The latest rumours about the upcoming Alfa Romeo Spider suggest the company’s rear-wheel-drive roadster will see a turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood.
According to Car and Driver, the turbo-four will be the same 1.4-litre unit currently found in the Dodge Dart, Fiat 500 Abarth and the larger 500L, but mounted longitudinally to accommodate the Spider’s rear-wheel-drive platform. In the Abarth, the turbo-four pumps out 160 horsepower and 170 lb.-ft. of torque. The Dart and 500L post identical horsepower numbers to the Abarth, but peak at 184 lb.-ft. of torque.
As a refresher, the platform for the Alfa Romeo Spider is being jointly developed with Mazda and will underpin the next Miata. Both the Spider and upcoming Miata are expected to benefit from a low curb weight, though it’s still unclear as to whether or not the Miata will see the turbocharged mill.
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