Autoblog

Whether by design or just poor timing, the latest reports have Alfa Romeo presenting its highly-anticipated upcoming MINI rival to local dealers on March 18, just after the Geneva Motor Show where it was expected to debut. Following the first orders that will be taken in Italy in June and initial deliveries in September, the new Alfa hatch will be officially launched at the Paris Motor Show in October.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for: after scrapping the names Junior and Furiosa, Alfa Romeo will reportedly call its new entry-level model "MITO". The name is a combination of the cities Milano and Turino, where Alfa Romeo and Fiat are respectively based. Pre-production prototypes are just about ready but, according to reports, will have to be destroyed in compliance with new Italian laws – which means we won't be seeing any more Enzo-powered Ferrari 348s up for auction. The production MITO, meanwhile, will offer a range of engines starting with the base 1.4-liter four producing 95 or 105 horsepower, followed by turbocharged versions with 135 or 165 hp, topped by a 230-hp 1.8-liter turbo and a 120-hp 1.6-liter JTDM turbodiesel. A host of electronic wizardry will be offered, including a Ferrari-style Mannetino switch on the steering wheel, stability control, and Alfa's Q2 electronic differential, all in a package designed to ape the 8C Competizione – not a bad place to start.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

One of the reasons that autocratic rulers don't open themselves up to democracy is because there's a good chance they won't get what they want. The ruler in this case is Alfa Romeo, which held an online poll to name its next car, and the winningest result was "Furiosa." It has been speculated that Alfa is furious with the name, and that, in the best tradition of unhappy autocrats, the results have been vacated: the car will not be named the Furiosa.

Alfa supposedly thinks the name is too close to the movie series The Fast and the Furious, and the company also objects on the grounds that the word "furiosa" connotes a woman who is angry and/or gay. Which, hypothetically, isn't the image they're trying to promote with the car. Now it is said that the car will appear during at the Geneva Motor Show with a name -- as yet undecided -- that begins with an "R." Any suggestions?

Thanks for the tip, Carlos!

[Source: Argentina Auto Blog]