Ever want to buy a new car entirely based on looks and performance, and not give a shit about how terrible you know it will be?

This is how I feel about the Fiat 124 Spider. I think it's the best looking new car to be sold here in ages, the Abarth version sounds better than a lot of supercars... and... well, nothing else matters to me. The Miata has been a great little car for years, and now there's a better looking Miata with an Italian engine.

Posted by bandi This is how I feel about the Fiat 124 Spider Fiata

Italian engine.... Cough Cough


And I AM an Italian. Fix it again Tony!

I've had two Fiats, never had any engine issues. Everything surrounding the engine, however.

Car Talk has a special section on their web site just for Fiat jokes, but even still, that's a pretty cool looking car. (And Fiat's never been known for attractive cars) If it's under warranty, who cares? Get it!

Posted by splumer Car Talk has a special section on their web site just for Fiat jokes, but even still, that's a pretty cool looking car. (And Fiat's never been known for attractive cars) If it's under warranty, who cares? Get it!

I'm going to have to disagree with the attractive car thing!








But yeah, I figure I'll give them a year or two to work out the initial bugs, and then I want one. Badly.

I was thinking more of these:

click to view

click to view

I actually like the first one.

But the Multipla is even uglier than the Juke.

Posted by bandi But the Multipla is even uglier than the Juke.

on a scale of 1 to ten in ugliness the multipla scores a 77

Thinking of about this, what made Fiats so needy? From the looks of things, it looked like they had the Italian step-sister of Lucas electrical inside of the cars...

Posted by bandi I actually like the first one. But the Multipla is even uglier than the Juke.

There was a girl I knew in high school that was one of those rah-rah Italians, and she drove a Fiat... Brava, I think. It was a hatchback, and it looked like a Dodge Omni and a Chevette had a mutant child together. I gave her a ride home in my '84 Cavalier probably a dozen times because that thing wouldn't start.

Posted by Agent Skelly Thinking of about this, what made Fiats so needy? From the looks of things, it looked like they had the Italian step-sister of Lucas electrical inside of the cars...

The electrical system was indeed a British level of awful, they rusted out in a heavy fog, and had all kinds of little, unique and overcomplicated things that didn't work well, such as aluminum brake drums with a steel insert (found on my 1500 Cabriolet), which as a result of dissimilar metals, create a nice, corrosive fluff inside the drums that would lock the rear wheels if the car sat for more than a month.