Quote:
Originally Posted by southernstar
I don't recall any Fiats that resembled the Boxster. Yes, they produced the Fiat X/19 - a transverse mid-engine roadster with a fixed sail/rolbar and a lift-off fiberglass roof panel. Although pretty enough, it was very angular in appearance and it lacked power (a single overhead cam 4 cylinder/transaxle from the Fiat 128).
Yes, they also produced the Lancia Montecarlo (aka Lancia Beta Montecarlo or Lancia Scorpian in the USA) and this was code-named the Fiat X/20 during development. It too was angular in appearance with fixed sails/rollbar and a lift-off roof and was not much more powerful, making use of the Fiat 124 twin-cam but with additional weight.
Lancia also produced, in rather limited numbers. the Stratos - another mid-engine sports car that was also quite angular, but which had comparable (if not superior) peformance to the Boxster as it had the benefit of the same V6 engine as the Ferrari Dino.
As indicated, if they made a production, mid-engine sports car which resembled but pre-dated the Boxster, I certainly don't remember it.
Brad
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Brad,
You don't recall it because they only sold them in Europe which is likely why I can't find it. Rest assured the Germans took some 986 styling cues for Italy too or vise versa, the Zagado I saw predated the Boxter by at least two years. They made many cars that never saw our shores. Did you think I was hallucinating Brad? I know their US model line better than any person on this BB they never brought a 16valve twin cam to our shores, this was a turbo version of said engine.
This might be a modern version of the coupe, the mid nineties convertible was a dead ringer for the 986
Fiat Coupe 16 Valve Turbo (New Wheels!) | Flickr - Photo Sharing!