What's the news?
We all knew that Fiat would be bringing the revived 124 Spider - which shares so much with Mazda's MX-5 - to the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS), but it has also whipped the covers off both an exciting rally version and an Abarth model, too.
Let's deal with the Abarth first of all, which sees the 1.4-litre turbo engine's power rise from 140- to 180hp, resulting in 0-100km/h in around 6.8 seconds. You can choose to channel that power to the rear wheels via either manual or automatic transmissions with six speeds, while the suspension has been uprated and there's a limited-slip differential, too.
Perhaps more appealing is the look of it, as it references the Rally and Abarth models from the 1970s, what with its wider arches, dark alloys, matt black bonnet and boot and two-tone paintwork. Scorpion badges, as befitting of an Abarth, can be found in plenty of places. Five colours will be offered and satnav will be an option, but everything else will be standard fit.
If your eye has been caught by the motorsport 124 sitting next to the Abarth on Fiat's stand, then we wouldn't blame you. This is the 124 Rally (yep, we referenced it above) and it benefits from a 300hp, direct injection 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine mounted way back in the nose, four-way adjustable and tougher suspension and a strict weight-loss programme. Built to R-GT specification, the 124 Rally should actually live up to its name and go rallying in earnest in 2017, with its rear-wheel drive set-up promising lots of old-school drifty action; if you want to buy one as a privateer, by the way, you'll need €150,000.
Anything else?
We shouldn't overlook the fact that Geneva was the first time the regular 124 Spider had been revealed to the public in Europe. Its looks don't seem to have won as much acclaim as the Mazda MX-5, but we reckon it's a handsome enough thing, while its 140hp/240Nm MultiAir four-cylinder engine gives it a 7.5-second 0-100km/h time and a 215km/h top speed; that puts it much closer to the 2.0 MX-5 in terms of performance, rather than the 1.5.
Multilink rear suspension and double wishbones up front ensure it should handle brilliantly, again rather like the Mazda, and while we can't tell you exact prices or specs for Ireland (they're still being finalised), expect air conditioning, cruise control, 16-inch alloys and USB/aux-in/Bluetooth connectivity to feature on all models. Price-wise, €27,995 gets you in a basic 1.5-litre Mazda MX-5 and we'd expect the Fiat 124 to sit somewhere near that.