Alfa Romeo's spritely MiTo hatch may have been styled to look like the flagship 8C Competizione, but the performance gap between them is big enough to fit another entire model line. The MiTo GTA, previewed in concept form at this year's Geneva show, promises to close the distance some, but until it arrives, Novitec has come up with an answer of its own, and here it is.

The heart of any good mod job lies under the hood, and Novitec has plenty of options in store. For the gas-burning 1.4-liter turbo four, Novitec offers an auxiliary control module that can be installed in just five minutes and which adds an extra 31 horsepower to bring total output up to a respectable 186 and 0-60 time down to 7.4 seconds, or 0.7 seconds faster than stock.

For diesel models, Novitec also offers a module to boost power by about 20 horsepower on either the 1.3 or 1.6-liter JTD engines. Of course, the Dutch tuning house hasn't stopped there, offering a choice of sport springs to drop the height by 40mm or a fully adjustable coil-over set-up. A full aerodynamic package, stainless exhaust and 18" wheels coated in Pirelli rubber round out the package, which you can check out in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.



[Source: Novitec]

The Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last month certainly looked the business, but unfortunately, it's only a concept car -- for now. Alfa says they'll have it on the market soon, but in the meantime the Italian automaker unveiled another hot version of the premium sport hatch at the AutoRAI show in Amsterdam, Holland.

Although some details and teaser shots surfaced before the show kicked off, the Fiat group didn't release any new information on its latest sporty MiTo, so all we have to go on are reports circulating the interwebs. This is what we know: it's called the Veloce, and slots in between the current 155hp 1.4-liter turbo of the fully-spec'ed standard MiTo and the 240hp GTA with a 180 horsepower turbo four. It's also packing beefier brakes, a revised suspension, and an upgraded body kit including a front splitter, rear wing and side skits, plus big powder-coated white rims with matching white mirror caps and detailing. Sport seats and aluminum pedals round out the package on the inside, but until Alfa gets some official info out there, that's all we got.



[Source: autoblog.nl]

There are pie-in-the-sky concept cars and then there are coming-to-a-showroom-near-you concept cars. The Alfa MiTo GTA is the latter, and from what we've seen that's a good thing, especially as Fiat's new partnership with Chrysler may herald Alfa Romeo's return to North America at long last. Although Alfa is billing the MiTo GTA unveiled here at the Geneva Motor Show as a concept, company spokesmen say it should hit production later this year. And when it does, the 230-hp turbo four – displayed separately on Alfa's show stand – should stay, but we'd expect the racing buckets with rear-anchored harnesses to give way to four seats. The jury's still out on the carbon-fiber body panels and tarmac-chomping front air dam and rear diffuser, but so far we like what we see. The folks at Renaultsport and John Cooper Works have cause to feel otherwise, but we'll let you make up your own mind after viewing the photos in the gallery below.




Photos Copyright ©2009 Noah Joseph / Weblogs, Inc.

Alfa Romeo has been pretty tight-lipped about the MiTo GTA in the lead-up to its unveiling at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, but in addition to a couple of engine sketches, it's finally released a full-on teaser of the new hot hatch. The styling continues to draw inspiration from the 8C Competizione, incorporating a few more elements of the supercar into the three-door's front fascia, and the revised stance and upgraded wheels give it a considerably more sporting appearance.

With around 240 hp coming from the 1.8-liter turbocharged four, the MiTo GTA promises to offer a compelling alternative to the MINI Cooper JCW at a competitive price and with Alfa's trademark Italian flair. Stay tuned as Swiss time is running out before the doors open at the Geneva Palexpo next month.


[Source: Alfa MiTo Blog, Alfa Blog]

While the Alfa MiTo was under development, speculation placed a number of different nameplates on the sport hatch. One of them was Junior, but new reports suggest that Alfa may in fact be preparing an additional model to carry the Junior name.

Although the MiTo was earmarked to hold down the lower end of the Alfa Romeo range with styling drawn from the 8C Competizione, in terms of body style, at least, the new Junior may in fact be closer to the halo supercar – more of a sports coupe than a sport hatch. The platform will allegedly be based on the MiTo's, sharing some of the same engine options while introducing a new hydraulic manual as well as a new dual-clutch gearbox to the range. Little else is known about the Junior, but expect similar styling to the MiTo with a lower roofline and sleeker profile.

Sister company Lancia may yet get its own version to revive the Fulvia name, and given parent company Fiat's new alliance with Chrysler, we'd hope the new small sportscar might make it over the Atlantic as part of Alfa Romeo's long-anticipated return to the North American market.

