The wait is over for Fiat enthusiasts who have longed to buy a new 124 Spider.
This month, Fiat will start selling its iconic 124 Spider convertible sports car after a 30-year hiatus. The last time the Spider was available to buy brand new in the United States was in 1985.
“After much anticipation, the all-new Fiat 124 Spider is here in the U.S. and will start to arrive at FIAT studios next week,” said Bob Broderdorf, director of FIAT Brand North America. “Just in time for the prime convertible season, customers will now have the opportunity to experience our Italian-designed, fun-to-drive roadster for themselves.”
The first shipments of the 2017 roadster arrived recently at ports in Baltimore and San Diego and will be shipped to dealers throughout the U.S. The cars are made by Mazda at the same Hiroshima, Japan factory that makes the Miata.
The new Spider will pay homage to the original but will come equipped with the latest technology, Fiat said. The Spider will come standard with a 1.4 liter, Multiair turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which will be the first time Fiat added that type of engine to a rear-wheel drive platform.
The engine will make 160 horsepower and 184 pound feet of torque on its Classica and Lusso trim levels. A more powerful 164 horsepower, 184 pound feet of torque engine will be equipped on the Abarth, which is also available with a six-speed manual transmission. The manual transmission will have a fuel efficiency of 26 mpg city and 35 mpg higher while the six-speed automatic transmission will get 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.
The new Spider will also have a double-wishbone front suspension with a rear multi-link suspension and stabilizer bars. Some of the other features available for the Spider include blind-spot monitoring, a rearview backup camera, heated seats and music streaming services.
Fiat originally released the Spider in 1966 during the Turin Auto Show. The Italian car maker then started selling the vehicle in 1968, ending sales in 1985. There area bout 8,000 124 Spiders currently registered in the U.S., Fiat indicated.
Check out this related TFLcar sneak peak review video of the all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider: