Not that long ago, Fiat used to sell a rear-drive roadster with Japanese running gear, a Japanese transmission, and an Italian engine. That car was the 124 Spider, which came out in 2016 with styling influences from the 124 Sport Spider.
The original was produced from 1966 through 1985. In this period, the largest Italian automaker of them all made a case for a notchback-style sports coupe with 2+2 seating. Also marketed as the SEAT 124 Sport, the Fiat 124 Sport Coupe was a commercial success. Ironically, the spider didn't sell as well as the fixed-head sibling.
Both moved over 200,000 units worldwide, and both came with the Fiat Twin Cam four-cylinder engine designed by ex-Ferrari man Aurelio Lampredi. Based on a humble sedan and station wagon that were adapted by the Soviets into the Lada, the 124 Sport Coupe holds a special place in the heart of pixel artist Tommaso D'Amico.
The architect and designer owned a penultimate-series model, which features twin headlights. It should come as no surprise that his take on a modern-day 124 Sport Coupe rocks two projectors per headlight cluster, harking back to the automobile he used to enjoy back in the day.
Gifted with camera mirrors, the rendered vehicle also has a little sixth-gen Camaro to it, especially in the hood area. The rear quarter windows appear to be inspired by those of the now-discontinued Challenger, whose indirect successor is the three-door 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona and the combustion-engined Dodge Charger SIXPACK.
Photo: Tommaso D'Amico on YouTube
Pictured with Brembo brake calipers and Pirelli rubber, the design study also received a minimalist interior with retro touches for the center stack. You might also notice shift paddles behind the steering wheel, which brings us to the following line from D’Amico: "This model, based on modern technologies, features the 2.2 turbo petrol AT8 engine with 250 HP RWD (hybrid and electric versions are also available)."
Why did Tommaso choose this version of the FCA Global Medium Engine and not a more powerful one? That's because of the so-called superbollo, an Italian tax that makes it prohibitively expensive to drive anything with more than 251 metric ponies on tap. Capping the maximum output at 250 cavalli vapore is one thing, but Alfa Romeo also limited the superbollo engine to the eight-speed automatic in the Giulia and Stelvio.
As for the hybrid and electric versions envisioned by D’Amico, only the hybrid would be possible on the Giorgio platform of the Giulia and Stelvio. For electric muscle, the notchback coupe would have to be underpinned by the STLA Large architecture of the next-gen Giulia and Stelvio.
Said platform underpins the Charger, and the main issue with it comes in the form of weight. Dodge lists a curb weight of 5,838 pounds (2,648 kilograms) for the Charger Daytona R/T with five doors, which is quite a bit more than the 1,004 kilograms (2,214 pounds) of the BC-series Fiat 124 Sport Coupe. It's a lot more than the Mazda-produced 124 Spider as well, therefore defeating the purpose of a small, affordable, rear-drive coupe.
What about the STLA Medium of the Peugeot 3008, 5008, and the next-gen Jeep Compass? That, unfortunately, is a front-biased platform. Given the aforementioned, there's little hope for a small, affordable, rear-drive coupe such as the rendered 2025 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe as long as the Fiat brand operates under the Stellantis umbrella.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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