[Source: 4Car]

The Alfa MiTo will finally get the punch to match its 8C Competizione styling when Alfa Romeo unveils the highly anticipated MiTo GTA at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March. And the guys over at MINI's John Cooper Works had better pay attention.

According to emerging reports, the MiTo GTA will offer more power for less cash, deriving 240 horsepower – 31 more than the JCW and 90 more than the current strongest MiTo – from its 1.8-liter turbocharged four, with a sticker price some £2000 less than the JCW. The MiTo GTA will also retain Alfa's trick Q2 electronic differential to get the power down to the ground, while benefiting from more aggressive styling touches including sharpened lines, blistered wheel arches to house the bigger rims and possible some two-tone color options for a racier look. Sources also suggest Alfa could cut weight down by using aluminum and carbon fiber body panels. The deal is further sweetened by the prospect, given the Fiat group's new partnership with Chrysler, that the MiTo GTA could make it Stateside, so stay tuned. In the meantime you can check out the galleries below from our first drive of the MiTo in Italy.


[Source: Autocar via WCF]

Isn't it nice when automakers can give something back to their most loyal fans? Like Volkswagen, for example, which shows up every year to its enthusiast gathering in Wörthersee, Austria with a new surprise (like the Golf GTI W12 650 concept). Well Volkswagen may have snagged Alfa Romeo's CEO, but Alfa is taking something back from Volkswagen in launching the MiTo RIAR edition.

Made to commemorate the 46th anniversary of the Registro Italiano Alfa Romeo, an international Alfa owners club with over 1,000 members, the RIAR edition MiTo takes on a decidedly sinister and low-key appearance. It's painted black, with black satin finish details instead of chrome and 17-inch anthracite-finish 8C-style rims hiding red brake calipers. Buyers can choose between black or burgundy leather, but the RIAR edition comes packed with all the options inside and out. Under the hood is a 170-hp version of the turbocharged four, and in honor of RIAR's 46th year of brand loyalty, Alfa will only offer 46 individually-numbered and personalized examples exclusively to RIAR members. This special edition proves that membership has its privileges; we wonder what they'll cook up for the club's 50th.


[Source: RIAR]

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Alfa MiTo

It's Saturday night and I'm out on the town. My friend – like half of the guys in the room – is eyeing the pretty blond across the bar, but at least he knows he doesn't have to worry about competition from my corner. Because there's a smolderingly hot redhead sitting across the room, and she's stolen all of my attention. Objectively I'd have to admit the blond is the better choice, but there's just something about those fiery crimson locks that make short order of blocking out everything else. It's something that – while I've never been officially part of the club myself – I suspect I share with Alfa Romeo owners around the world.

For decades Alfa Romeo has been coasting by on its image and heritage. Buying an Alfa has long been an irrational choice, motivated by the subjective longing for that indefinable x-factor despite their many objective dynamic flaws. With the new Alfa MiTo, however, that era draws to a close. The MiTo demands no excuses and, drenched though it is with that charm that only redheads Alfas do best, the MiTo doesn't ask that you ignore its flaws because countless manhours have gone into making sure they've been eliminated.

All Photos Copyright ©2008 Noah Joseph / Weblogs, Inc.

Following earlier speculation, reports now confirm that Alfa Romeo will produce a high-performance version of its new MiTo hatchback that will wear the vaunted GTA badge. The nameplate was historically used on top-of-the-line performance-oriented Alfas, and will make a comeback with the range-topping MiTo.

Pictured above is a rendering of what the GTA could look like. Power will come from the company's 1750cc 230hp turbo four, with variable valve timing and direct injection. Little else is known at this point, but with 230hp, the MiTo GTA promises to leave the less powerful turbocharged 175hp MINI Cooper S behind in its tracks.

[Source: 4Car]

The 2003 Lancia Fulvia Coupe concept that tantalized showgoers at the Frankfurt Motor Show with its crisp lines that strongly evoked its namesake predecessor was presumed dead after Fiat canned the idea due to financial woes and want of a modern platform. It seems that plans for a new coupe carrying the Lancia badge is resurgent inside Fiat, though the clearly retro styling of the 2003 concept will likely fall by the wayside instead of getting mired in a retro rut.

It's rumored that we'll see a Fulvia riding atop the MiTo's chassis at this year's Paris Motor Show. Rather than relying on the work of 40 years past, the new Fulvia will share nothing but a name with its predecessor. The car may follow the current trend of other Euro coupes and incorporate a folding hardtop, but there are conflicting reports that it may also be a conventional fixed-head-coupe. We certainly wouldn't complain about giving the MiTo an appropriate coupe roofline, so please send some our way.


[Source: Autocar, Photos: ultimatecarpage]