The Brand New 2017 Fiat 124 Spider: The Perfect Mid-Life Crisis Car
Motorhead Mama
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The sexy and sporty 2017 Fiat 124 Spider.
Middle Age is rough. The wrinkles, the responsibilities, all of the little people always nagging you to cook stuff, clean stuff and drive them places. It’s enough to make you snap! Understandably, many of us do. But before you go off and have a mid-life crisis, let’s make sure you have a good one. Have a crisis that makes the PTA posse green with envy, one that makes the neighbors talk, one that leaves a big, fat, guilty perma-smile on your face. Rest assured ladies, I’ve found the perfect vehicle to make this possible —it’s the Fiat 124 Spider.
Journalists drool at the first look of the Fiat 124 Spider. Credit: Motorhead Mama
But it’s a convertible! But it’s a sports car! But it’s a two-seater! Yes, yes and exactly. There’s no room for anyone’s football gear, no room for your BFF’s kids (so sorry!). Just room enough for your sexy significant other, a cute new handbag and maybe a change of clothes (in case date night turns into an overnight). The best part about the Fiat 124 Spider is that it delivers the carefree sports car look and feel you craved in your 20s without the debt hangover you dread today.
The 1969 Fiat 124 Sport Spider. Credit: FCA North America
The original Fiat 124 Spider was a popular car in the late 1960s both here and abroad. Fast, fun and affordable, the 124 Spider provided European styling and performance without the dreaded import sticker shock. Upon its release, Fiat promised that this new, updated version of the classic 124 Spider would honor these important core values—and boy, did they deliver!
The 124 Spider comes in a few different models, the Classica, the Lusso and the Abarth. The Classica is the base model and is sparse in upgrades yet still provides the fun and luxury of a real getaway car. Best of all, it starts at $24,995. This makes the 124 Spider the most affordable turbo charged convertible on the market today. The Lusso is the more mature, sophisticated version with an interior which is elegantly leather wrapped with softer details, making you really question whether or not they misplaced a decimal point on the sticker price. Finally, the Abarth has a special, sportier edge and fun stuff like paddle shifters and a super sexy exhaust. Even that maxes out at only $29,545.
The Abarth version of the Fiat 124 Spider is available with a matte black hood. Credit: Motorhead Mama
Under the hood, the Fiat has even more to get excited about. The 1.4L turbo engine is made in a joint venture with Mazda. So you get Italian performance with the added bonus of Japanese reliability. A win win right? Oh, and this zippy yet solid car is rear wheel drive—which is really the only way to go for a roadster. The steering and brakes are both fantastic, so you can speed away from the babysitter before the first tantrum even begins.
The original Fiat 124 Spider. Credit: FCA North America
Sure, blowing your retirement, kids’ college tuition or rainy day cash on an Italian convertible is not necessarily a Suze Orman approved decision, but it’s cheaper than four years of therapy. So maybe you can convince your accountant to write it off as “preventative care.” Either way, if you’re considering a sports car and want something that is fun, solid and truly special, consider the Fiat 124 Spider, because the only crisis you’ll have here is how quickly to drive it home.
Disclosure: I was Fiat’s guest for this drive, with travel and accommodations provided. Opinions and brief mid-life crisis were all mine.