2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia on 2040-cars

Auto blog

FCA reportedly joins the crowd skipping this year's Paris Motor Show

It's likely FCA vehicles will not be seen at the Paris Motor Show this year. Automotive News is reporting that Fiats, Alfa Romeos, Jeeps and Abarths will not be a part at the show, based on information circulating in the French media. There's a possibility that Maseratis will be displayed at a special section dedicated to upscale cars, but Maserati too will not have a show stand of its own. Ferrari will have a stand, but as it happens, the supercar maker has been a standalone brand since 2015. Skipping the Paris show follows FCA's decision not to take part in the Frankfurt show last year, and the two shows alternate as the biggest autumnal automotive show in Europe. Volkswagen will also not attend the event, and neither will Ford, Nissan or Infiniti. This has become a problem for car shows worldwide, including Detroit's North American International Auto Show. FCA has not released a formal statement about the matter, but a FCA spokesman, quoted by the French magazine L'Argus, reportedly said that the sales and publicity brought in by the show stand would not justify the costs of attending. The news mirrors Volvo's newly announced plan to not take part at the next Geneva Motor Show, but to arrange "bespoke activities" to introduce its cars instead. Related Video:

Alfa Romeo range-topping sports car confirmed for 2023 debut

Alfa Romeo's on-again, off-again range-topping sports car is back in the pipeline. Company boss Jean-Philippe Imparato confirmed that a two-door flagship is on track to make its debut in 2023 as a concept whose exterior design will draw inspiration from historic models. "You will see something in that field in terms of sportiness in the first half of 2023. We use one word to define the brand, and it's 'sportiness,'" the executive told British magazine Autocar. He's previously voiced his support for bringing back the dormant GTV and Duetto nameplates. Imparato added that the yet-unnamed model will borrow styling cues from the Tipo 33, though he didn't specify which version of the car he has in mind. Alfa raced several evolutions of the Tipo 33 from 1966 to 1977, and it sold 18 units of a Franco Scaglione-designed supercar with a mid-mounted engine called 33 Stradale (pictured) between 1967 and 1969. We're guessing it's the latter that will provide inspiration. Numerous points remain up in the air, like what will power the car. "For the moment, I have two scenarios: full ICE or full EV," he revealed to Autocar. Regardless, the model "will be very exciting, very selective, and very expensive." It sounds like production will be limited. We're about four months away from 2023, so we won't have to wait long to discover the concept that Alfa Romeo is working on. Executives have toyed with the idea of adding a sportier model to the range for several years, but they have never pulled the trigger. Imparato explained in 2021 that the brand wouldn't release another two-door car until it increased its sales in more mainstream segments of the market. What's changed since then is unclear; the Tonale unveiled in February 2022 is the only new Alfa Romeo released since. (A Dodge Hornet badge-engineered version of the Tonale was revealed this week.) Traveling further back, in 2018 former Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) boss Sergio Marchionne announced that the 8C and GTV names would make a comeback on a pair of coupes. The former was presented as having a carbon fiber chassis and 700 horsepower thanks to a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain built around a mid-mounted turbocharged V6. The latter was also planned as a hybrid, but it would have offered drivers 600 horsepower, and a sketch made it look like a two-door version of the Giulia sedan. Both cars were canned by 2019. Related video:

Fiat Chrysler trademarks Kamal, likely for small Alfa CUV

We have Alfa Romeo news to share, and for once it's not about a product delay. Fiat Chrysler has trademarked the name Kamal and we think it will be used on one of two crossovers planned to follow the (delayed) Stelvio. Fiat Chrysler trademarked the name Kamal last month. Because trademark filings are intentionally vague, there is no specific brand attached to the application, only parent company FCA. The link to Alfa comes from a small CUV concept that used the name way back in 2003. If we had to wager, we'd say this one will be smaller than the midsize, Giulia-based Stelvio and could use a version of the same platform or whatever will underpin the brand's (eventual) small hatchback. It probably won't come in gold like the concept. We hope not, at least. Interestingly, there's no trademark for Stelvio in the US Patent and Trademark Office's database. That name was confirmed by Sergio Marchionne in February, but anyone familiar with recent Alfa news knows things change. And then they get pushed back and change again. About that waiting, though. Alfa's product plans have been made and amended, the gorgeous Giulia has been delayed, and now things seem to be on track. Maybe. If the latest trademark filing is any indication, the brand is at least thinking about what's supposed to come next. Related Video: