Geneva launch for Abarth 124 Spider

The wait may be over for go-fast fans of the new Fiat 124 Spider unveiled at the Los Angeles motor show last week.

The Italian car-maker's new roadster is built in Japan alongside the Mazda MX-5 on which it's based, but wears a unique design and boasts its own powerplant – a 119kW/250Nm 1.4-litre MultiAir turbo-petrol four-cylinder.

That engine already places the 124 Spider at an advantage over both the standard 1.5-litre MX-5 now on sale and the 2.0-litre version, which is due in showrooms next month and delivers 118kW and 200Nm from its naturally-aspirated SKYACTIV-G engine.

Word on the street, however, is that the Abarth version of the 124 will emerge at the 2016 Geneva motor show in March, powered by either a 'tuned' version of the existing engine offering around 147kW, or the 177kW/350Nm 1.75-litre turbo-petrol four from the Alfa Romeo 4C and Giulietta QV.

If it comes with the latter, the Abarth 124 Spider would certainly become a world-beater in terms of performance. Considering the model would likely tip the scales at around 1100kg, a 0-100km/h time of around five seconds is on the cards.

A third option – and one more likely give the longitudinal placement of the engine in the 124 Spider – is the use of the 2.0-litre Global Medium Engine found in the Giulia T4. For the Abarth roadster, it's anticipated this engine could provide 149kW, or what you could say is a very happy 'medium'.

According to Pistonheads.com, Fiat will also take the Abarth 124 Spider rallying, the Stradale-inspired colour scheme and beefier bumpers of this Omniauto.it rendering hinting at a return to form for the Italian manufacturer that last entered a 124 Sport Spider in WRC way back in the early 1970s.

Obviously any move toward rallying would be based on the upcoming hard-top version of the Mk4 MX-5.