1981 Alfa Romeo Spider, No Reserve on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo is bringing something deliciously loud to Geneva

Alfa Romeo will risk running afoul of Switzerland's engine noise regulations by bringing something deliciously loud to the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. The preview video it posted on Twitter asks more questions than it answers. The seven-second flick announces that Alfa Romeo, one of Italy's oldest automakers, is about to make "a momentous comeback." It displays the company's logo, notes the location of its booth in the Palexpo convention center, and ends on the sound of what we're pretty sure is a V6 engine exploring the upper echelons of its rev range. There's no mention of which car the six-cylinder is in, let alone whether it's new or updated. sound on See you at #GIMSSWISS. #AlfaRomeo pic.twitter.com/yIUPYEiTkj — Alfa_Romeo (@alfa_romeo) February 22, 2020 This is where facts end and speculation begins. Alfa planned to expand its range with a two-door version of the Giulia that would have resurrected the GTV name and a flagship sports car tentatively called 8C, but both models were allegedly canceled in 2019. The 4C is nearing the end of life cycle, so the odds of seeing a new variant of it are low. Besides, its engine bay is far too small to house a six-cylinder engine like the Giulia's 2.9-liter unit. Before the teaser video emerged, we expected Alfa's next new model would be the production version of the Tonale concept unveiled at the 2019 edition of the Geneva show. The crossover is well on its way to production, and its front end has changed quite a bit in the past 12 months, but we don't think it will reach showrooms with a race car-like exhaust note; electrified technology will likely make it one of the quieter members of the Alfa lineup. This leaves us with two credible possibilities. First, rumors of a more powerful Giulia positioned above the Quadrifoglio model have floated around the internet for years and they plainly refuse to die. It would likely wear the heritage-packed GTA nameplate and arrive as a more track-oriented sedan in the vein of Mercedes-AMG's Black Series cars. If that's the case, expect copious carbon fiber, a stripped-out interior, and a full body kit. Second, Alfa could simply kick off its 110th birthday celebrations in Geneva by showing a concept built to mark the occasion. We'll know for sure when the show opens its doors to the press on March 3. Related Video:     Geneva Motor Show Alfa Romeo Luxury Performance

Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato briefly teased, could be a coupe

Earlier this month, Alfa Romeo and Zagato teased the upcoming Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato with a single image of an unbroken LED taillight outlining what looked like a Kamm-back rear end. Zagato recently published a few more teasers to its Instagram page, but someone might have pressed the Send button too soon — the video and images are gone from the source. No matter, because this is the internet. The new shots hint at something that could justify Alfa Romeo boss Jean-Philippe Imparato's assessment that the vehicle will be "very exciting, very selective, and very expensive." The image with the carbon-backed driver's seat contains a new rear window shutline and a crossbar. The redrawn glasshouse leads us to believe this will be a coupe, making the most of that Short Wheelbase designation. Some have called the crossbar a roll cage, but it looks to us like the kind of brace used in some cars that omit their rear seats, like the original Bentley Continental GT Supersports. The engine shot doesn't give anything away except the Quadrifoglio badge. The twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 could come with the same 505 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque as the Giulia Quadrifoglio, it could be uprated to the 532 hp and 442 lb-ft of the special edition Giulia GTAm, or, as buyers would hope, it could go beyond that. We'd expect the output to be sent through Alfa's eight-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential.  Zagato standards like new mesh vents and a vented hood make their appearances elsewhere. The grille gets printed with a stylized version of the red cross and crowned viper in Alfa Romeo's logo between the tri-section headlights that should debut on the facelifted Giulia. In back, a closer shot of the taillights gives away segments between LEDs, so the rear end won't be a continuous clamshell piece like the vintage Giulia TZ and Giulia TZ2. Detail bits like a carbon fiber front splitter and another take on the five-leaf-clover wheels from the Giulia GTA will make for dark and shiny jewelry.  The Giulia TZ debuted in 1963, the Giulia SWB Zagato will be the 50th birthday present to the original. Market launch is rumored to come in March next year, an official debut should come not long before that.  

Alfa Romeo 4C La Furiosa revealed by Lapo Elkann's Garage Italia

Visitors to the Dubai Motor Show who stopped by the Alfa Romeo stand were treated to this aesthetically modified 4C created by Garage Italia Customs. To make this particular example stand apart from an "ordinary" Alfa 4C, the customizers cloaked it in a velvet matte-finish red, similar to the original show car. The roof was left in exposed carbon fiber, fading into red, like the engine cover and brake calipers. The trim around the headlights, air vents, and side mirrors has been left in carbon fiber with a thin coat of candy red that leaves the weave exposed. The wheels are painted gold, and the interior is swathed in Alcantara. The creation was made for Alfa Romeo by the customizing firm started by Lapo Elkann. The eccentric brother of Fiat Chrysler chairman John Elkann is himself an heir to the Agnelli empire, and has played a variety of roles in the company - including brand promotion and the creation of the Gucci edition Cinquecento. Alongside fashion house Italia Independent, Lapo founded Garage Italia Customs to apply his unique sense of style and that of his team to models like the Fiat 500, Jeep Renegade, and Maserati Ghibli. Related Video: Milano, November 10th 2015 Garage Italia Customs in Dubai with Alfa Romeo 4C "La Furiosa" On the occasion of the 2015 Dubai International Motor Show, Garage Italia Customs presents a world premiere, La Furiosa, the 4C one-off created for Alfa Romeo. La Furiosa is the result of the meeting between the "Mechanics of Emotions" and the Style Center together with the Maestros of Garage Italia Customs. It is a unique model that combines the high level technical characteristics of this Alfa Romeo and the Tailor Made interventions of the Lapo Elkann team specialists. THE EXTERIORS The stage for the debut of this new creation by Carlo Borromeo - head of the Garage Italia Customs Style Centre – is the Alfa Romeo stand at the Dubai International Motor Show. Hence, La Furiosa is unveiled to the international press next to the Alfa Romeo 510 CV Giulia Quadrifoglio and the latest versions of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio, the Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe and the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. The aim of the Garage is to create a car which emphasises the 4C wild style with a strong and extraordinary aesthetic impact. Special toned-down painting characterises the external livery.