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hatever next? Pizza from Japan? Fiat – controller of Ferrari, master of Maserati and keeper of Alfa Romeo, and one of the most hallowed names in sports cars – has turned to Mazda for its latest roadster, writes Gavin Green. The new Fiat 124 Spider, latest incarnation of a famous 50-year old sports car badge, is built in Hiroshima alongside its sister vehicle, the MX-5.
It is the first-ever Fiat from Japan, and there’s method in the madness. (It’s also another example of Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne’s relentlessly rational approach to new cars, emotionally charged traditionalists be damned.)
The logic is as follows. Using another maker’s platform hugely reduces development costs. What’s more, the Mazda has a successful and well-proven architecture that uses rear-wheel drive, the best sports car format (just like the old 124 Spider). There is no suitable home-grown modern Fiat platform, or at least none so well suited to small sports car metamorphosis.
So using the MX-5 as a starting point made sense. But how to infuse some Latin blood into those Oriental veins?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/fiat/fiat-124-spider-review/