Stopgap GTA: Novitec takes a stab at the Alfa MiTo

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]
PRESS RELEASE

More Power, Great Design And a Sporty Heart: NOVITEC Tunes the Alfa Romeo MiTo

More power, great design and a sporty heart: NOVITEC presents the exclusive tuning program for the Alfa Romeo MiTo. Engine tuning for the two Diesel models and the gasoline-powered 1.4 TB model is complemented by a strikingly styled aerodynamic-enhancement package. The latter comes with a general operating certificate, eliminating the need for individual technical inspections. Also available from NOVITEC are 18-inch wheels and a height-adjustable coil-over suspension.

NOVITEC POWERJET 2 is the name of the recipe that increases power output of the MiTo with 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine by 31 hp / 23 kW. Peak torque grows by 30 Nm. The plug-and-play auxiliary control unit can be installed in less than five minutes. The tuned MiTo produces 186 hp / 137 kW and is even more agile: With a sprint time of 7.4 seconds from rest to 100 km/h the tuned 1.4 TB bests its production counterpart by about 0.7 seconds.

Sophisticated NOVITEC power tuning is also available for the two turbodiesel models. The easy-to-install NOVITEC POWERRAIL 5 module boosts power output of the 1.3 JTD model from standard 90 hp / 66 kW to 110 hp / 81 kW. The same auxiliary control module when installed in the MiTo 1.6 JTD produces an additional 24 hp / 17.7 kW. The tuning module also markedly increases peak torque by some 50 Nm.

NOVITEC adds further sporty highlights with an aerodynamic-enhancement kit for the smallest Alfa Romeo model. The body kit comes with a general operating certificate which eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming individual technical inspections.

The front of the MiTo receives a striking facelift with spoiler corners left and right plus a centrally mounted cup spoiler.

NOVITEC rocker panels give the compact car an even lower, sleeker side appearance. The rear of the MiTo is refined with the NOVITEC roof spoiler and diffuser for the rear apron.

The rear component is also designed to surround the NOVITEC sport rear muffler. The stainless-steel exhausts were developed for maximum power yield and a more exciting exhaust note. They can be combined with one, two or four tailpipes.

The sporty new look also includes NOVITEC N8 multi-spoke wheels. The 7.5Jx18 wheels are available painted silver or matte black. Pirelli high-performance tires in size 215/35 R 18 were selected as the optimal tire choice.

NOVITEC sport springs lower the ride height of the MiTo by some 40 millimeters. As an alternative, NOVITEC offers a stainless-steel coil-over suspension with adjustable ride height and adjustable dampers. It gives the Alfa Romeo a firmer ride and a ride-height lowering between 35 and 65 millimeters.