Pick: Mazda MX-5 or Fiat Barchetta

Posted on 16-03-2014 at 11:52 by maru – 72 Comments”

Two sporty convertibles for a small budget. Let the fight but again erupt: FWD vs RWD?

It should be clear where the designers of the (slightly) younger Fiat Barchetta their inspiration from. The Mazda MX-5 was from the beginning a resounding success. Since the ’60s, there was no real small, sporty convertibles more on the market, which makes the MX-5 is in a unique position, able to conquer. It is not more than logical that Fiat six years later, wanted to sail with their Barchetta “little boat”.

Would ideally like Fiat also rear-wheel drive, but had no meaning, money and time to a new platform for this to develop. Of course it was much cheaper to get a Punto in a party wear to stitches. This means front-wheel drive, but it makes the car not worse. Fiat applied for the first time, variable timing of the camshaft on a production car, what is the performance that good. The 1.747 cc DOHC petrol engine produced 132 hp and 164 Nm, which is the 1056 pounds to the car for 8.9 seconds to 100 km/helped you in the direction of a top of 200 km/h.

The MX-5 was originally shipped with a 1.6-litre petrol engine that was good for 115 hp and 136 Nm. 0-100 km/h was driven in 8,8 seconds, the top was 195 km/h. From 1992, the 1.8 is an option, which many prefer. This has more to do with age and a ‘design fault’ at the head of the camshaft, as for the difference in performance you do not actually do. The 1.8 produced or 15 hp extra compared to the 1.6, but the sprint from 0-100 (8,7 seconds) and top (197 km/h) are almost equal because of the extra weight.

Of course, there is still a lot to tinker with both the Barchetta as the MX-5 to the performance something to raise, but it remains the same to. The one is marginally faster on top, the other pulls something faster road at the traffic lights. Real differences you don’t notice, until you try the car in a drift to throw. For an MX-5, this is a breeze, while the Barchetta is still the handbrake will need. So it is just what you prefer FWD or RWD. My choice is in any case already made in the form of a red MX-5 for the door. What you?

View the spot HERE on Autojunk.