1981 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Convertible 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Mazda leads Consumer Reports' latest Brand Report Card Rankings

The latest automaker brand report cards from Consumer Reports are in, and there are quite a few changes for 2021. At the very top of the charts sits Mazda, up three spots over last year, followed by BMW and Subaru to round out the top three. It's interesting to note that mainstream brands (non-luxury in CR-speak) don't seem to be at a disadvantage in CR's rankings, with five of the top 10 spots. In addition to Mazda in first and Subaru in third, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, and Buick were the other high-ranking non-luxury marques. The ratings are derived from "a combination of predicted reliability, and owner satisfaction based on member surveys, and CR’s hands-on analysis" and also includes safety features and crash test scores.  At the very bottom of the list sit Mitsubishi, Land Rover and Alfa Romeo. "Our brand rankings don't just look at how models perform on our test track, but the broad picture of vehicle quality," said Jake Fisher, Senior Director of Automotive Testing at Consumer Reports. "Fortunately, consumers will find they have many options that are safe, enjoyable, and reasonably priced." The biggest jumps in the brand report card rankings come from Chrysler, Buick and Honda, which each moved up five spots compared to last year's rankings. The news wasn't nearly as good for Lincoln, which fell an alarming 15 spots this year, Genesis, which fell 13 spots, or Kia, which fell 10 spots. Related Video:

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio 100th Anniversario gets even more power

Alfa Romeo is celebrating its Quadrifoglio emblem's 100th birthday by rolling out limited-edition variants of the Giulia and the Stelvio. The commemorative cars receive a more powerful twin-turbocharged V6, edition-specific visual accents, and carbon fiber interior trim. The green Quadrifoglio (which means "four-leaf clover" in Italian) first appeared on a straight-six-powered RL race car at the 1923 edition of the Targa Florio, a grueling road race that was held in Sicily. Legend has it that pilot Ugo Sivocci had the emblem painted on his car for good luck. He won, and the Quadrifoglio quickly began appearing on Alfa Romeo's race cars before showing up on street-legal production models. Fast-forward to 2023, and the four-leaf clover denotes Alfa Romeo's most powerful models: the Giulia Quadrifoglio is the Italian company's answer to the BMW M3, and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio competes in the same segment as the X3 M. The limited-edition 100th Anniversario models build on these foundations with a 520-horsepower evolution of the twin-turbocharged, 2.9-liter V6 (that's 15 more than in the regular-production variants). Alfa Romeo also added a mechanical limited-slip differential derived from the sold-out, 540-horsepower Giulia GTA. Based on the recently-updated Giulia and Stelvio, the 100th Anniversario models come with LED headlights,19-inch wheels for the Giulia (the Stelvio rides on 21-inch alloys), and edition-specific gold-colored brake calipers. Quadrifoglio emblems with gold-colored accents and "1923-2023" lettering are fitted to the fenders, and the list of equipment also includes a carbon fiber grille and carbon fiber door mirror caps. The interior gets a similar treatment: There's carbon fiber trim, gold-colored stitching, and a "100" logo on the dashboard. Like their regular-production counterparts, both cars get a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster whose layout changes depending on the driving mode selected. Alfa Romeo will build 100 units of the Giulia Quadrifoglio 100th Anniversario and 100 additional examples of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio 100th Anniversario. Pricing and availability haven't been announced yet, and deliveries are scheduled to start in the coming weeks for buyers in European markets. Alfa Romeo confirmed to Autoblog that both models will be sold in the United States. Buyers will have three colors called Rosso Etna, Montreal Green, and Vulcano Black to choose from. More details will be announced in the not-too-distant future.

2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio Super Sports close the book

Alfa Romeo is hitting the gas on limited-edition special-edition models of late, as the Italian outfit prepares to get rid of gas entirely. Last year we got the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio 100th Anniversario editions celebrating the centenary of the four-leaf clover trims, then came Quadrifoglio Carbon Editions celebrating that resin weave, then came Tributo Italiano Editions lauding the home country. Now that the world is closer to the end of the internal combustion Quadrifoglio lineup, Alfa's launched the 2024 Giulia and 2024 Stelvio Quadrifoglio Super Sport models. The Giulia Quadrifoglio Super Sport is limited to 275 units worldwide, 72 coming to the U.S. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio Super Sport is even more limited, rolling out just 175 examples for the world, 52 slated for U.S. purchase. Both are powered by the brand's twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 making 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, shifting through an eight-speed automatic to both axles. It would have been wonderful to get the upgraded engine making 520 hp and the mechanical limited-slip differential offered on the 100th anniversary models, especially since the Super Sports are only priced $140 (Giulia) and $660 (Stelvio) below the centenary editions, but it's not to be. Instead, the Super Sports are enhanced outside with a black Quadrifoglio badge, carbon fiber mirror caps, carbon fiber accents in the grille shield, black Brembo calipers, and dark five-hole wheels that are 19 inches on the Giulia, 21 inches on the Stelvio. Inside, special trim includes red carbon fiber on the instrument panel, center console, and door cards, embroidered headrests, and a steering wheel wrapped in leather and Alcantara.  Designers prepped three exterior color options for the Giulia: Bianco Alfa, Metallic Nero Vulcano, or "Three-layer" Rosso Etna. The Stelvio can be had in one of the latter two, not the Bianco Alfa. The 2024 Giulia Quadrifoglio Super Sport starts at $88,365 after the $1,595 destination charge, representing a $5,400 premium over the standard model. The $95,965 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Super Sport runs a stiff $7,000 above the standard four-leaf SUV. Orders are open now, deliveries expected in the fall of this year.