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Mazda engineers urging execs for more RWD models

According to Edmunds, Mazda engineers are pressuring the company to create more rear-wheel-drive models, in an effort to better differentiate itself from its rivals. This push is reportedly coming from middle and senior engineers within the company, and these folks at Mazda believe this rear-drive strategy would allow the automaker to produce more distinctive, fun to drive cars. Mazda discontinued the rear-drive (and rotary-engined) RX-8 a few years ago, leaving the MX-5 Miata as the company's only RWD offering.
As enthusiasts, we're fully on board with Mazda offering more rear-drive cars, but unsurprisingly, the company's top management isn't exactly keen on the idea - and with good reason. First and foremost, the cost associated with redesigning fresh architecture for new models would be very high, and considering the fact that Mazda hasn't exactly been raking in the dough lately, an expensive new venture like this doesn't make a whole lot of sense. What's more, Mazda's latest front-drive models - the Mazda3, Mazda6 and CX-5 - have been very well-received, and are helping the company gain sales momentum.
But that doesn't mean there aren't other options. Edmunds reminds us that Mazda is already partnering with Alfa Romeo on the next-generation Miata, and if this collaboration is successful, perhaps the relationship could bear additional fruit. After all, Alfa Romeo is said to be working on returning to its rear-wheel-drive roots, so Mazda's engineers might be able to make a case for more RWD goodness after all.

Alfa Romeo takes Spider in-house, Mazda-Fiat roadster partnership not dead

It's officially off. Following a report in March of this year that the marriage of Mazda and Alfa Romeo to produce a MX-5-based Spider was in trouble, the Italians have confirmed that it will take development in-house. "As far as the Spider goes, the final version is of course no longer the two-seater FCA co-developed with Mazda but a derivative of Project Giorgio," Maserati and Alfa Romeo brand boss Harald Wester told Car. For those not in the know, Project Giorgio is Alfa's codename for the rear-drive platform that will underpin the next-generation Spider, not to mention the replacement for the 159 sedan and a few other products. All is not lost for the Japanese-Italian partnership, though. "The Far East import will probably find a new home with Fiat-Abarth," Wester told Car. Yes, you read that correctly, Mazda is still working with FCA, and the result will eventually end up with Abarth's scorpion badge. If anything, we're more excited over this news than the idea of an Alfa MX-5. But we want to know what you think – would you rather Alfa build a new Spider on the Miata's bones, or does an MX-5 Abarth sound like more fun? Have your say in Comments.

Alfa Romeo unveils more details about US-spec Giulia

Last November, Alfa Romeo unveiled some of the tech specs about the 2017 Giulia in the US, but now the company has released even more details about the lower trims ahead of their upcoming appearance at the New York Auto Show. We still don't officially know their prices, but the Giulia arrives here in three trims: a standard model, the mid-range Giulia Ti, and the high-performance Giulia Quadrifoglio. The Giulia and Giulia Ti use a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 276 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Power routes through an eight-speed automatic to the rear wheels, and the sedans can reach 60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds. The optional Q4 all-wheel drive system can send up to 60 percent of the torque to the front axle when necessary. However, there's no word yet how this layout affects performance. Even the lower rungs of the Giulia range have a sporty demeanor. Standard features include a seven-inch driver info display between the analog gauges, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and keyless start. Depending on model, they come with either a 6.5-inch or 8.8-inch widescreen infotainment system, which uses a rotary dial in the center console for the controls. There's also a huge range of customization, including optional Sport, Luxury, and Performance packages and 13 available exterior colors. The Quadrifoglio ups the performance ante with a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 boasting 505 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque, which rockets the sedan to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. To maximize efficiency, the engine has stop-start and cylinder deactivation. Customers who want a little more can order optional carbon fiber shell Sparco seats, which Alfa claims are the lightest in the segment, and carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes.