Romeo Ferraris 500 Abarth endurance racer - Click above to view in high resolution

Romeo Ferraris 500 Abarth packs 360 tarmac-munching Italian stallions originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: 2009 Alfa Romeo 159

Geneva Leakage: 2009 Alfa Romeo 159 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rendered Speculation: Alfa Romeo MiTo could be first true MINI-killer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

To replace its aging 147 hatchback, Alfa Romeo is going with two separate models. The 3-door version is being replaced by a little sport-hatch tentatively known as the Junior, of which we've seen countless spy shots and teasers. The 5-door, we'd been told, was being replaced by an entirely different model, likely to be labeled 149, but this is the first time we've seen it.

To make its products financially feasible, Alfa has been basing many of its new models on shared platforms from Fiat Group sister companies. So while the 3-door will be based on the Fiat Grande Punto, the 149 shares its platform with the larger Fiat Bravo. That corresponds to a bigger 149 than the 147 it replaces. The car in the spy shot is wearing mostly Bravo bodywork, but a sharp eye will notice the trademark Alfa grille up front.

Now pay attention, 'cause this model very well might make it over to the U.S. market with Alfa's return. Engine options will likely include a range of Fiat Group powerplants from the T-Jet and M-Jet series, and could include a 265-hp V6 for the GTA version. Alfa Romeo would be smart to stick with six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes - this writer has driven a 147 equipped with the Selespeed semi-automatic gearbox, and I agree with our source's assessment that the U.S. market especially would be better served by more conventional transmission choices.

The 149 is tipped to hit European markets with a €20 000 base price sometime in mid 2009 after the Junior becomes available this coming October. That means we could see it pop up at one of the big shows later this year.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Spy Shots: Alfa Romeo 149 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

True, red-blooded Alfa Romeo fans will remember the Clover Leaf emblem, and not just from the red car in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The badge was used on Alfa's most successful racing cars and most powerful road cars. Now the Quadrifoglio Verde is coming back to grace two new top-of-the-line versions of the 147 and GT.

Both models are being outfitted with the 170-hp 1.9-liter JTDM that made its debut on the limited-edition 147 Ducati Corse, coupled to Alfa's Q2 limited slip differential, a lowered suspension and a sport button to switch between touring and sport set-ups for throttle response. The Quadrifoglio Verde editions of both the 147 and GT also feature a range of cosmetic enhancements inside and out, including chrome exhaust tips, red brake calipers, satin-finish grilles and wing mirrors and a host of interior mods.

The 147 is being replaced soon by the "Junior" and 149, while the GT has largely become obsolete since the even more gorgeous Brera hit the market. We'd like to say these will be the last editions of both, but we have a feeling Alfa Romeo has a few more shots of adrenaline on hold to keep sales lively.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Alfa brings back the Quadrifoglio Verde for dying models originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Before its highly-anticipated unveiling at the Geneva show in March, Alfa Romeo has been leaking mere glimpses at its upcoming entry-level hatchback. Tentatively known as the "Junior" after Alfa scrapped its own online naming contest, the hatchback is based on sister company Fiat's Grande Punto platform, but with even more sumptuous Italian styling and a range of engines.

These latest images appear to have been prepared for its brochure, but have somehow found their way out of the factory and into cyber-space. None of the images, which can be seen after the jump, reveal anything more than some close-up details, but the when Alfa takes the wraps off its latest, it should give the Mini a run for its money.

[Source: Progretti955 via Carscoop]

Continue reading Alfa Romeo 'Junior' teaser images leaked

Alfa Romeo 'Junior' teaser images leaked originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With the Alfa Junior hatch gearing up for production, the 8C Competizione being delivered to customers and the 159, Brera and Spider gorgeous-ing up roads around the world, the next item on Alfa Romeo's plate is the 169, its upcoming flagship sedan.

