1989 Alfa Romeo Spider Graduate on 2040-cars

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Fiat set to invest $12B on new models, stop Euro losses in 3 years

Naturally, you'd expect a massive automaker like Fiat to have an in-depth plan to exit the current European-market doldrums, and you'd expect that plan to include plenty of new vehicles to attract those precious buyers that still remain despite the financial downturn. And you'd be right, though Fiat does seem to have a few unexpected twists up its corporate sleeve.
Perhaps the biggest shocker is a report that Fiat will completely drop the Punto, a car with mass-market appeal aimed at small-car buyers cross-shopping the popular Volkswagen Polo. Its replacement will be a five-door Fiat 500 aimed at upmarket buyers (sounds awfully similar to the 500L) that will be built in Poland. Lower-end customers will reportedly be served by variants of the Fiat Panda.
Borrowing a page from the BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen playbook, reports Automotive News, Fiat is said to have plans to reignite production at its Italian factories by retooling them to build high-end vehicles from Maserati and Alfa Romeo. These will be marketed as premium products, built by skilled Italian workers (who are paid wages that are 75-percent higher than those building Fiats in Poland), and will be sold around the world.

Alfa Romeo Giulia leaks early

The new Alfa Romeo Giulia is set to debut June 24, but the eagle-eyed folks at CarScoops already found these two somewhat blurry shots of the upcoming sedan. While there's unfortunately no photo of the front, these images give an idea of what to expect from Alfa's future four-door challenger to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. According to CarScoops, this is the Quadrifoglio Verde performance trim, and the blurry profile images certainly appear to show that insignia on the front fender. Don't worry about the mouthful of a name, though, because the far less vowel-filled Cloverleaf moniker is reportedly being used in some markets. Beyond the badge, this crimson Giulia has a short deck at the rear and large fender flares. Vents cut into the fenders also communicate the model's sporty intentions. The rear shot shows angular taillights and dual exhausts nestled in a diffuser down below. The Giulia badge is clearly visible, and there's a contrasting black lip spoiler running along the edge of the trunk. A set of black wheels completes the performance-tuned look. For now, hard facts about the Giulia's mechanical details remain largely a mystery. The engine range reportedly includes a V6 with some relation to Ferrari that possibly pumps out around 480 horsepower, and a turbocharged four-cylinder might also be available. Some portions of the chassis are rumored to be borrowed from the Maserati Ghibli, as well. A crossover sharing the same platform may join Alfa's lineup in 2016. Related Video:

On International Women's Day, Alfa Romeo salutes its legendary female race drivers

Alfa Romeo is celebrating International Women's Day by highlighting some of the women who have raced its cars over the past century. They collectively achieved a long list of impressive achievements on and off the track in the face of adversity. One of the earliest-known women that raced an Alfa Romeo professionally is Maria Antonietta d’Avanzo, an Italian baroness who started competing shortly after World War I. Her career spanned several decades, during which she competed against numerous pilots, including an ambitious young man named Enzo Ferrari who would have a profoundly important effect on Alfa Romeo's image and success on the track. He was a mediocre racer, by most accounts, but he proved to be a brilliant manager and was soon put in charge of the carmaker's racing efforts. Ferrari sold Anna Maria Peduzzi one of her first race cars: an Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport. Racing either alone or with her husband, she took first in the 1500 category of the 1934 edition of the Mille Miglia. Helle Nice and Odette Siko also raced Alfa Romeo cars during the 1930s; the latter finished fourth overall and first in the 2.0-liter category in a privately-entered 6C 1750 Super Sport. Alfa Romeo's official entry, an 8C 2300, took second overall. Belgian-born Christine Beckers and Dutch racer Liane Engeman both competed in the GTA — one of the company's most successful race cars — during the 1960s. Alfa Romeo later hired Engeman as a model. Maria Grazia Lombardi (also known as Lella) raced a GTV6, but she's better known as the only woman to have scored points in Formula One. She competed from 1974 to 1976 and scored half a point in 1975. She also raced in four editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished 20th overall and second in her class in a Lancia Stratos. Colombian pilot Tatiana Calderon joined the Sauber Formula One team as a development driver in 2017 after a successful career racing karts. In 2018, she became a test driver for Alfa Romeo's Formula One team. She doesn't line up on the starting grid (at least not yet) but she plays a big part in creating the company's top-level race cars. Unlike many of her predecessors who raced as privateers or for small teams, she's officially affiliated with the company. Race teams (and car manufacturers in general) began welcoming more women into their ranks in the 1990s. Sibling company Maserati also shed light on some of the women who have played an important role in its racing history.