Yes or NO?

"Groagun" (groagun) 11/18/2015 at 14:27 • Filed to: None

4

61

Just your first gut reaction: This or the Miata?

I was totally ‘MEH’ when I saw this and would take the Miata over this all day long.

crowmolly > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:30

0

Fiat if the great sound is there.

toadterror > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:30

0

Miata in a heartbeat

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:30

6

Miata, because I don't trust that 1.4, plus the Miata just looks so much better.

djmt1 > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:31

5

That front end is a mess, it really doesn’t suit the car. So for that reason MX5, even if I can’t stand those beady taillights.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:31

0

I just can’t get over the awkward high trunk area

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:32

2

If it sounds like the Abarth, Fiat. Every day and twice on Sunday.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:32

0

I want the Fiat more but I trust the MX5 to last longer. Really depends how long I wanted to keep the thing.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:32

0

Depends if this sounds like the 500 abarth

MonkeePuzzle > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:33

0

fixed that for you

HammerheadFistpunch > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:33

0

on looks? Miata. On powertrain? tough call. the sexy noise of that 1.4t or the linear and more appropriate response of NA? tough call indeed.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:34

0

The Fiat’s a tad too busy on the front end, IMO. The Miata looks dopier on the back end. On points, maybe the Fiat by a fraction, but it’s hard to say.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > PotbellyJoe and 42 others 11/18/2015 at 14:34

0

Even the single my little pop has isn’t that bad of a sound. (I disovered that when I had to move something that was too big for me to close the hatch all the way.)

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:34

0

This. So much this.

Groagun > MonkeePuzzle 11/18/2015 at 14:35

0

Ha

LongbowMkII > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:36

0

too much front overhang on the 124 to look right.

Nonster > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:36

0

First gut reaction is I like the Miata, but I want to see them in person

RallyWrench > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:36

0

Can I just have the rear fascia of this car on a Miata?

Future next gen S2000 owner > djmt1 11/18/2015 at 14:37

1

The front is a hot mess. I keep seeing huge eyes and a smile with braces.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:38

0

Wow. That angle kinda ruined this car for me

I like the back a lot more than the Miata though

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:38

0

Miata

Svend > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:39

0

The MX5 was never in the mix, ever. There are few cars of it’s kind these days I would have. I love the classic cars of this type but this Fiat 124 Spider looks beautiful and I’d have one if given one.

Master Cylinder > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:39

0

I guess I’m going against the grain here, but I’d go with the Fiata. Especially if they make it sound like the 500 Abarth.

CalzoneGolem > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:42

0

I’d go with no.

GMart > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:43

0

It’s like they grafted the NB front end onto an ND Miata.

spanfucker retire bitch > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:48

0

I’d never buy a two-seat roadster in the first place, but if you forced me to, I’d buy the Mazda. They did all the hard work in developing the chassis in the first place, and I hate Fiat regardless.

So the Japanese wunderkind it is.

yamahog > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:52

0

I prefer the looks of the Fiat. Go figure.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 14:53

0

I like the fiat better because no stupid angry eyes and psycho smile

random001 > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:07

0

You’re asking, basically, NC Miata, or NB Miata clone, right?

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:08

1

If I could get this... Definitely. (Photoshop courtesy of Tohru)

as a successor to this:

As stock, maybe. It needs more brightwork, though.

If the new car’s headlights were silver, instead of black, the face edges of the upper grille, and the trim pieces around the turn signals and fog lights could be silver, as well, rather than black, and the wheels should be something other than what a boring mid-size sedan would wear.

Updating the 500’s 16” wheels to 17x8 would be fine.

Justin Hughes > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:08

1

I prefer the Fiat. The ND’s angry looks never really grew on me, but the 124 Spider looks more like what I want a small fun roadster to look like. Lots of upgrade potential in that 1.4 Multiair motor, too.

Mind you, I wouldn’t throw either out of my garage.

CKeffer > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:09

0

Miata, the Fiat’s design is really just doing nothing for me.

AfromanGTO > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:12

0

Miata! Plus it will be cheaper most likely. I wonder when the Gucci edition will be out. lol

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:12

0

I prefer the Fiat, but in black with red leather. I also want to see some different wheels. The 124 is serving me body-ody-ody, but I’d like to see some different shoes.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:13

0

Fiat.

Chariotoflove > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:15

0

Miata looks better, but I think both deserve to be seen in person. Also, I’m interested in the Fiat’s color palette and materials choice, because that makes a difference to me. The Miata only has one actual color: red.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:18

0

Gut reaction, Miata.

Probably gut reaction if I saw them both in the metal, Fiat.

For some reason I get the impression it’s a car that looks 1000 times better in person...

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:27

0

I prefer simplicity in design. But if it had to be stock I’d still take the Fiat.

Leon711 > HammerheadFistpunch 11/18/2015 at 15:29

0

That is tough, but given the type of car I’d go Miata for NA response.

HammerheadFistpunch > Leon711 11/18/2015 at 15:31

1

NA response FTW

Leon711 > HammerheadFistpunch 11/18/2015 at 15:36

0

Turbo is great and all and I currently have one. But a light RWD car needs NA.

/Former Miata Owner

HammerheadFistpunch > Leon711 11/18/2015 at 15:37

1

My wife’s car is turbo, and my last car was turbo and that mid range punch is pretty great but throttle response of NA is just so much nicer day to day, especially if you live at altitude which exacerbates turbo lag.

Leon711 > HammerheadFistpunch 11/18/2015 at 15:40

0

I don’t think any part of the UK is high enough to be affected by altitude. It’s also nice to wind out an NA car all the way to the redline.

this is not matt farah's foxbodymiata > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:41

1

It’s a hot mess, way too much happening. I thought the one thing the Italians were bringing to the table was sophisticated design?

Also the car in the press photos is an auto. Thats not a good sign.

HammerheadFistpunch > Leon711 11/18/2015 at 15:43

0

The two most disappointing parts of driving my 2005 forester xt was the utter dearth of power above 7000 feet and below 2500 rpm and the way it was kinda all wrapped up with oomf around 5200 rpm. It still redlined nicely, but it was a letdown after the rush of the midrange.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > HammerheadFistpunch 11/18/2015 at 15:46

1

Waiting to hear reviews, but I’ll just leave this here...

Dimensions: When Broderdof said Fiat leveraged the Miata’s platform, that means the Italians took it as-is. The two cars ride on an identical, 90.9-inch wheelbase. The front and rear tracks lengths are the same, at 58.9 and 59.1 inches, respectively. But that’s where the similarities end.

Length:

-Fiat: 159.6 inches

-Mazda: 154.1 inches

Width:

-Fiat: 68.5 inches

-Mazda: 68.3 inches

Height:

-Fiat: 48.5 inches

-Mazda: 48.6 inches

Weight:

-Fiat: 2,436 pounds (manual) / 2,476 pounds (automatic)

-Mazda: 2,332 pounds (manual) / 2,381 pounds (automatic) - (Comment: may be base or club spec, rather than GT.)

Power:

-Fiat: 160 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm

-Mazda: 155 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm

Torque:

-Fiat: 184 pound-feet @ 2,500 rpm

-Mazda: 148 pound-feet @ 4,600 rpm

Power to Weight:

-Fiat: 15.2:1 lbs per hp.

-Mazda: 15.0:1 lbs per hp.

AutoBlog: So, just how different are the Fiat 124 Spyder and Mazda MX-5 Miata?

almost 40lb.-ft. more torque than Miata’s peak, at 2500 RPM, rather than 4,600 RPM....

Miata may be a screamer, but the Fiat may actually punch way above it’s displacement-class, and the ~100lb weight difference and 4.5” length difference (more cargo room, btw...) may not mean much.

The power to weight ratio takes horsepower into account, but the huge torque advantage may make the Fiat gutsier to drive under the albeit lower redline.

HammerheadFistpunch > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 11/18/2015 at 15:51

2

The Fiat will have better mid range power to question but the styling for me is a big MEH and all the differences in dimensions tell me is that the Fiat has more bodywork. Its hard to make a better Miata...especially when you are starting with a miata.