Although the 169, spy shots of which we brought you back in February '07, could be based on a modified Maserati platform or potentially on one borrowed from Jaguar, it's slated to return to rear-wheel-drive either way, which puts it in a better position to take on Europe's very best sports sedans.

The image above, of course, is just a rendering, but draws on existing and anticipated brand styling cues. We hope the actual production version will be more sexy and, well, more Italian than this illustration, and we also hope it'll make it across the pond with its stablemates.

[Source: The Hollywood Extra]

Rendered speculation: Alfa Romeo 169 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So here's what you want to get to make the kid forget the conspicuous and disappointing void under the tree: an Alfa Romeo. Okay, not a real one, but everything is relative and to a child, this will seem just as cool - trust us. These downsized rideable Alfa Spiders are available with a choice of body-styles - 8C Competizione or Brera - and powertrain. A hair under three bills will get pedal-power, or an extra two hundred nets the 6-volt electric version. Shipping's extra if you live outside the UK, and the roadsters are made for kids ages 2-5. Oh, and they're available only in red.

If your kid's passion lies elsewhere than with Alfa Romeo, we'd recommend a better education. In the meantime, don't fret: Turbo Toys has a variety of similar ride-ons, including a Maserati, Audi TT, Jag XK, Porsche, and several Ferraris.

You can thank us later.

[Source: Turbo Toys via Carscoop]

Make it up to the kid with an Alfa Spider originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Overseas customers anxiously awaiting the upcoming entry-level model from Alfa Romeo have a little teaser to hold them over. The replacement for the three-door version of the long-in-the-tooth Alfa 147 is expected to debut at the Geneva show this coming March, but this is the first time we've actually seen it.

Unfortunately, all we can see is a bit of the front and rear bumpers, but like an unguarded celebrity pop idol getting out of a car, a little glimpse can be worth a lot. All that can be seen from the front shot is a fog-light flanking the front air dam, but the red cover betrays the iconic Alfa shield grille underneath. Around back is a better view of an intriguing overlapping double-oval exhaust peering out from what little rear overhang there is.

No word yet on whether the Junior (or whatever it will be called after Alfa bailed on its own online naming campaign) will eventually make it over the pond as part of the company's return to the American market, but we'll be on hand in Switzerland for the unveiling in three months.

[Source: Autoblog.it]

Celebrity Upskirt: Alfa Junior caught unawares originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Dec 2007 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There are car watches, and there are car watches. And this, boys and girls, is a car watch. The kind that will make the likes of the "Ferrari Engineered by Panarai" and "Breitling for Bentley" look like cheap marketing gimmicks.

What you see here is the Contragiri; tachometer in Italian. It's being made by one of the watchmaking industry's best kept secrets, Giuliano Mazzuoli, who just happens to be a huge Alfa Romeo fan, having raced Alfa GTAs in the 70's, created the Contragiri as a tribute to the iconic Italian automaker. It features a unique rev-counter black dial concealing the 25-jewel automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve, encased in black and white gold with sapphire crystal and revolving bezel, and held onto the wearer's wrist by a sleek black rubber strap.

Mazzuoli unveiled the Contagiri this past summer, and while he hasn't unveiled the price, it's sure to have a good number of zeros at the end. Somehow we don't think the price tag will prevent them all from selling the limited run of 500 copies, though. Only through authorized dealers, of course, but you can reserve yours on the website, or check out the Luxe.TV video by clicking here.

[Source: Giuliano Mazzuoli via Inside Line]

Bellisimo! Italian watchmaker crafts unique Alfa Romeo timepiece originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Online voters name upcoming Alfa hatch "Furiosa" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For years, the only Italian automobiles available in the United States have been exotic sportscars. Alfa Romeo is banking on that perception for its return to the American market with a range of cars that don't cost exotic, but look exotic. That much is further evidenced by the 8C Competizione, the car Alfa made and chose to spearhead the return. But exotic, in people's minds, means rear-wheel-drive, and with the very notable but limited example of the 8C, and despite the availability of AWD on the US-bound 159/Brera/Spider range, Alfa Romeos are all front-drive. That may have cut it overseas, but American buyers are going to want tire-smoking, tail-out dramatics to go with their Italian good looks. Fortunately, Alfa is out to meet that demand with its future models.

