Here's What Happens When You Race An Abarth 124 Against A 595

This intra-marque battle from Top Gear pitches two very different Abarths against each other

Updated: 10 Oct 2024

What makes this particular one marque battle is that both cars are powered by essentially the same 1.4-litre turbocharged inline-four. However, that’s just about the only firm link between the two.

The 124 is based on the Mazda MX-5 (it’s mostly built in Hiroshima, before being finished in Turin), and as such is rear-wheel drive. The 595 Competition on the other hand is front-wheel drive, and has an extra 10bhp to hand, meaning its 6.7 second 0-62mph time is a tenth quicker than the 124’s.

Place your bets, then hit play…

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

Damn that mazda is fast

Not usually what you say when you see a 1.4 Miata.

You mean “Fiata” ?
:P

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U wot m8

“Fiat 125” U wot?

The fact that they didnt even go a second time after the 595 had a bad start just proves that this test is pointless.

It can’t have a “good” start because it’s FWD- weigth shifts to the back, front wheels lose traction.
It’s either that or a slow start.

one of the reasons why RWD > FWD

This comparision really shows what mechanical grip can mean. Both vehciles are matched equally according to the datasheet, but the wider tires and the RWD brings the advantage. As a car accelerates, the weight shifts to the rear, which is an advantage for RWD cars, in this case the decisive advantage.

This is, by the way, also the reason why RWD Porsche 911s often accelerate as quick to 100 as their 4WD counterparts do.