Alfa Romeo 4C to spawn Abarth, Maserati variants?

If Alfa Romeo wanted to get people talking with the debut of its 4C concept in Geneva, they succeeded. The Internet is abuzz with rumors of its production potential. There have already been reports that the Alfa will spearhead the marque's full-fledged return to North America, to be followed by both Spider and Abarth versions. Now, word is that Maserati could get a derivative, too.

If the reports prove accurate and the spinoffs come to fruition, that would mean three brands within the Fiat group will get their own versions of the lightweight, mid-engined, four-cylinder sports car. And that's before any of the Chrysler brands get a crack at it, because a Dodge version to pick up where the Circuit concept left off could be most tempting. The Maserati version would naturally be positioned and appointed differently from the Alfa or Abarth models. The question is whether the market can bear more than one Elise rival from Fiat/Chrysler, let alone multiples.