Although the Junior hatchback, to be based on the Grande Punto platform, will be front-drive (the norm in hot hatches, anyway), the flagship 169 luxury sedan is tipped to share its platform with Maserati, which means rear-drive. Reports are now surfacing that suggest that additional future Alfa Romeo models will also be RWD, to the benefit of impassioned customers worldwide.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Upcoming Alfas going rear-drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Italians are known for making great sports cars, touring cars, supercars, even little itty-bitty cars. Sport-utes, not so much. Lamborghini's monster LM002 notwithstanding, the last time few times Fiat tried its hand at SUVs, it came up with the Sedici (a slightly taller than normal compact car built in partnership with Suzuki) and the Oltre concept (some sort of twisted cross between a Hummer and an Apple store). But with crossovers continuing to sell big, despite the impediments of fuel prices and an increasingly enviro-conscious market, the mafia legitimate business association of the Italian auto industry can hardly afford to sit it out. So they'll try, try again.

The next up to bat is the production version of the CX-Over, expected to hit the market in 2010. Sources indicate an overall length of about 4.5 meters, potential for hybrid powertrain options (though more likely a range of the company's highly-efficient diesels), available AWD and a body style fitting somewhere between a minivan and a sport-ute. The Fiat version is expected to sell in the €22k-30k range in Europe, and is expected to spawn an additional version from sister brand Alfa Romeo.

[Source: Info Motori]

Fiat crossover expected in 2010, Alfa version to follow originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're expecting an Italian take on a VW bus, you're thinking of the wrong kind of stoner, hippie. That's Stoner with a capital S, as in Casey Stoner, Ducati's star rider who's riding this year to the MotoGP title. To commemorate the victory, Alfa Romeo teamed up with Ducati Corse to produce this special-edition 147.

Now if you're thinking "not another special-edition 147", hold on another second there, hippie. (Okay, now we're just raggin' on hippies for kicks.) This one actually gets more power! Summoned by a power boost button on the center console, this Alfa draws an extra 20 horses from its 1.9-liter MJet diesel, bringing peak output up to 170 from the standard 150. Not bad, considering this isn't even the range-topping 147 GTA. The Ducati edition also gets Alfa's trick Q2 differential, unique 18-inch rims, special "Rosso Ducati" paint and leather sports seats.

[Source: Infomotori]

Continue reading Stonermobile: Alfa Romeo 147 Ducati

Stonermobile: Alfa Romeo 147 Ducati originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cyberspace is rife with speculation about a new small Alfa Romeo convertible, which could be an indicator of one of two things: either the quintessential Italian automaker has got one such spider in the works, or it's just plain old wishful thinking.

Rumors suggest a revival of the Alfa Romeo Duetto, popularized by Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate, which could feature a retractable hard-top for motoring al fresco under the Tuscan sun or closed again for parking in Rome and winding through the Alps.

Along the road to rehabilitation, Alfa's return to the American market will include two unspeakably beautiful convertibles: the Brera-based Spider, and the recently-confirmed convertible version of the 8C Competizione. A third convertible in the line-up would be likely to come in significantly under the price of either (not hard to do in the 8C's case considering the anticipated €185,000 sticker price that's guaranteed to climb with speculation) in the effort to attract a younger clientele. If the upcoming "Alfa Junior" can serve as any indication, we could be looking at an Italian rival to the likes of the Mazda MX-5 and Pontiac Solctice, which again could be just wishful thinking.

[Sources: World Car Fans and Italiaspeed]

Enter the Rumormill: a new Alfa Romeo Duetto originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As the Italians ready to launch their second attack on BMW's MINI following the debut of the hot-selling Fiat 500, more details of the upcoming "Alfa Junior" emerge with each passing week. The inside scoop now places the new premium hatch for debut at the Geneva show next March, with an anticipated European market launch next October, one year from now.

