Mazda’s new MX-5 Miata is one compelling sports car. Handsome, light, and quicker than ever, it’s a great way to enjoy slow-car-fast-performance on the cheap.
Still, as good as the little roadster is, there will always be those who want more power. For this crop of enthusiasts, Fiat is coming to the rescue. Already, the Italian automaker has elicited a touch more performance from the new MX-5’s platform thanks to a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder motor good for 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.
Unfortunately for Fiat, in the minds of many, the Miata’s good looks still trump the 124 Spider’s extra 5 horses and measure of torque. That’s where Abarth comes in. The brand’s iconic in-house tuner has put its magic fingers on the Spider and the results are ready for prime time.
At the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Fiat has revealed the Abarth 124 Spider with an extra 10 hp over the regular roadster in addition to Brembo brakes, Bilstein dampers, a mechanical limited slip differential, and a Record Monza exhaust. Shoppers will have their choice of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, but to mimic the driver in this video, you’ll need to row your own gears.
Additional equipment native to the Abarth version includes a Sport drive mode and a defeat option relating to electronic stability systems. The model that was shown in Sweden is the Euro-spec version, so equipment, power, and other bits could change on the car’s journey stateside, but its 6.8-second sprint to 60 mph and 143 mph top speed should be universal.
Visually, the Abarth 124 Spider is distinguished by a full aerodynamic kit, larger air vents, 17-inch alloy wheels, a black hood and trunk, a smaller steering wheel, shorter gear lever, aluminum pedals, and an Alcantara-wrapped interior.
If that all sounds too bland, Abarth will sell you its Rally-spec version built to FIA R-GT specifications. That car uses a 1.8-liter four-cylinder with a stout 300 hp and includes a fixed roof, full roll cage, and a slew of other racing hardware.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.