It took Fiat a while to make good on their word that they would build a new Spider model based on new Mazda MX-5. But now that they have done that (snatching the project from Alfa Romeo), they don’t seem able to stop making new versions of the car. So after the 124 and 124 Abarth we now get this, the Fiat 124 Spider Elaborazione Abarth.

This version of the 124 Spider harks back to the roadster that won Fiat their European Rally Championship win in the 1970s. As you would expect from such a thing, it is thoroughly tarted up and enhanced to deliver greater performance and driving fun than lesser versions. Fiat 124 Spider Elaborazione Abarth does that through the use of  rear-wheel drive, a sophisticated suspension and a four-cylinder turbocharged MultiAir 1.4 Turbo motor with 160 horsepower.

If Mazda MX-5 is regular Infantry, then the 124 Spider is Green Beret, and Fiat 124 Spider Elaborazione Abarth is Delta Force – a tier one, specialized force that has limited use but is the best at what it does. The car has all the characteristics of a traditional sports car such as excellent power-to-weight ratio and a taut rear-drive chassis,  Bilstein front and rear shock absorbers, Brembo brakes, and a limited-slip diff. But you can see the hand of bureaucracy here hampering the car down, as it also comes with automatic transmission, electric power steering and dynamic stability control system.

Available with unique paint schemes and exclusive interior appointments, the Elaborazione Abarth 124 joins the Classica and Lusso models in the range. And that is not counting the limited-edition Prima Edizione Lusso, featuring an exclusive color combination and commemorative badging.