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2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider doffs its cap in Detroit

With the debut of the 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider the Italian company's US lineup has officially doubled. Cosmetically, it makes most of its changes up top and out back, starting with its exposure to the sky. The 4C's 236-pound carbon-fiber monocoque was already engineered for open-air duty, so the Spider only needs an aluminum rollbar underneath the CF roll hoop - called a "halo" - as well as some new upper body brackets and a crossbeam in the engine compartment to maintain stiffness. The CF windshield frame is both bolted and glued to the monocoque. When it's time to close the cabin off, a stowable cloth roof or, later after launch, an available carbon-fiber hardtop will do the job. We've already had the chance to affix and remove the former, and it's a simple job that's good for a full 160 mph, unlike some rival's similar toupees that aren't approved for top-speed runs. When we saw spy shots of the 4C Spider on a photo shoot recently, we thought the center-mounted exhaust from the concept car had been retired, but that's not the case. Buyers will have the option of a center-set Akrapovic titanium dual-mode exhaust, with a carbon-fiber body surround. The aural sensations will be boosted further with three air extractors in the new decklid. The cockpit comes standard with cross-stitched leather in either black, red or Tobacco, depending on package. Details include CF vent surrounds, and an Alpine stereo with plenty of media input options (we're hoping it's better than the absolutely terrible head unit we've already experienced in the 4C coupe). Exterior touches will be enhanced by four new wheel designs in silver or dark finish, with four choices of brake caliper. How much performance will you give up to go topless? It doesn't look like much, if any. The 4C Coupe has been run from standstill to 60 miles per hour anywhere from 4.1 seconds to 4.3 seconds. Alfa gives the estimated time for the Spider as 4.1-seconds, to go along with 1.1 g of lateral acceleration, and says the car only weighs 22 pounds more than its fixed-head sibling. It looks like the Spider is out to earn all the attention it's going to get when it launches this summer. You can turn your attentions now to the mega gallery above and the lengthy press release below, and we'll have live shots of it from the Detroit Auto Show shortly.

Ram, Jeep redesigns on hold, Alfa Romeo models may come sooner

Last summer, FCA outlined an ambitious five-year plan that sketched out the company's product intentions for each of its brands through the end of 2018. However, even the best strategies sometimes need tweaking. According to Reuters after speaking with unnamed people at auto suppliers, FCA is now possibly delaying at least a dozen projects in North America for a variety of reasons. From vehicle to vehicle, these postponements allegedly last anywhere from just a few months to over a year. The sources from the suppliers claim that in some cases these tweaks are for engineering and design changes. The next-gen Ram 1500 reportedly has among the shorter delays and is being pushed from mid-2017 to November 2017, according to Reuters. Also, the much-discussed future Jeep Wrangler is allegedly moving a little later to July 2017. Among the vehicles purportedly seeing longer delays, the next-gen Grand Cherokee could get pushed back about a year to 2018. That then forces the launch of the three-row, luxury Grand Wagoneer to be even further away. Jeep's upcoming C-segment CUV and the all-new Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Challenger might also see postponements. The one brand allegedly seeing an accelerated plan is Alfa Romeo. Without going into detail, the sources from these suppliers claim that the Italian automaker is getting even more vehicles for its lineup and could get them even faster than planned. "Those plans need to be flexible and fluid, with the potential to add some vehicles, pull some forward and extend the life cycle of others," FCA said to Reuters about all of these allegations. "We look at these programs on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis." Investment in the auto industry has been a major topic for FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne as of late. He believes consolidation is necessary so that companies aren't burning money on the same projects. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Sergio Marchionne FCA fca us

Lazzarini dreams up Ferrari-powered, Hennessey-tuned Alfa Romeo 4C

If there are any two firms you could count on to shoehorn a Ferrari V8 into the back of an Alfa Romeo 4C, they would almost certainly be Lazzarini Design and Hennessey Performance. The former already dreamt up doing the same with a Fiat 500, and the latter has been shattering records with a similar conversion performed on a Lotus Elise to turn it into the Venom GT. What you see here is their lovechild. Designed by Lazzarini and enhanced by Hennessey, the 4C Definitiva does – at least in theory – what Maserati was not prepared to do: shoehorn a Ferrari-sourced V8 engine into the back of Alfa's nimble little sports car. The powerplant is borrowed from the Ferrari 458 Italia and tuned by Hennessey to produce a claimed 738 horsepower and 532 pound-feet of torque. In a package weighing just 2,100 pounds, that's said to be enough to propel Frankenstein's four-wheeled monster to 60 miles per hour in a scant 2.5 seconds and across the quarter-mile in 9.5 seconds at 137 mph. Those are LaFerrari levels of performance. As you can see, the engine transplant calls for a widened rear track, and is accompanied by more aggressive aero as well. Of course, the design may be little more than an idea at the moment, but Lazzarini is apparently looking for customers to commission the first examples, at a reported price of 260,000 euros, which is about five times the going rate for a stock 4C and more than Ferrari gets for the 458 Speciale. Whether it's worth that much is one question. Whether Lazzarini and Hennessey could actually deliver on the promise is an even bigger one. Featured Gallery Alfa Romeo 4C Definitiva by Lazzarini Design View 10 Photos News Source: Lazzarini Design Aftermarket Alfa Romeo Coupe Concept Cars Supercars Hennessey alfa romeo 4c alfa 4c