1989 Alfa Romeo Graduate Only 51k Looks Like 20k Miles on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo brings back the Quadrifoglio Verde

With a history as rich as Alfa's, the brand has a wealth of symbology to draw on. Of course the Alfa Romeo logo itself has its own clout and allure, as do nameplates like Giulietta, Giulia and Spider. But another symbol from the marque's 104-year history is the Quadrifoglio Verde. The green clover leaf has adorned the most hardcore performance Alfas since 1923. The emblem was brought back to distinguish the top versions of the MiTo and Giulietta in 2009, both of which are now headed to the Geneva Motor Show in even more enticing form. The new three-door MiTo QV packs a 1.4-liter turbo four driving 170 horsepower to the front wheels through Alfa's six-speed dual-clutch transmission, giving it a 0-62 time of 7.3 seconds and a 136-mph top speed. The latest five-door Giulietta QV, meanwhile, packs a 1.75-liter turbo four with 240 horsepower – the same engine and six-speed DCT as the 4C, only turned around to drive the front wheels from the front end. It's good for a 6.6-second sprint to 62 and a 150-mph top speed. Both models come with a host of upgrades both inside and out, details of which you can read in the press release below. But one of the most enticing parts is the matte grey finish which Alfa is offering on both models, and which only makes us anticipate the marque's eventual return to the North American market that much more. The 'Quadrifoglio Verde' is back on Giulietta and MiTo - The legendary 'Quadrifoglio Verde' that has identified the top performing cars by Alfa Romeo since 1923 is back on the new versions - Giulietta celebrates its 60th anniversary with a new 'Quadrifoglio Verde' - True expression of Alfa Romeo's DNA, this car marks the debut of the new 240 HP 1750 Turbo Petrol engine with all-aluminium direct injection - State-of-the-art 'Alfa TCT' 6-speed twin dry clutch transmission - It's the same engine/transmission as the Alfa Romeo 4C supercar - Giulietta's flagship model can exceed 240 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.6 seconds - New intake system highlighting Alfa Romeo's typical full, enveloping engine sound - New steering wheel, new instruments with dedicated graphics and QV logo and new leather and Alcantara seats, wraparound and sporty, with built-in headrest - New matt Magnesio Grey body colour exclusively created for the 'Launch Edition' special series produced in a limited edition of only 500 vehicles.

Alfa Romeo's Super Bowl commercial is about dreams and reinvention [UPDATE]

Update 2: Alfa Romeo keeps rolling out the Super Bowl ads. The post has been changed to include the third ad and information about it. Update: Alfa Romeo had not one, but two new Super Bowl commercials, and this post has been edited to include the second one. Alfa Romeo's Super Bowl commercial talks about the things we've dreamed of since we were kids, like riding on dragons and flying cars. It also covers the various life lessons many of us learn, including how to be true to oneself. All the while, images of childhood, growing up, and vintage Alfa Romeos are spliced together. It covers some heartwarming ground, but it's all a bit broad and borderline vague. The idea seems to be that Alfa as a company has learned the same lessons we do growing up, and that it all pays off with its new models. The second ad is much better, and is all about Alfa's strengths: driving enjoyment, passion, and other cliched Italian automotive characteristics. It shows a new Giulia Quadrifoglio cruising some gorgeous mountain roads, and the driver talking about being one with the vehicle and loving the experience. The bit about letting something go if you love it was cheesy, but this was a commercial that really showed what Alfa Romeo is all about, and we liked it. Check it out above. Alfa's third Super Bowl ad of the night continues what the second one started. This one focuses on the most powerful Giulia's beauty, and, well, power. It's apparently both breath-taking and breath-giving. Check out the commercial above. Related Video: Image Credit: Alfa Romeo / YouTube Alfa Romeo Super Bowl Commercials Videos super bowl li

Marchionne to make Alfa Romeo a separate company within Fiat

According to a report in Automotive News that quotes "people familiar with the matter," the next big play in Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne's plan for Alfa Romeo is to break it off from Fiat Group Automobiles and set it up as a separate company within the Fiat empire, giving it the same structure as Ferrari and Maserati. The idea, say the sources, is that a transparent, standalone Alfa Romeo that has to justify its every move could clearly prove its success in the public financial statements it would have to report, finally achieving Marchionne's aim of making Alfa Romeo "a credible business proposition."
That, of course, assumes that Alfa Romeo will make a success of it. The brand hasn't made a profit in any year of Marchionne's decade at the helm; sales last year fell to numbers not seen in almost half a century and its new product offensive might not include the two vehicles currently responsible for 99 percent of its sales. We're told that the brand's six new models will begin arriving in 2016 - a roadster, a midsize sedan and large sedan, a compact SUV and large SUV, and a large coupe.
Marchionne aims to expand Alfa's global appeal in several ways, the first by stressing that they are Italian products that 'belong' to Italy. This is the stance that appears to have put the kibosh on the roadster twinned with the coming Mazda MX-5/Miata. Alfa Romeos will all be made in their home country, and if they take off they'll help bandage Fiat's problem with underused plant capacity, a bugbear that is just as problematic culturally and politically as financially. Top-tier trims would use V6 engines developed by Ferrari, and global access would get a boost by selling Alfa Romeos in Jeep's 1,700 international dealerships.