Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1958 1959 1960 1961 # Match Convertible May Deliver on 2040-cars

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Autoblog Podcast #360

Episode #360 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth and Jeff Ross discuss the 2015 Ford Mustang, reports of the latest plan to bring Alfa Romeo back to the US, Chevrolet leaving Europe and Holden closing down in Australia, and the price barrier that's holding down potential EV buyers. Dan also interviewed Jacques Brent, Ford's marketing manager for the 2015 Mustang and Sebastian Ruta and Joe Oh from Blipshift. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. You can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #360:
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US-spec 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia details revealed

Maurice the Bowler from The Simpsons said, "Better than the act, better than the memory, is the anticipation!" He wasn't talking about the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, but he could have been. Recently delayed another six months by parent company Fiat, we're going to do a whole lot more anticipating since the sedan might not make it here until the actual 2017 calendar year. That's a shame to think about because the top-of-the-Giulia line is a thing of beauty, so we'll enjoy it at the LA Auto Show while we have it. Built on the new Giorgio architecture developed in conjunction with Ferrari, its standard elements are a 2.9-liter, twin-turbo V6 with 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. That power number is the largest Alfa Romeo has ever let loose from a production car factory, and that torque is available from 2,500 to 5,000 rpm. The fireworks are sent to the rear wheels through a short throw six-speed manual transmission and carbon fiber driveshaft, and 19-inch wheels can convert those explosions into a 3.8-second run from 0-60 miles per hour and a top speed of 191 mph. The Giulia Quadrifoglio gets its grunt massaged by tech like an active front splitter controlled by two electronic actuators, a carbon fiber rear spoiler, torque-vectoring limited-slip differential, and adaptive damping. Brembo four-pot calipers all around hugging iron rotors come stock, you'll find carbon ceramics on the options list providing six-piston Brembos in front and four-piston Brembos in back. The carbon fiber hood and roof, and extensive aluminum bits like the doors and fenders go easy on the scales and help provide a "near 50/50 weight distribution." Cylinder deactivation will help you go easy on the gas, if not the throttle. After the top-dog Giulia gets here its less powerful minions will follow, all of them motivated by a 276-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. All-wheel-drives comes after launch, too. Interior options will be lengthy and detailed, with a mix of materials, colors, and stitching. For the hardest of the hardcore, Sparco racing seats can be had for the Quadrifoglio. You can read about all of this and much more in the press release below, here's the number you'll want to know now: "around $70,000," the US MSRP we're now being warned about. Because beauty is not cheap, especially when it's quick.

Muhammad Ali's 1976 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Series II is for sale

An Alfa Romeo was never in the plans. It was by accident that Muhammad Ali ended up bringing home this beautiful silver-on-black 1976 Spider Veloce Series II, but its interesting backstory only makes it more special. It's a story the car's next owner will surely need to memorize, as the car is currently listed on eBay for a Buy It Now price of $39,900 OBO. Found by Silodrome, the car is listed by Moto Exotica out of St. Louis, Missouri. According to Moto Exotica, which sources a clip from the book "Running with the Champ" by Ali's close friend and car guy Tim Shanahan, Ali had set out with Shanahan to buy a new Rolls-Royce (Ali loved his Double-Rs) during his time living in Chicago. The two visited European Imports in Lake Forest, Illinois, with the intention of buying a Kelly Green Corniche and possibly a Mercedes-Benz SL for Ali's wife, Veronica Porche. To Ali's dismay, the dealership did not have any SLs in stock, so this Alfa was suggested as an alternative. Ali purchased the car, brought it home, and ran into yet another issue. Porche did not know how to drive the car's manual transmission, and apparently didn't have any desire to learn. So the car mostly sat, with the exception of some rare errand runs by one of Ali's assistants. After a short time passed, Ali learned that Shanahan's personal car had broken down. In a situation that perhaps suggests destiny, Ali then gifted the car to Shanahan, who has owned the car for 40-plus years up until its sale to Moto Exotica. With about 80,000 miles, it has some wear and tear, such as a small crack on the dashboard, but it's in solid overall shape and recently received a respray. Plus it comes with the real registration with Ali's signature on it. Check out the full photos, video, and descriptive listing at Moto Exotica.