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Marchionne: FCA, but not Ferrari, interested in Formula E

It seems like automakers have been clamoring to get on board with Formula E lately. In just the last few weeks a number of manufacturers have either become more directly involved, or otherwise announced entry into the series in coming years. That includes Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, with the latter two abandoning other series to join the electric one. Now, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne says his company might join Formula E as well, according to Motorsport. Previously, Marchionne had toyed with the idea of bringing Ferrari into the Formula E field, but now says that would be unlikely. Instead, he thinks an FCA brand would be a better fit, perhaps Alfa Romeo or Maserati. At the moment, Maserati seems like the best fit, as Marchionne just announced that the brand would electrify its entire lineup after 2019, with each car it sells having either a hybrid or electric powertrain. Fans would probably be excited to see Maserati return to racing, and Formula E would be a good test laboratory for the development of electric propulsion technology. Still, another brand could represent FCA in Formula E, and apply the knowledge learned there to its vehicles, as Marchionne says half of the FCA fleet will be electrified by the end of the company's five-year plan ending in 2022. Marchionne said that while Ferrari won't be directly involved, he doesn't know which FCA brand – Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, or Maserati – would enter. As interesting as an electric Dodge race car would be, it seems unlikely, especially because of, well, Maserati. We're hoping it's Jeep, though. Related Video: News Source: MotorsportImage Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images Green Alfa Romeo Ferrari Maserati Green Culture Electric Racing Vehicles Sergio Marchionne FCA Formula E

Alfa 4C to set the pace as WTCC safety car

With just 240 horsepower on tap, the Alfa Romeo 4C may not be the most powerful sports car on the market. But its lightweight construction ensures that it has a power-to-weight ratio better than cars with twice the output. In short, it belongs at the front of the pack, and that's just where it will be for this year's World Touring Car Championship. That's because Alfa's nimble little sports car has been selected as the new safety car (what we'd call a "pace car") for the WTCC, starting next month with the season opener at the Moulay El Hassan Circuit in Marrakech, Morocco. For that purpose it's been fitted with the special red and black livery you see here, and will presumably carry some extra safety equipment like emergency lighting, and a couple of fire extinguishers and a first aid kit on board in case it arrives at the scene of an accident before the medical support car can get there. This year will see some new entries in the FIA's top touring car series as the new Honda Civic WTCC makes its debut with four cars on the grid, Citroen entering the series with the new C-Elysee with nine-time rally champ Sebastien Loeb and four-time WTCC champ Yvan Muller behind the wheel. After a Euro-centric start to the season, the series heads to the US in mid-September for the race at Sonoma before winding up with three rounds in the Far East. The Alfa Romeo 4C Will Be the FIA WTCC Safety Car - Eurosport Events, promoter of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) appointed by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), has chosen the captivating Alfa Romeo supercar as Safety Car for the 2014 season - The multi-award-winning coupe will make its debut on the track with a special livery on 12 and 13 April on the Moulay El Hassan circuit of Marrakech - The recognition is linked to its winning the prestigious Grand Prize as Most Beautiful Car of 2013 at the 29th International Automobile Festival of Paris On display this week at the 84th Geneva International Motor Show with the preview of the Spider version, the Alfa Romeo 4C was chosen by Eurosport Events as the Safety Car of the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) for the entire 2014 season. The multi-award-winning coupe will therefore be present with a special livery on the World Touring Car Championship circuits starting from the first event that will be held on the Moulay El Hassan Circuit of Marrakech (Morocco) on 12 and 13 April.

Alfa Romeo realigns product onslaught (again)

After Sergio Marchionne announced an ambitious plan in May of 2014, Alfa Romeo has continued to struggle, pushing back launch dates and the debut of the models that would serve as the brand's new bedrock. And now it's happening again. A new investor relations document reveals that Alfa won't complete the debut of its new lineup until the middle of the next decade, and that FCA will be scaling back the brand's research and development, manufacturing, and product investments through 2018. The move is partially down to "uncertainties" in China, which gels with what we reported back in December. Alfa also needs extra time to "guarantee proper global distribution network execution," the document claims. As we've reported, the revised product cadence will still see the Giulia (pictured) and a new midsize utility vehicle hit dealers in 2016 and late 2016/early 2017, respectively. From there, Alfa is still aiming to flesh out its lineup with six more vehicles, including a fullsize sedan, two more utility vehicles, two "specialty" vehicles, and a hatchback. This new product strategy differs from the original Marchionne strategy in a few key ways. First, all of these vehicles were supposed to have been launched between May 2014 and sometime in 2018. Since it's 2016 and we can't even buy a Giulia yet, it's pretty clear that plan isn't going to happen. Instead, the six vehicles that will follow the Giulia and midsize CUV won't start arriving until 2017, with debuts continuing until at least 2020. The new product strategy also better reflects today's market. Gone are the two compact cars, and in their place is a single hatchback, arriving at the tail end of the brand's new product offensive. That might explain why the MiTo was given a stay of execution. It's no surprise to see a second utility vehicle in Alfa's plan, considering the way the segment has exploded in the past few years, while enthusiasts will likely welcome the idea of a second "specialty" vehicle. The brand's second midsize sedan has been pushed out, though, so the only Alfa four-door following the Giulia will be a fullsizer. As for Maserati, the investor relations PDF didn't list nearly as many specifics. As we've reported, FCA still expects the Levante CUV to be a growth leader for the brand by 2018. The performance brand's fortunes will also be bolstered by pairing its dealerships with those of Alfa Romeo. Related Video: