Sure NBC San Diego failed to name the company, so how ‘bout you find out rather than just re-hashing a news article you saw?

Does the feature deactivate when the subscription ends (e.g. SiriusXM) or just remain in the state it was when you last subscribed (navigation cartography updates)? Should the feature deactivate if it isn’t maintained, for legitimate safety reasons?

thrice in one day

“running mechanicals from the gearbox to the stick would be a nightmare”. Just use the joystick from an XBox controller and make it shift by wire. The feel and response by the actuator (on the same DCT—shhhh, don’t tell) can then be “tuned” or maybe selected from a few presets:. Eco, Sport, Race, Miata ND, C1 through…

ND MX-5 does not.

Fast cars driven slow. Boring waste of equipment and track time.

I agree the FIAT studios are not long for this world, but FCA should hang around long enough to honor its warranty obligations. At least to the degree it would were the brand to survive here.  The engine is common with other FCA products, and plenty of Mazda shops to handle the rest of the car.

“arrived on a Wednesday night with an interior light out—a dark start, literally”

“it’s hard to keep from directly comparing the Abarth’s 164 HP to the Miata’s 181.” You should, though, because peak numbers don’t tell the power stories; all the ND2's extra power is at the top. Abarth: 164 hp @ 5500 rpm. ND2: less, per https://www.autoblog.com/2018/08/13/2019-mazda-mx-5-miata-first-drive-review/

“But the biggest disappointment on the 124, by far, is its door styling.”

“with Abarth logos the size of hands all over it” You mean two, one on the nose and one on the boot lid, like practically every car?

Of course a made-up brand calling itself Infinity [sic] ruined the concept of natural numbers actually meaning something.

It's been a few months-- will we see your review?  https://jalopnik.com/what-do-you-want-to-know-about-the-2018-fiat-124-spider-1831845673

“The engine noise in the cabin sounded so good that it almost felt fake, as if it was piped in[...]” It is: https://mossmiata.com/sound-tube-delete-kit . And the muffler is a few pounds heavier. Complication and mass, rather than “Simplify, then add lightness”.

Why no follow-through on https://jalopnik.com/what-do-you-want-to-know-about-the-2018-fiat-124-spider-1831845673 ?

Among the questions asked about six weeks ago:

Seriously, I would have expected to see the write-up by now.

that annoying gap between the rotor and the wheel

The taller friend in flats usually suffers in comparison, and would look better--proportional--in heels, too.

...and how many of them “there patents” does he have, three?