What's Italian for drool? Alfa 149 images hit the web
Alfa's MiTo already has us excited enough, and now along come images of the upcoming 149. Auto Express has put two shots of the pleasingly-styled hatch online. The 149, a replacement for the 147, shares some familial styling cues with the MiTo, which in turn shares some lines with the 8C Competizione. The 149 is an exceedingly handsome three- or five door that would woo us on looks alone. Performance will be there to back up the racy sheetmetal, with gasoline and diesel powerplants, variously turbocharged. At the low end, the 149 packs 120 horsepower, and it can reach as high as 250. The hotrod versions will also get a trick differential, dubbed Q2, which will aid in getting that power to the ground. The car will drop in mid 2009, and is rumored to adhere to US safety regulations, boding well for this sinewy Italian making it across the Atlantic to the North American market. Please. We're begging.
[Source: Auto Express]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mark 11:31AM (10/19/2008)
What's Italian for "looks like its sucking on a lemon"?
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Todd 11:35AM (10/19/2008)
Edsel
Seriously this car looks excellent
Hike15 11:37AM (10/19/2008)
except the Edsel's center grill wasn't as nicely styled
i think this is well executed and looks even better than the mi.to
Mark 11:43AM (10/19/2008)
I think its a colossal disappointment after the gorgeous designs they've been pumping out in the past few years between the Brera and the 159.
Pengwin 7:02PM (10/19/2008)
it actually looks pretty good.
FuglyRides 12:08AM (10/20/2008)
Does it actually look good though? I would rather disagree. The back curves into a shape similar to an Infinity FX, which looks nice. The side has good styling, with perfect rim size for the proportion. But the front really messes things up. The headlights are a bit off, and that "sucking on a lemon" look just doesn't do it for me - especially with the raised hood right above the upside-down triangle grill. If you cover the front half with your hand, it looks like an FX. But if you cover the back half and just look at the hood - it looks like some van, or even something like an R-type from Mercedes - where you don't know if it's a wagon or a van...
Just my two centavos
http://www.fuglyrides.com
Ray 11:35AM (10/19/2008)
I do like lemons... hopefully the car won't actually BE a lemon.
I love the design, sign me up.
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Torrent 7:02PM (10/19/2008)
Looks like a 4 four door MiTo... I like it.
Hike15 11:44AM (10/19/2008)
I don't think they will ever top the brera for looks
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jbl 11:48AM (10/19/2008)
i'm not drooling but my eyes is...
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Yago Bal 11:48AM (10/19/2008)
The thing everybody is missing (including Autoblog) is that those aren't actual pictures of the car: just photoshopped previews.
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yigy 12:01PM (10/19/2008)
First of all this is just another photoshop (not very inspiring I must say) from AE coupled with information that is partly right and partly wrong. First of all 149 (production car will get a proper name...one of the rumoured names is Milano) will be ONLY 5-door. Alfa will repleace 147 (3- and 5- door) with MiTo (3-door) and 149 (5- door). Engines will range from 120hp (1.6 JTDm) to 265hp (1.8 turbo). By then Multair (the Multiair system has no throttle which is always an efficiency drain in engines, but instead uses an electro-hydraulic system to actuate the valves. The system can provide full control over valve lift and timing.) will probably be incorporated in every petrol engine. The "149" will sit on an evolution of Bravo platform (independent suspension all around and 90% of components new) which will be ready for FWD and also AWD so more powerful engines will power all four wheels. ALL versions will get an electronic trick differential. This car is supposed to be presented somewhere in Europe in Q1 2009 and will reach the market in October 2009.
PS If you are wondering where I got this info...well sometimes it helps to read official presentations before you write an article (talking to AE jouralists).
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Beastage 12:51PM (10/19/2008)
Sounds about right man...
On personal note, I prefer the design of the current 159 and Brera, the 8C design is not 1 face fit all.
Michael 12:03PM (10/19/2008)
Sbavare, btw, means "to drool".
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StarkRavingMad 12:07PM (10/19/2008)
Ugliest alfa since MiTo, it even make the SZ looks like natalie portman.
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jl 12:13PM (10/19/2008)
I think that's Italian for turd.
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Andrea 12:26PM (10/19/2008)
This is a photoshop!
The real 149 will be out next year!
Insiders say it will be similar to this one:
http://www.progetto940.it/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/149prog9401.jpg
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Crackberry Addict 1:46PM (10/19/2008)
The one on the link looks dramatically better! it looks sexy.
ckm 3:39PM (10/19/2008)
Yeah, there's no way Alfa could have a production ready version 3 months before launch, no way. It won't be ready until 2 days before Geneva....
Andrea 12:26PM (10/19/2008)
PS: does somebody here read the previous comments?
Read yigy's
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