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Alfa Romeo shows off Giulia and Stelvio GT Junior special editions

Alfa Romeo has announced a pair of new special editions commemorating the 1966 GT 1300 Junior. The Giulia and Stelvio GT Junior series are only available in Europe, and were inspired by the beloved predecessor to the legendary GTV. The Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior was part of a larger series of coupes from the 105 and 115 family. Built on a shortened Giulia chassis of the same era, lightweight aluminum-bodied GTAs and GTVs became a force in road racing, as well as GTC cabriolets and versions modified by carrozzerias. Possessing all the style of the Giugiaro-penned top-spec versions but with a less powerful engine and more affordable price tag, the GT 1300 Junior was by far the best seller of the range. It was a bona fide hit, and Alfa Romeo moved over 90,000 units from 1966-76. As the name suggests, the GT 1300 Junior had a 1.3 liter four-banger. Its 89 horsepower was delivered through a five-speed manual to the rear wheels. Weighing only a little over 2,000 pounds, its excellent handling helped make it an iconic model for the Alfa Romeo brand. To evoke the GT 1300 Junior, the Giulia and Stelvio have been dipped in an exclusive gold color called Lipari Ochre, a modern take on one of the GT 1300 Junior's most memorable hues. Both modern Alfas come with five-hole wheels, 19 inches on the Giulia and 21 inches on the Stelvio. There are no performance modifications to either vehicle. The Giulia and Stelvio come with either a 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine making 210 horsepower or a petrol 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder generating 280 horsepower. Both are mated to an eight-speed automatic via a carbon-fiber driveshaft. The Giulia can be optioned with a rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive drivetrain, while the Stelvio comes only in AWD flavor. Alfa Romeo says the GT Junior editions are the third in a trilogy of special editions that began with the 500-unit and wildly be-spoilered Giulia GTAm that debuted in May. That sold out almost immediately, and was followed by 6C Villa d’Este editions of the Giulia and Stelvio paying homage to 1949 6C 2500 SS. The company hasn't said how many units of the GT Junior will be sold, but they won't be coming to the U.S. anyway. Related video:

Alfa Romeo pops the top on 4C Spider in Geneva [w/video]

Alfa Romeo has made all manner of vehicles over the years: hatchbacks, sedans, wagons, coupes... there's even been talk of a crossover. But it could be argued that the quintessential Alfa Romeo is a roadster. While the future of the program with Mazda remains in doubt, Alfa has arrived in Geneva this year with a Spider version of the nimble little 4C. As anticipated, the 4C Spider chops the roof off the coupe and replaces it with rollover bars, spoilers and windshield frame all made of carbon-fiber and a lightweight canvas top. As a result, the 4C Spider is said to weight just 132 pounds more than the existing fixed-roof version. The low-density Sheet Moulding Compound bodywork has been rebuilt around the rear deck to replace the back, and carbon fiber is visible throughout the open cockpit. The 1.75-liter turbo 4-cylinder and 6-speed dual-clutch transmission carry over unchanged, as do the performance stats: 0-62 in 4.5 seconds and a top speed "in excess of 155 mph." The 40/60 front/rear weight distribution is also quoted as unchanged from the coupe, maintaining the 4C's handling balance. The 4C Spider also gets more conventional (read: attractive) headlights, and a central exhaust system made by Akrapovic (of motorbike fame) from aluminum and titanium. Though billed as a Design Preview, the 4C Spider is set to go into production early next year. All we're waiting for now is for Alfa Romeo to finally bring this – and the rest of its lineup – to North America. ALFA ROMEO 4C SPIDER DESIGN PREVIEW DEBUTS AT 2014 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW - Alfa Romeo 4C Spider "avant-premiere" previews new soft-top scheduled to enter production in 2015 - True to the philosophy of the Alfa Romeo 4C, the Spider Design Preview remains an ultra-lightweight, high-performance driving machine - Extensive use of carbon fibre and SMC*, as well as a lightweight canvas hood, ensures the Spider retains the Alfa Romeo 4C focus and purity - Stunning evolutionary design sees the addition of new headlamps, new wheels and an advanced new central exhaust system by Akropovic® The stunning Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Design Preview makes its world debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, previewing a new model scheduled to go into production in early 2015.

Notes from the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia reveal in Milan [w/video]

It's an interesting time for Alfa Romeo. Wednesday marked the brand's 105th birthday, but also a rebirth of sorts. The new Giulia is the first of several new vehicles to come out of the Project Giorgio skunkworks that has been quietly working to reimagine the brand. Fiat Chrysler is banking on these cars to finally turn Alfa around. Before the Giulia was rolled out, Alfa Romeo CEO Harald Wester acknowledged that the brand has had its share of missteps in the past. He then called out today's sporty offerings for having evolved into near-perfect but boring, commoditized cars across the industry. They have no soul, he said, nothing to differentiate one from the next. While I'd argue that each brand in the performance space still has something to differentiate itself from the others, anything that can be done to restore some of the man-machine connection lost to electronics and added weight can only be seen as a good thing. I like what I'm hearing from Alfa so far; below are some notes gleaned from the unveil event that make me think this reawakening might just work. The head of the skunkworks is Philippe Krief, a former Ferrari engineer. This is certainly a good sign for the car's dynamics and powertrain. Krief was quick to note that the Giulia uses "real" torque vectoring, not a brake-based solution like some others use. The rear differential uses a pair of clutches to apportion torque side to side. Alfa claims the car's steering will be the quickest in its segment, which I take to mean the one that currently includes the BMW M3, Mercedes-AMG C63, and Cadillac ATS-V. Immediacy translates to the braking system, as well. Alfa has come up with a new design that combines the stability control and brake servo into one unit; it's said to be simpler than two parts and also improves brake response. I'm pretty sure Krief even called its design beautiful while it flashed briefly onscreen. Quadrifoglio cars get carbon-ceramic brake discs to further improve performance and reduce weight. I didn't get to sit in the car, or even open the door, but I liked what I saw of the interior. The center console is angled to hem the driver in a little, which works well with the canted, sweeping dash. It kind of reminds me of the look in newer Mazdas – clean and simple with a good balance of organic curves and straight edges.