The new Fiat 124 Spider S-Design will be making its début at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. The special series that spotlights the dynamism and sportiness of the triumphant 2-seater roadster from the house of Fiat. Presented in the rich "Luxury" trim level, it will feature additional style details sure to win over fans of high performance and strong emotion behind the wheel under an open sky. Indeed, MoparŽ, the Official Service Partner of Fiat for Services, Spare Parts and Original Accessories, Roadside Assistance and Customer Care, has fitted an exclusive package of accessories on each vehicle as standard. The new collection includes roll bar, front pillar and rear mirror caps in polished steel. This unique look is completed by 17-inch lightweight alloy wheel rims in a special design, a tricolour badge on the rear and a sporty red adhesive stripe which draws attention to the classic body side, the low centre of gravity and the seating position, tilted back towards the rear axle, providing a shapely silhouette with the proportions of a thoroughbred sports car.

And as if style wasn't enough, the contents of the vehicle are top class too. The Fiat 124 Spider S-Design always offers the following features as standard equipment: four airbags, automatic climate control, mp3 radio with USB port and four speakers, leather seats and steering wheel, lower fascia and brow of the dashboard with visible seams, cruise control and Keyless Go system. The vehicle also presents the Active Hood Lift System, a dual chrome exhaust and fog lights.

And when the engine gets going, the emotions rev up too: the Fiat 124 Spider S-Design is equipped with the reliable 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine with MultiAir technology, which delivers 140 HP power and 240 Nm of torque, and is available with a six-speed manual gear and automatic transmission. The performances, with manual transmission are exceptional: a maximum speed of 215 km/h and 7.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (instead 214 km/h and 7.6 seconds are the data for the automatic version). The 124 Spider's suspension uses a double-wishbone layout in front and a multilink in the rear, specifically tuned for greater stability while braking and turning. Steering is precise and responsive with the use of an electric power assist system. In short, the combination of the steering and suspension set-ups lightweight frame, balanced weight distribution and turbocharged engine ensures a dynamic driving experience. Noise vibration and harshness (NVH) enhancements, including an acoustic front windscreen, also help to deliver a refined, quiet ride.

Some sort of special edition?
It is. The modern-day Fiat 124 Spider is based on the underpinnings of the Mazda MX-5, after all, the Japanese roadster being king of the special edition.

This is the 124 Spider S-Design, and in the best traditions of MX-5 specials, its list of changes focuses more on style than substance. There’s new 17in alloys, gunmetal covers for the mirrors and rollover hoops and some red stripes down the side. You can only have it in white, too. It costs Ł26,905, up nearly two grand on the 124 Spider Lusso Plus it’s based upon.

No engine or suspension changes, then?
Nope. The 1.4-litre turbo engine produces the same 138bhp as standard, while the suspension is unchanged. So it’s a softer, comfier car than both the harder cored Abarth 124 Spider, and the Mazda MX-5 it’s based upon.

It’s light, mind, weighing a mere 1,050kg. So it’s reasonably brisk – 0-62mph in 7.5secs, 134mph top speed – and with a well-balanced rear-wheel-drive chassis, it’s good fun to row along on an interesting stretch of road.

That’s especially true if you stick with the standard six-speed manual gearbox. It’s properly satisfying and puts you in the heart of the action. Our drive in the S-Design also gave us the chance to try the optional six-speed automatic, though…

Any good?
It’s not bad. There are traits that’ll please people who like driving: automatic shifts are usually pretty intelligent, while manual shifts are reasonably snappy. Downshifts come with a little blip of throttle to smooth them out.

The gear stick has plus and minus in the correct positions, too (back for upshifts, forward for downshifts, like a sequential racecar) while in manual mode, the transmission never does automatic upshifts, even right at the rev limit. These are all good things that even some of the best performance cars sometimes get wrong.

Yet it doesn’t have any paddles on the steering wheel. This seems like a glaring omission in a rear-wheel-drive sports car, and it seems to be a tacit admission by Fiat that this isn’t the gearbox to choose if you like going fast.

You can only have an auto on top spec 124s – so a Lusso Plus or this S-Design special – while it adds over Ł2,000 to the asking price. It also cuts 2mpg from the fuel economy and more than doubles your first road tax payment thanks to higher CO2 emissions. The message is clear, then: unless your driving licence demands otherwise, you need the manual.

And the S-Design trim?
It’s a nice-looking spec (opinions being subjective, of course) but it strikes us as poor value. Your only paint choice with an S-Design also happens to be the only no-cost paint option on a regular 124. Other hues cost up to Ł750, and with one of those available, the additional outlay might feel more worthwhile. But you can probably personalise a 124 Spider to your own tastes far better (and cheaper) without this trim.

Make no mistake, the Fiat 124 Spider is a fun car. We lived with one and didn’t want to hand it back. It’s simply a case of the S-Design not doing anything to improve it. But like we said, the 124 is based on the MX-5. This special edition may not quite hit the spot, but there are sure to be more to choose from any day now. In fact, there’s already an Abarth special right here…

Eddie Clark, who goes by Pistons & Petrol on YouTube, was documenting his upgrades to the 1.4-liter turbo engine in his Fiat 124 Abarth when disaster struck. The MultiAir valve-lift system failed, essentially leaving Clark with a paperweight of an engine. But instead of sourcing another 1.4-liter for his car, Clark decided to do something more extreme—swap in a 505-hp twin-turbo V6 from an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.

