ABDC 2017: Abarth 124 Spider Review

10th

In a David and Goliath style showdown, the diminutive Abarth 124 Spider went head-to-head with some of Australia’s most formidable cars at Australia’s Best Driver’s Car 2017.

“Jesus!” moments aside, there was no religion to speak of at ABDC, but in this tale a fierce battle of the underdog versus the giants ensued.

What unfolded over five days of testing on Tasmania’s best roads, a racetrack and a drag strip was a (theoretical) victory for small-capacity sports cars the world over - although the details and overall placing suggest otherwise.

Tirelessly compared to its twin-under-the-skin, the Mazda MX-5 (a 2016 contender in ABDC and a great car in its own right), in pure driving terms, the Abarth 124 Spider is actually better.

The 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder unit delivers 125kW at 5500rpm and 250Nm at 2500rpm, with drive to the rear wheels. Yes, much fun.

Its light weight, balanced handling and agility are highlights, as are the sharp steering and slick six-speed manual gearbox (one of four on test).

All of this was noted by several judges: “…it literally wraps itself around the driver to give the best sense of immediacy and involvement to be found here,” said Tim Britten.

While the 124 Spider does suffer a touch of turbocharger lag from standstill, with peak torque kicking in at 2500rpm, its punch is accessible across the spread of gears and it’ll happily squeeze out revs close to redline.

Switch to ‘sport’ mode for a noticeable lift in performance and a meatier rumble from the exhaust.

A suspension upgrade and a mechanical limited-slip differential prepare the Abarth for spirited driving and it’s fair to say the little ‘Italian’ copped a fun-loving flogging from all judges…for which it was both willing and able.

“Fun, but only to a point…” was Marton Pettendy’s take on things.

However with all power to the rear, it suffered some rear end swagger and oversteer tendencies – liveable flaws tempered by repeatable predictability. Indeed, wet-weather handling was sometimes a handful even for skilled drivers and left us keen for more rubber.

“Squirrely in the rear,” said Bruce Newton.

“Skittish,” added Feann Torr.

It’s no surprise the Abarth was the slowest to lap Tasmania’s Baskerville race circuit, with a time of 1:05:752… but don’t let that put you off.

Luke Youlden, our gun behind the wheel, was a fan of the Abarth.

“Even though it was underpowered compared to its ABDC rivals, it was one of the most fun. I could make it oversteer at will and its front-end response was great. It does roll a bit too much in the rear, but it's still very predictable.

Performance times reflected much the same, the lightweight Italian delivering a 0-100km/h time of 7.953sec (over 4sec slower than our best on test) and zero-400m was 15.282sec (4:046sec shy of the fastest on test).

Tim Britten echoed Youlden’s thoughts however: “Being the slowest doesn’t make it the least rewarding to drive” he said.

A cramped cabin and questionable ergonomics divided judges (big and small). The low seating position and pedal placement were praised, while the lack of steering wheel reach adjustment and no digital speedo disappointed.

What many described as an ‘awesome’ exhaust note came at the cost of in-cabin refinement for some.

While it didn’t win the battle, the Abarth 124 Spider emerged surprisingly unscathed. There are few cars which can deliver enthusiast-approved top-down fun in such an affordable package.

Without doubt the Abarth 124 Spider more than earned its place in the 2017 Australia’s Best Driver’s Car.

2017 Abarth 124 Spider pricing and specifications:
Price: $41,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Output: 125kW/250Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual/automatic
Fuel: 6.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 150g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: TBC

2017 Abarth 124 Spider performance figures (as tested):
0-100km/h: 7.953sec
0-400m: 15.282sec @ 146.113km/h
Lap time: 1:05.782

ABDC 2017
>> 1st - HSV GTSR W1
>> 2nd - Porsche Cayman S
>> 3rd - Ford Focus RS
>> 4th - BMW M140i
>> 5th - BMW M3 Competition
>> 6th - Audi S5 Coupe
>> 7th - Mercedes-AMG C 43
>> Track test - The fastest ever
>> A sideways glance at ABDC
>> 8th - Volkswagen Golf GTI 40 Years
>> Stats never lie – ABDC by the numbers
>> Not ranked - Alfa Romeo Guilia QV
>> All the ABDC FAQs
>> Quarter-mile bragging rights
>> Meet the judges
>> 11th - Nissan GT-R

>> In search of Australia's Best Driver's Car 2017