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Alfa Romeo Tonale Edizione Bambini concept is a stylish way to parent

Your grandparents' boots were made for walking, and they're still cool. Your parents' minvans were made for, well, you, and now that you're the car buyer, you've made it clear minivans are uncool. Crossovers and SUVs run family bus routes now, and they're simply not as handy for hauling the kiddie army as the playroom-on-wheels that is a minivan. Alfa Romeo has an idea about how to change that. The automaker's UK arm interviewed 2,000 parents to get insights about parent- and kid-friendly features. The results come together in a one-off called the Alfa Romeo Tonale Edizione Bambini — the Kid's Edition, as it were. The biggest gripe parents had was how hard it is to keep their vehicles clean. A spiffy leather organizer that Alfa Romeo should sell for every Tonale, not just the babyfied ones, hangs over both front seats. It's got shaped slots for a drink bottle, a bento box for snacks, and pens. It also protects the seat backs from the repeated kicks that children are known to apply during journeys. A small trash container sits on the floor behind the center console. And because parents today use a thing called a "reward chart," kids can keep track of their progress keeping the vehicle clean so mum and dad aren't embarrassed to take the boss for a ride. There are more cleaning supplies in the boots, these for the elders. They include a battery-powered vacuum charged by the Tonale, and a collapsible caddy with products like a boot cleaning brush, leather cleaner, tissues, and wet wipes.      Move vital parenting duties are aided by the retractable changing station in the cargo area and the baby monitor in the back seat. A survey by diaper brand Huggies found 86% of parents needed to change their child's diapers "on the move." The custom changing station can slide out from under the parcel shelf after the hatch is raised, and is upholstered in an easy to clean changing mat. The video monitor for kids in the back seat can be placed to watch over rearward- or forward-facing baby seats, the feed available in a smartphone app that guardians in the front row can check. The obligatory entertainment needs come courtesy of screens on the seatbacks, headphones hung from the seatback organizers, tablet pockets for up to three children, and a foldable toy caddy. For parents who consider "minivan" a four-letter word, this one-off Tonale is definitely a stylish solution to managing the warehouse of goods so many kids seem to travel with nowadays.

Alfa Romeo's supercar is nearly sold out (but not yet approved)

Alfa Romeo's on-again, off-again supercar is taking shape. It hasn't been approved for production yet, let alone unveiled, but a recent report suggests that enthusiasts who want to add the model to their collection need to reach out to one of the firm's dealers as quickly as possible. Company boss Jean-Philippe Imparato told British magazine Autocar that several collectors have already put a deposit down on the car. There's no word yet on how many examples will be built, assuming the limited-edition model receives the proverbial green light for production, but the CEO suggested that demand will exceed supply. "It will be sold-out before I unveil the car," he told the publication. It's too early to tell what kind of supercar is in the pipeline. Allegedly called 6C, a name that seemingly confirms a six-cylinder engine, the model could feature a heritage-inspired design. "We are working on something that I could put aside the 8C in the museum of Arese, being proud of our contribution to the history of Alfa Romeo. That is what we want," Imparato clarified. He added that development work is ongoing. One of the numerous points that's up in the air is which six-cylinder the car will use. It's reasonably safe to assume that the engine will have a V configuration; Alfa Romeo doesn't have a straight-six engine in its arsenal. Although many of its sister companies do, it's not a layout that has historically been associated with the storied Italian brand while the V6 has been part of its heritage for decades. Using the 3.0-liter Nettuno V6 found in several recent additions to the Maserati range is likely more complicated than it might sound; Autoblog learned that Maserati isn't open to sharing the twin-turbocharged six-cylinder with another company, even one under the same umbrella. That leaves us with the 2.9-liter V6 that powers the Giulia Quadrifoglio, among other models, as the most likely candidate, but nothing is official at this stage. Stellantis executives will decide whether to approve the supercar in April 2023, according to Autocar. We're guessing that if deposits have already been taken and the car is nearly sold-out, there's a good chance that the model will see the light at the end of a production line. Haven't we already seen Alfa's supercar? If the idea of an Alfa Romeo supercar rings a bell, it's likely because coachbuilder Zagato unveiled a one-of-a-kind, Giulia-based model called Giulia SWB Zagato in December 2022.

Alfa Romeo to offer 4C buyers choice of headlights [w/poll]

Typically an automobile will lose some of its more radical design elements on the road from concept to production, but Alfa Romeo has done things a little differently with the 4C... at least, that is, when it came to its headlights. When the sports car concept first debuted at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, it had an intriguing, glowing headlight design that seemed more stylish than functional. The headlight design stayed the same when Alfa repainted the concept from matte red to liquid silver for the Frankfurt Motor Show later that year, but when the 4C debuted in production form two years after concept's first showing, its headlights weren't any less strange. If anything, they were even more so, taking on a form that only a fly's optometrist could love. Things took a more conventional (and eye-pleasing) turn earlier this month when Alfa revealed the 4C Spider concept with not only a different roofline but also a new set of headlights. Those units are expected to make their way to production when the 4C Spider is finalized, but word has it that the roadster won't be the only one to get them. According to Autocar, the Italian automaker will offer new buyers of the 4C coupe the option to fit the Spider's headlamps instead of the strange-looking units on the hardtop model. The Spider, meanwhile, will only get the more conventional units. We've reached out to Alfa Romeo for confirmation, and have yet to hear back as we go to publish, but either way, the 4C remains – for the time being – a piece of forbidden fruit that we only wish we could get in the States as Alfa continues to plot its eventual return to the North American market. Featured Gallery Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Design Preview Related Gallery 2014 Alfa Romeo 4C View 60 Photos News Source: Autocar Alfa Romeo Convertible Coupe Performance alfa romeo 4c alfa 4c alfa romeo 4c spider