This will not be a simple job. Clark notes that simply fitting the engine and transmission—a six-speed manual from an Italian-market Giulia Quadrifoglio—will be a big challenge. Driveline components will need to be upgraded to handle the significant increase in power and torque as well. Clark says he wants to try to tune the engine for up to 700 hp, though he admits he wouldn't necessarily want to drive it in that tune all the time.

And that's before you get into electronics. Because computer controls in modern cars are so complex, it's incredibly difficult to get a non-OEM drivetrain to work like it's from the factory. To make its Chevy LS3-swapped V8 Miata a reality, Flyin' Miata had to put a ton of effort into getting the engine to talk with the rest of the factory Mazda electronics—and that car still doesn't have traction control.

There's an easier way to get 500-plus-hp from your Fiat 124, too. Since the 124 is more-or-less a current-generation Miata under the skin, Flyin' Miata offers turn-key V8 conversion kits for this Fiat. But Clark says he didn't want to do another LS-swapped car. To our knowledge, no one has stuffed a Giulia Quadrifoglio engine into a Fiat 124 (or a Miata, for that matter).

If this all works, Clark will have something truly unique and utterly absurd. That V6 is a monster in the larger, heavier Giulia—it would likely be a riot in the tiny Fiat. We look forward to seeing how this build progresses.

Fiat will look to spice things up for its 124 Spider with a handful of new options being introduced for 2019.

Key among them is a Record Monza exhaust upgrade for the 124 Spider Abarth that gives the car a more aggressive growl. It offers some solace to fans still sour from the Abarth model only receiving a 10-horsepower edge over the standard 124 Spider (170 versus 160 hp), though Fiat is charging $995 for the option.

The stainless steel setup, whose name is a tribute to Abarth founder Carlo Abarth's various speed records achieved in the 1950s at the Monza racetrack in a modified Fiat Abarth 750, features quad tips and a valve that maximizes exhaust flow by bypassing the muffler during high loads.

Also available for the Abarth 124 Spider is a Veleno appearance package, priced from $495. Veleno, Italian for “poison,” is symbolic of the Abarth scorpion, and the package named after it includes red exterior mirror caps, a red lower fascia lip and a red front tow hook.

Inside, Abarth-branded carpeted floor mats and a bright foot rest highlight the signature Abarth racing heritage.

Buyers of the standard 124 Spider don't miss out as the car can be ordered with new stripe packages. These are priced at $295.

No change has been made to the mechanical package, with the sole engine being a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-4. It drives the rear wheels via a standard six-speed manual or available six-speed automatic.

Pricing for the 2019 Fiat 124 Spider starts at $24,995. The Abarth starts at just under $30k and can also be had with a carbon fiber roof option that was announced back in March.

Revealed at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show, the Abarth 124 GT comes as standard with a carbon fibre roof, 17" OZ Ultra-Light alloys, BoseŽ sound system and Visibility pack including; dusk and rain sensors, rear parking sensors and adaptive front LED headlights and is limited to just 50 cars in the UK.

The carbon fibre roof weighs just16kgs maintaining the optimum 50:50 weight distribution of the 124. The hard top is lined on the inside and has a large rear window and efficient defroster to clear it in less than three minutes. It guarantees thermal insulation and soundproofing, while ensuring ample rear view.

The carbon fibre roof can be removed and refitted in a few easy steps. This means being able to easily switch from open-air thrills to grand-tourer-style, which has always been a key part of the DNA of the Abarth brand, in a few minutes.

Both with their unique differences, the two personalities perfectly embody the leading values of the brand of performance, craftsmanship and technical excellence. The Abarth 124 was engineered to create a new benchmark in the sports roadster segment and boldly does so with cutting-edge engineering solutions, such as weight concentrated within the wheelbase, engine installed behind the front axle, sophisticated mechanics and special materials to achieve excellent weight-to-power ratio. Furthermore, the perfect 50/50 weight distribution in running order ensures outstanding feedback and agility. The suspension features high double wishbone suspension on the front and a five-arm multi-link on the rear with calibrated setup specifically designed to increase cornering and braking stability.

The 124 GT is also equipped with the legendry Record Monza Exhaust giving the car its recognisable Abarth sound, as well as mechanical self-locking differential for greater traction. The Abarth 124 GT is available in three colours: Portogallo 1974 Grey, San Marino 1972 Black and Turini 1975 White.

The Abarth 124 GT is fitted with a 1.4 MultiAir Turbo 170hp engine as per the 124 spider reaching 62mph in 6.8 seconds and a maximum speed of 144mph while returning a combined cycle and emitting 148g/km CO2 for the manual. The 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds and a maximum speed of 142mph while returning a combined cycle and emitting 153g/km CO2. The 1.4 MultiAir Turbo engine has a combined cycle of 44.1mpg for the manual and 42.8mpg for the automatic.