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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

Alfa Romeo Tonale is the last new gas-powered Alfa for U.S.

Speaking to journalists yesterday, Vincent Noirbent, vice president of marketing and product for Alfa Romeo North America, talked about Alfa's electrification plans for the U.S. He confirmed the brand's plans to go to only electric introductions for 2025 and beyond. And he also revealed that the plug-in hybrid Tonale is the last new gas-powered model for America. We take that to mean the last new mainline model, since Zagato teased a special Giulia coupe that might be available to America that's slated to come out in 2023. That's undoubtedly going to be a very limited-production vehicle and could be regarded as just another version of the existing Giulia. But that aside, the Tonale is the last new internal combustion Alfa for the U.S. And that also makes it the last major model introduction until the first of the EVs is introduced for 2025. Apparently there's a smaller internal-combustion Alfa coming for Europe between now and 2025. But Noirbent said that it wouldn't be a good fit for the U.S. Apparently it will be a smaller model than the Tonale, and we would be inclined to agree with Alfa's decision. Vehicles the size of Tonale are about as small as any of the major premium car companies go in this country. Following the introduction of the 2025 Alfa EV, the brand will have additional models released every year through 2030. So Alfa's electric lineup will grow impressively quickly. The brand will still have a few gas-powered models overlapping, though, as existing vehicles won't be discontinued immediately. So Tonale, and likely Giulia and Stelvio, will stick around for a few years during the transition. Related video: A Night With Giulia

Future Classic: Alfa Romeo Milano

While the glory that was Alfa Romeo may be in the past on this side of the Atlantic, there still remains evidence of Italianate greatness on used car lots and in new car showrooms: stunning sports cars of graceful lines (if unreliable electronics), colorful sport utility vehicles of modest power and functionality, and a smattering of older sedans — or, “family saloons” — that, in 2023, might be called classic. Take, for example, the Alfa Milano. Why is the Alfa Romeo Milano a future classic? Launched on May 17, 1985, the car was born as the Alfa 75 in Italy, named to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the companyÂ’s founding in Milan. Unlike many Alfas of jaw-dropping beauty, the angular, pseudo-boxy Milano wedge, as it was called in America, was primarily about the engine. Sold between June 1986 and August 1989, the Milano was initially offered in three trim levels: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each level was equipped with more and more goodies, with the Platinum stocked with leather, a sunroof, ABS brakes, and a limited-slip differential. All of these models had a 2.5-liter, SOHC version of the Busso V6, producing 154 horsepower. It was nicknamed after its creator, Giuseppe Busso.  ItÂ’s worth noting that smaller engines were offered in Europe, and during the carÂ’s lifecycle there, they were replaced by a novel "Twin Spark" four-cylinder unit, which featured two spark plugs per cylinder, allowing for more efficiency and power. Initially, Milano was designed to compete with a new-ish class of European sports sedans like the Mercedes-Benz 190 and the BMW 3 Series. Under the Milano's skin was a modest rear-wheel-drive chassis with bits borrowed from AlfaÂ’s motorsports heritage: torsion bars and shock absorbers up front and a De Dion tube with shocks and coil springs in the rear (the De Dion "Dead Axle" setup was chosen as it reduced the unsprung weight in comparison to a live rear axle). In its day, the Milano was boarderline-quirky in an Italian way, battling an often deserved reputation for questionable reliability but undeniably handsome (in rosso Alfa, of course) and a joy to drive on challenging roads with its gutsy six and rear-wheel-drive platform. What is the best example of the Alfa Romeo Milano?