Rare, Alfa Romeo, Spider, Pininfarina, Quadrifoglio, Soft Convertible & Hardtop on 2040-cars

Auto blog

You probably won't see FCA's famous Easter eggs on an Alfa Romeo

They started in Jeeps, with images of seven-slot grilles showing up on windshield edges, the text "SINCE 1941" appearing in the clear plastic of headlight units, and a relief map of Moab engraved into a rubber cubby liner. Then a Chrysler got a map of Detroit and the outline of Laguna Seca materialized near the Viper's window switch. We've come to call them Easter eggs, but Klaus Busse points out that they were never really meant to be secrets, just ways to dress up what he calls "dead plastic." He's nevertheless cool with the phrase being applied and likes the enthusiastic response these design details get. Busse is intimately familiar with many of them, having signed off on many of them in his time as head interior designer for FCA's US operations. He recently moved to Europe to lead Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Fiat design there, so when I caught up with him next to the new Stelvio crossover at the Alfa stand in LA, I had to ask: Are we going to see any of those neat design details in Alfas or Maseratis anytime soon? The short answer is no. But he didn't say it's out of the question. Busse said if, for example, a designer wanted to put an Italian phrase somewhere on a car that was in keeping with the brand, he would allow it. Although he didn't come out and say it, it seems like he might feel this type of fun design element isn't necessarily appropriate for a higher-end brand like Alfa. And I get that. But I'm still going to check all the compartments of that new Alfa crossover for a map of the Stelvio Pass. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio: LA 2016 View 11 Photos Design/Style LA Auto Show Alfa Romeo Jeep 2016 LA Auto Show easter egg

Dodge Hornet supposedly snapped inside Alfa Romeo Tonale factory

It appears that someone in Stellantis' Pomigliano d’Arco Assembly Plant in Italy couldn't keep their cellphone to themselves. Video uploaded to the Alfa Romeo Club Italia Facebook page, then quickly removed, purports to show Dodge's brand-engineered version of the Alfa Romeo Tonale in the same factory where the Alfa will be built. The Dodge is expected to be called the Hornet, and there are a few differences between it and and Alfa Romeo, which is understandable. But if the screenshots on Twitter are accurate, then the Dodge looks a lot closer to the Alfa Romeo than perhaps anyone expected. The front fascia and hood fall in line with Dodge's design language. The Alfa grille is replaced by a narrow, stepped upper grille, and the hood is one of the vented units similar to those available for Dodge's R/T performance trims. And as Mopar Insiders noticed, the silhouette of this car's front end matches a vehicle silhouette Dodge showed during Stellantis' 2021 EV Day.   Inside, the Italian brand's crest in the steering wheel center cap is replaced by Dodge's twin slashes, and the steering wheel has been stripped of the large, curved paddle shifters the Tonale showed on its debut. There's still a start/stop button on the steering wheel, but where the Tonale has a driving mode dial on its dash, this supposed Hornet has another start/stop button. Dodge's push-to-start buttons are usually on the instrument panel, so our guess is that the wheel is a holdover for testing. On the center tunnel, the parking alert buttons and Italian Tricolore flag on the Alfa Romeo are replaced by three different buttons.   We've known Dodge has two electrified vehicles on the way, and the Hornet name has been low-key buzzing for two years. Fiat Chrysler applied to trademark the name in the U.S. in March 2020; at the time, it was thought a vehicle with that name could replace the Journey. In 2021, a July rumor out of Italy was the first whisper of the Hornet name being attached to the Alfa Romeo Tonale. In August, when Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said Dodge would get a PHEV in 2024, watchers pegged that model as the Hornet. That hybrid powertrain would show a year after the vehicle's launch, the Hornet anticipated as a 2023 model with the Tonale's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. That engine could get the same 256 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque as the Tonale, or be boosted to satisfy Dodge's performance credentials.

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.