The 124 had no reason to fail.
Mazda MX-5 2.0 vs Abarth 124 Spider
| Category | Abarth 124 Spider | Mazda MX-5 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine layout | 1.4 l R4 | 2.0 l R4 |
| Max power (ps / bhp) | 170 / 168 | 157 / 155 |
| Max torque (Nm / lb-ft) | 250 / 184 | 201 / 148 |
| Curb weight (kg / lb) | 1136 / 2504 | 1061 / 2339 |
| Power / tonne (ps / bhp) | 150 / 148 | 148 / 146 |
| Average price | €39,000 | €29,000 |
Lap Times
Acceleration (mph)
| Speed & distance | Abarth 124 Spider | Mazda MX-5 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 30 mph | 2.1 s | 1.8 s |
| 0 - 40 mph | 3.3 s | 2.9 s |
| 0 - 50 mph | 4.6 s | 4.2 s |
| 0 - 60 mph | 6.3 s | 5.8 s |
| 0 - 70 mph | 8.4 s | 7.7 s |
| 0 - 80 mph | 11.1 s | 10.1 s |
| 0 - 90 mph | 14.0 s | 12.8 s |
| 0 - 100 mph | 17.6 s | 16.2 s |
| 1/4 mile | 14.8 s @ 93.5 mph | 14.5 s @ 94.2 mph |
Acceleration (kph)
| Speed & distance | Abarth 124 Spider | Mazda MX-5 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 40 kph | 1.7 s | 1.7 s |
| 0 - 50 kph | 2.4 s | 2.3 s |
| 0 - 60 kph | 3.1 s | 3.1 s |
| 0 - 80 kph | 4.7 s | 4.7 s |
| 0 - 100 kph | 6.8 s | 6.8 s |
| 0 - 110 kph | 8.0 s | 8.5 s |
| 0 - 120 kph | 9.8 s | 9.4 s |
| 0 - 130 kph | 11.1 s | 11.2 s |
| 0 - 140 kph | 13.7 s | 13.1 s |
| 0 - 160 kph | 17.2 s | 17.1 s |
| 0 - 180 kph | 25.5 s | 23.5 s |
| 0 - 200 kph | 37.9 s | 34.7 s |
| 1000 m | 27.5 s @ 187.4 kph | 28.0 s @ 184.0 kph |
Rolling acceleration
| Speed | Abarth 124 Spider | Mazda MX-5 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| 60 - 100 kph (4) | 5.0 s | 5.9 s |
| 60 - 100 kph (5) | 6.6 s | 8.1 s |
| 80 - 120 kph (4) | 5.6 s | 6.4 s |
| 80 - 120 kph (5) | 6.6 s | 8.0 s |
| 80 - 120 kph (6) | 8.6 s | 11.7 s |
| 80 - 160 kph (4) | 13.8 s | 15.0 s |
| 80 - 160 kph (5) | 16.0 s | 18.8 s |
| 80 - 160 kph (6) | 20.8 s | 27.2 s |
| 80 - 120 kph | 8.1 s | 5.1 s |
| Est. 100 - 140 kph | 7.3 s | 6.6 s |
| 45 - 65 mph | 3.5 s | 3.3 s |
Braking distance
| Speed | Abarth 124 Spider | Mazda MX-5 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| 100 kph - 0 | 35 m (114 ft) | 35 m (114 ft) |
| 160 kph - 0 | 99 m (324 ft) | 96 m (315 ft) |
| 200 kph - 0 | 142 m (467 ft) | 141 m (462 ft) |
| 60 mph - 0 | 32 m (104 ft) | 34 m (110 ft) |
General performance
| Category | Abarth 124 Spider | Mazda MX-5 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Top speed | 232 kph (144 mph) | 214 kph (133 mph) |
| Est. max acceleration | 0.44 g (4 m/s²) | 0.45 g (4 m/s²) |
| 18m slalom | 67.2 kph (41.8 mph) | 67.0 kph (41.6 mph) |
| Fuel economy | 5.4 l/100 km (43 mpg US / 52 UK) | 5.7 l/100 km (41 mpg US / 50 UK) |
| Lateral acceleration | 1.10 g (11 m/s²) | 0.97 g (10 m/s²) |
Summary
| Category | Abarth 124 Spider | Mazda MX-5 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Track Performance | 100 | 99 |
| Straight line speed | 89 | 100 |
| Overall | 96 | 100 |
Verdict
MX-5 2.0 is the fastest by a small margin.
This comparison has been viewed 2.6k times.
Acceleration graph
Lello75 7m ago
Yewnos100 2m ago @Lello75
personally not a big fan of the design, and I guess the 1.5 and 2.0 Mazda engines had more aftermarket support
I think branding might have been an issue as well, imagine how different the reaction would've been if the derivative car was an Alfa (the 124 Spider doesn't have as much recognition as the Duetto :P)