Based on the already sexy Giugiaro-designed Fiat Grande Punto, AR Project 955 is set to introduce the very best of Italian automotive design and technology to the supermini segment. Sketches released suggest that Alfa's Centro Stile drew inspiration for the front end from the sexiest-thing-on-wheels 8C Competizione and the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano for the tail, with a F430-style lip spoiler and a rear diffuser with twin tailpipes on the top-spec 230-hp version.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Continue reading Mini-8C: Alfa Jr set for Geneva debut

Mini-8C: Alfa Jr set for Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Official Alfa Romeo Junior sketches surface originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

At long last, Alfa Romeo has confirmed the European pricing for its halo supercar, the achingly gorgeous 8C Competizione, with an MSRP of €159,300.

As Alfa Romeo previously announced, 99 examples of the total production run of 500 will be reserved for customers in the United States, where the 8C will be leading the company's return to the American market. While US Dollar pricing has yet to be announced for those 99, consider for reference that the €159,300 European price tag positions the 8C slightly below its corporate cousin, the Ferrari F430, which retails on the Continent for €175k.

While it was predicted that the 8C Competizione would be priced at closer to €135k, we doubt the higher sticker will keep Alfa Romeo from selling each and every one - and the subsequent run of topless Spider versions - or speculators from demanding significantly more for the privilege of buying what is arguably the most beautiful car ever to grace tarmac.

[Source: PistonHeads]

Alfa prices the 8C Competizione at ?159k originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Jul 2007 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We are not developing a cheap Ferrari" is the oft-repeated party line in Maranello. "Just don't look over there," might as well be the next, as spy shots have turned up yet again suggesting that Ferrari is indeed developing an "entry-level" model to slot in the company's line-up below the F430.

The latest photos show a developmental test mule on the dynamometer wearing what appears to be disguised bodywork from the recently launched Maserati GranTurismo. Sources suggest, however, that the baby Ferrari would share more in common with the achingly gorgeous and limited production Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, but with even more power. When that car was being developed, original speculation suggested it was for Ferrari, but that the project was passed over to Alfa Romeo instead.

So has Ferrari been blatantly lying? A few possibilities could explain the discrepancy. First is that the car spotted is not a Dino as speculated by the motoring press, but actually a test mule for the upcoming new Maserati convertible; however, based as closely as it will be on the existing GranTurismo, extensive drivetrain testing would seem unnecessary. It could, however, be testing a new transmission for the Maserati range. Another explanation about the seeming chasm between what we see and what Ferrari says could be drawn from the example of the original Dinos, which were not badged as Ferraris but as a separate brand. If the photos are accurate, the new model could be front-engined like the 599 GTB instead of mid-engined like the F430 as originally thought. One way or another, we look forward to finding out.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Dyno Dino: Baby Ferrari test mule spotted originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Following the initial confirmation from Alfa Romeo that the drop-dead-sell-my-soul-and-both-kidneys-gorgeous 8C Competizione was going into production, however limited, the temporarily satiated hearts and minds of Italian sportscar fans (and really, who isn't a fan of Italian sportscars?) turned to the next obvious question: what about its equally jaw-dropping open-aired sister, the 8C Spider? We've been patiently awaiting any indication from the Milanese automaker, and the latest reports suggest that Alfa will indeed produce a limited run of the rolling piece of alfresco art.

Italian automotive publication Quattroroute claims that the 8C Spider will begin rolling out of the factory at the end of next year. Like the instantly sold-out fixed-roof version, only 500 examples will be produced, with a corresponding price increase to €180,000.

So, seriously...anyone interested in buying a kidney?

[Source: Quattroroute via Motorpasion]

Latest: Alfa Romeo to produce 8C Spider in 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.