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Is this designer sitting in Alfa Romeo's new SUV?

Well, well, well, what have we here? A picture of Lorenzo Ramaciotti, that's what. It was posted by Ralph Gilles on Instagram. But what's more interesting is what Ramaciotti is sitting in. And it appears to be a new crossover from Alfa Romeo. For those unfamiliar, Lorenzo Ramaciotti is one of the foremost designers in the Italian automotive industry. He served as head of Pininfarina until 2005, and in 2007 was named chief designer for the Fiat group. That's put him in charge of styling more Ferraris, Maseratis, Alfas, and others than we could name. But at nearly 68 years old, he's now preparing to retire, handing the reins to the design of everything that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles makes to his American counterpart Ralph Gilles. Gilles paid tribute to Ramaciotti with this photo and statement posted on Instagram. It shows the veteran designer sitting in the back of what looks to be an SUV. The thing is, though, that it doesn't look like any SUV or crossover we've seen to date. Judging from what we can see of the dashboard design – more angular and modern than rounded and retro – and given who's sitting in the back, we're likely looking at either an Alfa Romeo or a Maserati. Both are working on launching their first crossovers, but the similarity of the dashboard and center-stack design to that of the new Giulia suggests this is probably an Alfa. Whatever it is, it appears to have a rather tall but narrow tailgate, with a flat load floor extended by a fold-down rear bench. If Ramaciotti has done half the job with this crossover as he did with hits like the Ferrari 360 Modena or the Alfa 4C, we're sure it will be a stylish affair inside and out. We'll have to hold on to see how it pans out, but judging from the apparent level of completion of the product pictured, it shouldn't be long now. I have got to dedicate my year and this era of my career to one of my true Heroes, design Legend (& very soft spoken) Lorenzo Ramaciotti. Many of you may not have heard of him but have likely loved the cars he has had his hands in. Mr. Ramaciotti has had one of the most illustrious careers an automobile designer can have. Having led one of Italy's most famous design houses, #Pininfarina for 17 years and contributed there for an incredibly prolific 33 years. He came out of retirement in 2007 to lead Fiat design. In 2009 I met him as my colleague, global boss and most importantly a true mentor.

Car cocktails and Risky Business Porsches with Brett Berk | Autoblog Podcast #502

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman are joined by a special guest, Autoblog contributor Brett Berk. The three discuss cars in film and TV as well as Brett's series on car-themed cocktails. There is of course a recap of what they've all been driving lately, and the episode wraps up with Spend My Money buying advice to help you, our dear listeners. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #502 The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics and stories we mention 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV - Autoblog's 2017 Technology of the Year Car award winner 2017 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350R 2016 Kia Soul EV 2017 Audi A4 sedan The story of the Risky Business Porsche 928 The Taxi Cocktail took us for a ride The myth and mystery of The Bentley Cocktail Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 01:50 Brett Berk interview - 21:12 Spend My Money - 39:44 Total Duration: 54:02 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Audi Bentley BMW Chevrolet Maserati Mercedes-Benz Porsche kia soul ev Chevrolet Bolt porsche 928 ford shelby mustang gt350r cocktails

Bid on the very first Maserati Ghibli Spyder [w/video]

In reviving the Ghibli nameplate, Maserati may have applied it to a sedan this time around. But the original Maserati Ghibli was a coupe – and as anyone who knows their history of exotic Italian automobiles will tell you, it also bred a convertible. What you see here is the first example, and now it's going up for auction during Monterey Car Week. Maserati only built 128 examples of the Ghibli Spyder, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro for Ghia, making it a highly sought-after roadster and an icon of its time. This Ghibli – bearing chassis number AM115/S 1001 – wasn't merely one of them. It was the factory prototype, the one which the Modenese automaker displayed at both the Turin Motor Show in 1968 and the Geneva Motor Show in '69. The production models that followed featured some subtle changes, particularly to the trunk, filler caps, and door handles. But rather than hold on to the prototype, Maserati sold this yellow show car when it was done with it. The roadster was bought by one Ruggiero Capuano in 1969, who had it for six years before selling it to Libero Girardi, an Italian-American and Ferrari mechanic in Rhode Island, who in turn transferred ownership to John Ferro, his son-in-law. Ferro drove it for over a decade before putting it in storage for the better part of 30 years. Its current owner bought it from Ferro, took it out of storage, and put it on the concours circuit, picking up numerous trophies along the way. Having been properly stored, the Ghibli Spyder never required much restoration, and remains in highly original condition. That ought to make it a hot item even among the other notable lots that RM Sotheby's has lined up for Monterey this year. Though the auction house isn't saying how much it expects the prototype to sell for, Sports Car Market records that a Ghibli Spyder (also in yellow) was sold by Artcurial in Paris last year for over $1 million. Considering the provenance and condition of this prototype, we'd expect it to sell for even more. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 1968 Maserati Ghibli Spyder Prototype - AM115/S 1001 View 41 Photos News Source: RM Sotheby'sImage Credit: Darin Schnabel/RM Maserati Auctions Convertible Concept Cars Classics Pebble Beach RM Sotheby's maserati ghibli