Autoblog

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]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Alfa Romeo Mi.To

Though Alfa Romeo unveiled the Mi.To back in March, we've only had a few images at which to stare in disbelief over how there's a part of the world that produces small cars this beautiful. Not so anymore, as Alfa has released over 40 new high-res images of the Mi.To today. Named after the place in which it was designed (Milan) and the place in which it will be built (Turin), the Mi.To is basically a Fiat Grande Punto wrapped in a skin that was inspired by the luscious 8C Competizione. As such, Alfa included a number of images in the gallery below of the two cars side by side so you can see how much supercar DNA was stuffed into the Mi.To's design. The three-door hatch will be available with three engines, including an anemic 78-hp 1.4L, a more potent 155-hp turbo 1.4L and a 120-hp 1.6L JTDM turbo-diesel. All engines will be paired with the proper transmission for small car fun: a six-speed manual. Check out all the pics in the gallery below and hope beyond hope that one day the Mi.To lands on our shores to take the premium small-car crown away from the MINI Cooper.

[Source: Alfa Romeo, Carscoop]

Hey, the pseudo-video-game as a car ad technique worked well enough for Pontiac, so why shouldn't Alfa Romeo give it a try too? While we think Alfa's take on arcade-style driving enjoyment is clever, it's not quite as cool as the G8's Spy Hunter recreation, which, as children of the era of excess, we were totally smitten with. Regardless, the expert driving Italy's newest hot hatch looks to have had a great time racing through all 11.1 kilometers of the Forest Track stage, which is actually Arjeplog, a town in Lapland, Sweden, and a popular European destination for winter automotive testing. This video makes us wish even more so that an official announcement regarding the Mi.To's hopeful trip across the Atlantic is impending shortly. Follow the jump to watch it.

[Source: Youtube via Autoblog.it]