a market for “some kind of entry-level … sub-$30,000” sports car devoid of overbearing safety equipment and unnecessary creature comforts like heated seats.
“There’s a market for an entry-level halo and a top-of-the-line halo,” he said when asked if there was a need or desire for a Viper successor now the electrification reigns have been loosened.
“I think there’s a market for people who just want to have that weekend car again, who would like a Viper, but don’t have that $100 or $120k.
“Something that doesn’t need all the safety features, doesn’t need the heated seats. Just a car.
“It’s gotta come to market and be unique and different, and Dodge.”
A minimalistic and affordable sports car sounds an awful lot like the brief of the original Mazda MX-5, but even the fabled roadster has grown increasingly fat and expensive over its four generations – the lightest version currently tips the scales at 1015kg compared to the original’s 940kg.
Still, the MX-5’s current $41,520 starting price will likely be the target for Dodge’s theoretical new sports car seeing as $US30,000 converts to near enough $AU47,000 – not too far above the iconic Mazda, nor the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 twins.
Stellantis has dabbled in the entry-level sports car market before with the Abarth 124 Spider which just so happened to be co-developed with the current MX-5 but set itself apart with a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine.
Before that, Dodge had explored the prospects of an entry-level/sub-Viper driver’s car with its open-top, front-engine, rear-drive Demon Concept of 2007.
McAlear didn’t provide any potential timelines on his fantasy project, but we would expect Stellantis to pitch in and offer multiple versions of the model across its various brands to maximise its reach, appeal and profitability.
The most likely eventuality for Australia is that it comes here as a reborn Abarth Spider, possibly even carrying the heritage-rich 124 nameplate.
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Related: Abarth 124 Spider 2017 Review
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