Lightning Lap 2017: Fiat 124 Spider Abarth

Lap Time: 3:16.9
Class: LL1
Base Price: $30,685
As-Tested Price: $30,685
Power and Weight: 164 hp • 2468 lb • 15.0 lb/hp
Tires: Bridgestone Potenza RE050A, 205/45R-17 84W

So here’s the obvious question: How does the Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, a car that accelerates more slowly from a stop, makes less grip, and generally exhibits less desirable handling than the Mazda MX-5 Miata on which it’s based, end up posting a lap time of 3:16.9, nearly four seconds quicker than the Miata we ran here in 2015? In large part, it’s because of power and power delivery. Take the front straight, for example. Both cars pass through Hog Pen at similar minimum speeds, the Fiat holding a slight 1.1-mph advantage. By the end of the straight, however, that advantage grows to more than 10 mph (120.6 mph versus 110.2). This is the most glaring instance of a pattern that repeats itself again and again on the track.

There’s technique to making the Fiat quick. Its turbocharged 1.4-liter inline-four doesn’t like to rev, but offers respectable mid-range snort, allowing us to avoid shifting in places where a car with less torque (it has a 36 pound-feet advantage over the MX-5) might need to go down a gear. Short-shifting at 6000 rpm keeps it on the boil, too. But mostly, the Spider simply requires commitment—a good old-fashioned belief that a 70-mph slide in a low-powered, lightweight car is recoverable and, in fact, improves lap times. The Spider keeps its end of the deal. It has less body roll than the Miata, which gives it more confidence in these situations. Exiting the infield, it carries big slides between the esses, scrubbing speed and allowing us to stay committed to the throttle and maintain boost, which is faster than lifting. So it may not be friendlier than the Miata, but it sure is quicker.