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Only best-performing US Fiat dealers to get Alfa Romeo franchises

Alfa Romeo has been rumored to return to the US market so many times for so many years, it's hard to keep count. This time, though, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne promises that it's for real. Alfa is scheduled to reappear in the States this summer with its 4C sports coupe as its introductory model. However, buyers won't be able to pop into just any Fiat showroom and leave with a 4C – it's planning to only sell Alfas at its best-performing dealers, according to The Detroit News. In fact, the first 4Cs sold here won't be sold at Fiat dealers at all. Instead the first shipment of cars in June will go to Maserati dealers, not unlike the handful of Alfa 8C Competizione coupe and convertible models that trickled in starting in 2008. According to Fiat Chrysler spokesperson Rick Deneau, the company is still deciding which Fiat retailers will participate in Alfa's reentry. Many of Fiat's US dealers are apparently not happy with the meritocracy approach. They built Fiat showrooms partially on the promise that Alfa would enter the US market in 2012, then 2013, and now later this year. Even worse for them, the prospects for more mainstream Alfa Romeo models in the US are still questionable. This isn't the first time that we've heard that Fiat plans to keep Alfa Romeo exclusive in the US. Still, Fiat only plans to export about a 1,000 4C sports coupes a year here. If Alfa wants to be a legitimate player in America and be a money-making concern globally, it will need far more sales than that. Featured Gallery 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C: First Drive View 57 Photos News Source: The Detroit NewsImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Matt Davis / AOL Earnings/Financials Marketing/Advertising Alfa Romeo Fiat Maserati Coupe Performance Sergio Marchionne alfa romeo 4c fiat dealers

Audi rumored to buy Alfa Romeo, officials deny it

For more than two years, Volkswagen has been making public statements about its willingness to buy Alfa Romeo and quadruple the Italian brand's sales, and for just as long, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has replied with some version of "Mr. Piëch, drop it." According to a report in Ward's Auto, all that jousting might be over: it claims that sources close to both Marchionne and Audi CEO Rupert Stadler admit that the two are in talks for Audi to buy not just Alfa Romeo, but a production plant in Italy. In fact, a final deal could possibly include partsmaker Magnetti Marelli.
Against that backdrop, a report by German news weekly Stern quotes a Fiat spokesmen as saying it doesn't comment on rumors and an Audi rep has said flatly that "There is no substance in the news." If a sale is being arranged, the timing would seem to point to how eager Fiat is to raise cash to complete its major initiatives. Even though Alfa Romeo continues to delay its return to the US, it just showed off the production version of the 4C at the Geneva Motor Show (shown above) and said that preferred Fiat dealerships here would get them. Then there's Alfa's recently concluded deal with Mazda to develop a roadster based on the next generation MX-5 Miata - a deal that would seem to help both the Italian and Japanese brands.
The monetary issues are troublesome, though. Fiat is taking a beating in the European market and its weak-kneed balance sheet is delaying gotta-have-it products like the Jeep Cherokee. Fiat has been talking to banks about getting money to buy the rest of Chrysler and those financial institutions have also raised issues about debt and cash reserves, and the nasty game of chess Fiat is playing with the United Auto Workers (and now the court system about the portion of Chrysler it doesn't own) could end up blowing another hole in Marchionne's plans. It is possible that this could finally have convinced Fiat to at least see how serious Audi's parent company, Volkswagen, is about buying Alfa Romeo. Or it could be just another rumor.

The Abarth 695 Biposto Record is 190 hp tribute to speed

Abarth earned an early reputation for tuning big power from small-displacement engines. The company's Fiat Abarth 1000 Monoposto Record set class acceleration records at Monza in 1965, with Carlo Abarth himself behind the wheel. The limited edition 695 Biposto Record now celebrates the 50th anniversary of those titles with the hottest version of the Fiat 500 on the street. Abarth will limit this special 695 Biposto to just 133 examples – the company's number of historic records. They all wear Modena Yellow bodies with Tar Cold Grey trim and an enameled badge. The interior also features a numbered plaque. Beyond these aesthetic tweaks, Abarth sticks with the high-output powertrain of the standard 695 Biposto: a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder sends 190 horsepower to the front wheels through a mechanical locking differential. An Akrapovic exhaust provides great sound, too. Compared to a normal Fiat 500 Abarth, the weight of the Biposto twins drops to 2,198 pounds thanks in part to the removal of the rear seats. The combination of more power and fewer pounds lets the hatchback reach 62 miles per hour in 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 143 mph. Brembo brakes slow things down. Inside, Sabelt buckets with carbon shells hold the two occupants tight with four-point harnesses. Like the standard 695 Biposto, we don't expect the company to offer the Record in the US. They're rather expensive across the pond; The UK press release shows a price there at the current equivalent of $55,680. Related Video: ABARTH ANNOUNCES LIMITED EDITION 695 BIPOSTO RECORD A new, limited edition version of Abarth's stunning 695 biposto, the Record, has just gone on sale, priced GBP36,610 OTR. Just 133 examples of the striking 695 biposto Record will be built for worldwide distribution. An exclusive 'Modena Yellow' finish embellished with 'Tar Cold Grey' trims, enamelled '695 Record' badge on the side and aluminium bonnet are all standard features. This small run of cars – 133 is the number of records held by the Scorpion brand – also feature 18-inch OZ alloy wheels, large Brembo brakes and a throaty Akrapovic exhaust. Inside, there is special instrument panel animation, Sabelt carbon shell seats, four point seatbelts, a cargo net and a unique numbered plate. Based on the sporting, two-seat Abarth 695 biposto, the Record version is powered by the same 190hp 1.4 Turbo T-Jet 16-valve engine.