Leon711 > HammerheadFistpunch 11/18/2015 at 15:51

0

I find I rarely wind out my GTI, I just ride the torque wave up to 5500 and change up. I might get a APR or Revo tune to give a bit more boost for longer.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > HammerheadFistpunch 11/18/2015 at 15:56

0

Exacerbates lag definitely, but a 140hp NA motor over a mile in elevation feels more like 70hp whereas the turbo feels more like 130hp.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 15:58

0

I’ll take the not Miata. Mostly just to be different. Though honestly I thought it was a customized NC at first glance.

HammerheadFistpunch > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 11/18/2015 at 15:58

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I agree there, and I can tell you that pulling my camp trailer over 900o foot passes I dream of turbos on the cruiser. I miss being able to load up my forester to the brim and just set the cruise for whatever I wanted and it just kept it. Then again, I have the sportwagen for that. Truth is that the lowely 2.0 TDI produces much more torque and average HP on those high passes than does my comparatively huge 4.5 liter I6

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > HammerheadFistpunch 11/18/2015 at 16:06

0

6.2 turbo diesel swap time?

Yeah, I know what you mean. Though when I used to pull a trailer around I had a 6.0 GMC, for those high passes, losing 25% of its power to elevation still left it more powerful than most vehicles at the time. Though I used to have a non-ecotec late 90’s cavalier that could barely pull itself up a mountain pass. Dynoed (free! just for fun) at a whopping 77whp.

shop-teacher > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 16:08

0

The Miata looks way better, I’ll take that one.

for Michigan > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 16:13

0

Miata.

The ND looks great, the 124 already looks dated. Plus the turbo 124 only gives you an extra 5 hp over the NA Miata.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Groagun 11/18/2015 at 16:15

1

Tell me it doesn’t look like an NC.

Oh, and Miata all day.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > HammerheadFistpunch 11/18/2015 at 16:42

0

That depends... and actually, I think the 124 looks remarkably like an NB Miata.

Half a cubic foot of cargo space could also perhaps allow a spare tire in the trunk. Height and width are within small tolerances, the length is the only significant change, and most of that appears to be rear overhang. The front overhang looks taller, but only slightly longer.

If the Fiat has GT or better standard features, optional LSD with those features, and options like a reverse camera that the north american Miata doesn’t offer, it could be a decent alternative to ND Miata GT. It isn’t really intended to be an alternative to the Club spec with the Brembo performance package.

As I mentioned elsewhere, a blackout hood and trim treatment as an Abarth package would be great. On the standard Spyder some silver trim, rather than black trim on the front end light fixtures, could make the 124 look more classic, and less jumbled.

I think 124 is going to take a more well-equipped road car tack, and a more classic, less aggressive aesthetic, rather than Miata’s road-and-track minimalism especially on the Club model, within just a degree or two of differentiation from each other.

Stef Schrader > Groagun 11/19/2015 at 09:14

0

Yes!

Stef Schrader > Groagun 11/19/2015 at 09:14

0

Erm, can I get this in black instead of silver? Thx in adv.

Stef Schrader > Groagun 11/19/2015 at 09:19

0

Buncha dadgummed homers in here...

I won’t know ‘til I drive either one, but my gut says Fiat, all day, err’day. Better looking. More torque. Possibility of an Abarth? I hope? Yesssss.

- also a homer for the Fiats, okay?! (I admit this)

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Groagun 11/19/2015 at 11:06

0

Miata, because cohesive design, and they’re the one that actually developed it and made it. For the same reason, I’d chose the BRZ over the FR-S.

Beef7up > Groagun 12/01/2015 at 18:53

1

They seem to have Chrysler Crossfired their way into this design.

The Mazda has smooth curves but the nose is to minimized for me and the wheel gaps are Pontiac solstice in their plushness.

I wish Fiat would:

Forget the Chrome A Pillar Windshield. Cheesey and Junky on a thick A pillar.

Take away all the vertical and horizontal creases

Excentuate the body lines they have with creases.

Take a page from Fords playbook on the nose and make it sexy.

The trunk is a better proportion than the clipped rear of the Miata, but it needs some character, particularly it needs to better mimic the original Fiat roadsters.

Groagun > Beef7up 12/02/2015 at 19:39

1

“and the wheel gaps are Pontiac solstice in their plushness.”

Hahahaha!