1995 Alfa Romeo Spider on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo takes Spider in-house, Mazda-Fiat roadster partnership not dead

It's officially off. Following a report in March of this year that the marriage of Mazda and Alfa Romeo to produce a MX-5-based Spider was in trouble, the Italians have confirmed that it will take development in-house. "As far as the Spider goes, the final version is of course no longer the two-seater FCA co-developed with Mazda but a derivative of Project Giorgio," Maserati and Alfa Romeo brand boss Harald Wester told Car. For those not in the know, Project Giorgio is Alfa's codename for the rear-drive platform that will underpin the next-generation Spider, not to mention the replacement for the 159 sedan and a few other products. All is not lost for the Japanese-Italian partnership, though. "The Far East import will probably find a new home with Fiat-Abarth," Wester told Car. Yes, you read that correctly, Mazda is still working with FCA, and the result will eventually end up with Abarth's scorpion badge. If anything, we're more excited over this news than the idea of an Alfa MX-5. But we want to know what you think – would you rather Alfa build a new Spider on the Miata's bones, or does an MX-5 Abarth sound like more fun? Have your say in Comments.

Alfa Romeo planning Giulia GTA to rival M3, C63

What do you think of when you see the letters GTA? The Grand Theft Auto video game franchise? The GTA Spano supercar from Spain? Alfa Romeo enthusiasts remember it as the ultimate badge of performance from the Italian automaker, but while it's been over a decade since those letters appeared on a production Alfa, the latest rumors suggest they could be making a comeback in the form of a new Giulia GTA. Those who've been following developments from Alfa Romeo will know that the company is planning a successor to the beautifully angular 159 with a new Giulia to slot in above the Giulietta five-door hatch, and according to Auto Express, a new GTA version is in the works. Tipped to be powered by an upgraded version of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 developed by Ferrari for the Maserati Ghibli, the Giulia GTA is rumored to pack around 500 horsepower (give or take 20 horses) underhood. That would give it a solid output advantage over the 425-hp BMW M3 and 451-hp Mercedes C63 AMG and give Fiat Chrysler Automobiles a performance sedan to challenge the upcoming Cadillac ATS-V and slot in below the bonkers 707-hp Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. Expect other oily bits to include a dual-clutch transmission and limited slip differential, as well as upgraded brakes, rolling stock and aero components. The last time we saw the GTA badge was on the MiTo GTA concept (pictured above) that appeared at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Alfa was said to be considering a 159 GTA, similarly powered by Ferrari, back in 2007, but the rumors didn't come to fruition. The last production model to wear those letters was the 156 GTA that preceded it, with a 3.2-liter V6 that produced 250 hp. The most famous example, however, was the Giulia Sprint GTA produced in the late 1960s... a legend that Alfa appears keen to revive with this new model. Featured Gallery Geneva 2009: Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA News Source: Auto Express Alfa Romeo Performance Sedan alfa romeo giulia

2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Review | As good as you imagine

When you affix words to a car such as “Alfa Romeo,” “Quadrifoglio,” “twin-turbo,” and “Ferrari-derived,” youÂ’re setting up some pretty serious expectations. Add to that a price tag thatÂ’s near the top of its segment, as with our 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, and those expectations creep ever higher to a point that seems hard to fulfill. But IÂ’m happy to report the Giulia passes with flying tricolores. ItÂ’s intensely fast, incredibly nimble, and surprisingly playful and approachable. ItÂ’s one of the most fun supersedans. Of course, the headline feature of the Giulia Quadrifoglio is that twin-turbo V6 based on a Ferrari engine, and it certainly deserves the hype. It generates a massive 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. ThatÂ’s more power (though less torque) than the mighty Mercedes-AMG C 63 SÂ’s V8. Power comes on smoothly and only grows stronger with revs until the limiter kicks in. Lag is practically non-existent, and the exhaust note, though a bit blatty inside, generates a low, gritty howl outside thatÂ’s fitting for a slinky Italian sedan. The only thing preventing the powertrain from being the unquestionable class champion is the transmission. This is strange, since itÂ’s the vaunted ZF eight-speed automatic, but it shifts slowly for such a sporty car. At least itÂ’s smooth, and the huge metal shift paddles are a delight. As for the GiuliaÂ’s chassis, itÂ’s marvelous with no caveats. What stands out is its playful demeanor. It keeps you informed of every move it makes, even throwing in a bit of Miata-like body roll. The steering isnÂ’t quite as talkative, but is more so than many of its competitors, especially BMW, and itÂ’s lightning-quick and weighted well. To cap it off, the car is highly stable, even on rough pavement, and the wide tires offer tremendous grip. The ride can occasionally be bumpy, but never harsh. ItÂ’s well-balanced. At this point it's also worth noting that the character of the Giulia can be altered substantially with the drive mode selector. The settings are "Race," "D," "N" and "A," with the latter standing for "Dynamic," "Normal" and "Advanced Efficiency." Race and Dynamic are the sportiest with the quickest throttle response, loud exhaust, and more lenient traction settings, and they set the suspension to the firm setting by default. But the suspension can be switched back to the normal setting by pressing the shock absorber button.