1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, 101 Series, 78,320 Miles on 2040-cars

Auto blog

CAR adds details to Alfa Romeo's five-year plan

Much of this month's issue of CAR Magazine is devoted to Alfa Romeo and what we can expect from it in the next five years. Of course, they unfortunately went to print before FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne died (and it took a while for it to land in my mail box), so certain elements are bound to change in light of new leadership. Nevertheless, there are plenty of interesting tidbits to chew on. First, there are a few more details regarding the Alfa Romeo 8C super car, which was confirmed during FCA's recent five-year plan announcement. Unlike the last front-engined, rear-drive 8C, the new one would be mid-engined with the rear wheels powered by a version of the Quadrofoglio turbo V6 brought up to the 600-horsepower range, and some amount of electrification added to the front axle. CAR indicates a total output of around 800 hp and 660 pound-feet of torque. A carbon fiber monococque would help keep the weight down, and to keep cost down, reporter Georg Kacher posits its production will be farmed out to a third party like Dallara. Both pricing and performance will be interesting with the 8C: how much does FCA want Alfa Romeo to compete with Ferrari? Without Marchionne leading both, perhaps it won't matter. View 19 Photos Then again, how much it wants Alfa to compete with Maserati might, as the future Giulia-based GTV coupe could do just that. Apparently, the coupe and convertible range is intended to compete with the entire breadth of the German two-door catalogue, from 4 Series and M4, to C- and E-Class Coupes. Presumably it'll therefore be more than just a Giulia coupe. Regular, high-performance and plug-in hybrid versions are mentioned. Finally, as was part of the previously announced five-year plan, there will be SUVs introduced on either side of the Stelvio. Apparently, it was originally thought that the smaller of the two would be produced on the cheaper Renegade/500X platform, but that has been nixed in favor of the Giulia's "Giorgio" platform to maintain a higher degree of engineering sophistication. If so, good call. The bigger of the two new Alfa SUVs would also be on the platform, and since it's been rumored that the next Jeep Grand Cherokee will be as well, it'll be interesting to see how similar those two mid-size SUVs will potentially be. There are many more Alfa insights from CAR, but as it's restricted to print and not on their website, we can only urge you to swing by your local magazine rack and pick up the latest issue. They do good stuff.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV interior spied

With is flanks still heavily covered in these photos we can't tell much about the outside of the upcoming Alfa Romeo Stelvio, but it's the first time we've been able to catch a glimpse of the SUV's interior. It is obvious the Stelvio's driver environment will largely follow in the footsteps of the Giulia sedan, and fans of characteristic Alfa Romeo detailing like the gauge cluster "buckets" will be pleased to see familiar themes. The development mule here features light, birch-like wood around the shifter console, which may or may not make it into the production car. Despite appearing a little Volvo-like, the material is not out of place in the Stelvio, and we'd expect the production car to offer different trim options. Above that, a navigation screen is integrated in a similar fashion as the Giulia, and large paddle shifters garnish the steering column. The start-stop button mounted directly on the steering wheel is also a trait shared with the Giulia. The Stelvio is inching closer to production, with official unveiling expected in late 2016 or early 2017. Little by little, the test vehicle camouflage comes off, and compared to some earlier shots seen in April, the Stelvio mule has already lost the box disguising the rear window shape. Perhaps there's an attractive, sporty 4WD vehicle underneath it all. Related Video: Featured Gallery Alfa Romeo Stelvio Spy Photos with Interior Related Gallery Alfa Romeo Stelvio: Spy Shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: Carpix Spy Photos Alfa Romeo alfa romeo giulia alfa romeo stelvio

Alfa Romeo 4C coupe will be gone for 2019, but the Spider lives on

This post has been updated with confirmation from Alfa Romeo. Not with an expensive bang, but a barely audible whimper: That's the way Alfa Romeo's 4C sports coupe goes out. The slow-selling mid-engined car has been cut from the lineup for next year. An Alfa Romeo spokesperson has confirmed to Autoblog that the 4C coupe will be gone from Alfa's U.S. portfolio after the 2018 model year. It will remain for sale in this country while supplies last, and will still be produced for other markets around the world. View 12 Photos The 4C never sold in enormous numbers during its 2014-on tenure, but monthly sales have slowed down to just a couple dozen cars in the past year. In January, 12 were sold, with October 2017 a particular high point with 45 units delivered. By contrast, the strongest month was January 2015 with 97 4Cs sold. Not a single month has seen three-figure U.S. sales. Those sales figures seem to cover both 4C models, so we can only assume the coupe was the weaker part of those numbers. However, if a 4C is what you want, you don't have to give up on the dream. The open-topped Spider version remains on sale, but Motor Authority reports that it gets a $1,000 price hike for next year, to $66,900; at $55,900 the coupe was $10,000 cheaper than the open version, so those wanting one should act on it quickly. In addition, the racing-oriented Track Package will be unavailable after 2018. That included handling improvements like sturdier sway bars and better shocks, along with sportier wheels and tires. Related Video: Related Gallery 2018 Alfa Romeo 4C Competizione: Geneva 2018 View 11 Photos News Source: Motor AuthorityImage Credit: FCA Alfa Romeo Car Buying Coupe Performance alfa romeo 4c alfa romeo 4c spider