1989 Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio For Sale on 2040-cars

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These 'blind' automotive world record stunts have to stop

Drivers setting world records "blind" – wearing a blindfold or with something obscuring the windshield – is the new thing for some reason. First it was an Alfa Romeo Giulia setting a blind lap at Silverstone with help from a spotter trailing behind, and now this: a stunt man doing a J-turn within a narrow path with nothing but a Nissan Juke's cameras guiding him. He matched the "sighted" J-turn record, flipping the car around in a space about 7 inches longer than the car. I have two issues with these stunts. First, there are just too many world records. Yeah, I said it. Are these meaningful? Is someone else likely to ever attempt this feat? No, because it's just marketing, both for the manufacturer and whoever's still trying to sell those annual books. Stuff like the fastest production car is fine with me. Heck, I'll even take unofficial Nurburgring times – the kind where the drivers can actually see. Second, I'm all for stunts, but do something cool! And preferably something that could only be performed with that particular car, if you're going to make an ad out of it. Yes, the Juke has an Around View Monitor system, which stitches together feeds from four cameras to make it look like the car is being filmed by a drone hovering overhead. I happen to love 360-degree cameras – they let you see things that are just not visible from the driver's seat and make parking and low-speed maneuvering really easy. But the Juke isn't the first car to offer one, and the feature isn't even new to the car. Nissan was at least forthright enough to admit that this professional driver (on a closed course!) had a bunch of practice. But this really says more about his precision driving skills than about the car, or the camera. And just so we're clear, you really shouldn't try to park a car without looking out the windows, even if you have fancy cameras. So what's next? Pretty soon there will be a record for blindest blind stunt. Let me know when someone actually does something interesting. Related Video:

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 scales back electrification offensive as it rethinks turn-around

Alfa Romeo stopped developing a pair of two-door sports cars to focus on high-volume crossovers as part of its ongoing restructuring. The Italian firm has also scaled back its green ambitions, though it hasn't deep-sixed them completely, and a recent report sheds light on what to expect. The Fiat-owned automaker needs to release electrified models to keep up with its German and Japanese rivals, to satisfy demand from buyers, and to remain on the right side of government regulations. While it originally announced plans to electrify six of seven nameplates, its updated product road map outlines two plug-ins out of four models; they're the two we haven't seen yet. With the 4C allegedly out of the picture, and a direct replacement not expected to arrive, the Alfa Romeo range currently consists of the Giulia sedan (pictured), the Stelvio crossover, and a city-friendly, front-wheel drive hatchback named Giulietta sold in Europe, among other global markets. The latter will retire next year as it celebrates its 10th birthday, so the Giulia and the Stelvio will represent the Milan-based brand on their own until they're joined by two crossovers. One is the Tonale, which was previewed by an eponymous concept car at the 2019 Geneva auto show, and leaked online several weeks later. It will take Alfa Romeo into the plug-in hybrid segment for the first time. The other is a yet-unnamed entry-level soft-roader which will offer an electric powertrain. Both will also come with non-electrified drivetrains. The Giulia and the Stelvio are no longer in line to receive hybrid technology, interestingly. Alfa Romeo has a proven history of changing its product plan on a regular basis, so seeing a plug-in hybrid variant of either nameplate is not entirely out of the question. Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) boss Mike Manley hinted the rear-wheel drive Giorgio platform on which both cars are built was recently updated to accommodate an array of tech features, including alternative powertrains. "We have changed the suspension. We have updated all of the electrical architecture in that so that it can take the next-generation infotainment as well as very, very advanced high-tech features," he explained, according to Automotive News. He didn't go into more specific details, but the publication believes the updated platform could also find its way into the research and development department of sister company Maserati, which is also planning a major range extension during the 2020s.