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Buy a Fiat 124 Spider Abarth, get a free day of driving school

We know the Mazda MX-5 Miata and the Fiat 124 Spider are basically the same car underneath. As we pointed out in our first drive of the 124 Spider, the two cater to different drivers, so it can be tough to choose a favorite. FCA has made deciding between the two sports cars a little harder, as it will offer Abarth owners a free day of high-performance driving instruction with their cars. Anyone buying or leasing a new Fiat 124 Spider Abarth or a Fiat 500 Abarth will get a free, one-day class at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix. Bundling driving school with brand-new performance cars isn't unheard of – Dodge and Bondurant recently announced a similar program for the Viper – but it is quite rare for vehicles priced below $30,000. The free session will include instructor-led skid, autocross, slalom, and team rally cross activities, in addition to hot laps. While the one-day course is included for free, travel, food, and hotel expenses aren't covered. Fiat-less people can also join in on the fun buy purchasing the Abarth experience separately. Bondurant one-day classes cost at least a grand, which makes the Fiat price of $0 a good deal as long as you can get yourself there relatively cheaply. But is this enough for drivers to choose the 124 Spider Abarth over an MX-5 Club? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video: Featured Gallery Bob Bondurant Fiat 124 Spider Abarth Related Gallery 2017 Fiat 124 Spider: First Drive View 30 Photos News Source: FCAImage Credit: FCA Fiat Mazda Convertible Performance fiat 124 spider abarth

Mitsuoka Rock Star is a Miata in a Chevy Corvette Sting Ray disguise

Mitsuoka is a famous (infamous?) Japanese custom car builder known for its absurd, and occasionally out-of-this-world vehicles. Its most iconic vehicle was the mid-engine Orochi, but its bread and butter are normal Japanese cars given front and rear styling from the past, usually sometime between the 1930s and 1950s. One of the more recent examples is the Mitsuoka Himiko, a Mazda Miata given a classic European roadster look. But the company has ventured a little further ahead in history with its latest model, the Mitsuoka Rock Star, which quite clearly is meant to be a C2 Chevy Corvette Sting Ray. The effect is actually pretty convincing, and as far as Mitusokas go, it looks smartly proportioned and a good fit for the base car. That base car is the current Mazda Miata, known as Roadster in Japan. It probably helps that the base Miata was designed with exaggerated fenders and creases from the get-go, so the even more exaggerated lines of the Corvette fit surprisingly well. Outside of the body, the car is pretty much identical to a regular Miata. It uses the same naturally aspirated 1.5-liter four-cylinder as all overseas examples. That means it makes just 129 horsepower and 111 pound-feet of torque, so this doesn't even come close to the fire-breathing power of real C2 Corvettes. Of course, that could be rectified with an LS V8 swap from Flyin' Miata. The engine is coupled to either a six-speed manual transmission or an automatic. The manual can also be had with a limited-slip differential. There are a number of available upgrades including custom colors for the body and the windshield surround. You can also add a custom leather interior with body-color coordinated panels. Mitsuoka will even provide retro-style wheels with white-letter BF Goodrich tires for the complete look. If you live in Japan and find this vehicle appealing, you'd better be ready to shell out plenty of cash. At current exchange rates, the base Rock Star starts at $41,636. The price goes up from there with options. In contrast, a base Mazda Miata here in the U.S. starts at $26,625, a little more than half that of the Mitsuoka. And of course, the U.S.-spec Miata is substantially more powerful. If you want the Mitsuoka, you'll also have to get in touch with the company quickly. There will only be 50 examples, and you have to apply for one. Related Video: News Source: MitsuokaImage Credit: Mitsuoka Mazda Convertible Performance mitsuoka

Mazda 16X rotary engine two years away, will arrive in all-new model

We last reported on Mazda's next-generation rotary engine project in June of 2012 when the automaker built its last Renesis-powered RX-8, but rumors of this new engine's development had been around way before that final car left the production line in Japan, last year.
We now have enthusiastic confirmation that this next-gen rotary engine is really and truly going forward. It is still referred to as 16X and has several priorities. First is to lower fuel consumption compared to the RX-8's engine, while still making gains in terms of performance. The second is to reduce the burning of oil that was happening at the highest revs. And the third and final priority, and perhaps most key for enthusiasts, is to give the powertrain a big torque upgrade.
What we were told by a Mazda USA insider (while we are all here together at the festivities in Monterey) is that the first application of the new 16X engine will be happening in two years' time in an as yet undisclosed new model. Oh, the mind races to our eternal Mazda wish list...