Sergio Marchionne Prepping 4th Relaunch Plan for Alfa Romeo

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne will not let Alfa Romeo die. He has unveiled the fourth relaunch plan for Alfa Romeo since he took over Fiat in June 2004. He plans to unveil the full plan in the first quarter of 2014.

"We continue to work in a pretty determined fashion trying to reshape the Alfa Romeo platform,” said Marchionne.

Alfa Romeo is in its worst state in decades. Sales will likely be below 100,000 units for the first time since 1969, and it has never made a profit since Marchionne took over. To rejuvenate the brand, Marchionne wants to make Alfa Romeo a premium brand that it is exported worldwide.

The vehicles would use a new, modular rear wheel and all-wheel drive platform being developed within Fiat by former Ferrari head of vehicle development Philippe Krieff. His goal is to create a platform that Alfa Romeo can use for future vehicles but can also be used by Chrysler and Dodge to generate sufficient economies of scale. Both sedans and crossovers will use it, and the first vehicles could be on the road as soon as late 2015.

"We will focus on Alfa Romeo and Maserati to access the higher end of what we consider to be a permanently polarized market," said Marchionne.

The problem is that it is getting increasingly hard to believe Marchionne’s pronouncements. He has already had three plans, and sales have only fallen further. Fiat is also trying to purchase the remaining stake in Chrysler, and it is unlikely that it has enough money to rejuvenate Alfa Romeo as well.

Source: Automotive News Europe

Alfa Romeo Planning Transition to Rear-Wheel Drive Cars

Alfa Romeo is planning a major brand shakeup that would have it transition away from front-wheel drive hatchbacks and to more rear-wheel drive sedans. The plan would involve replacing the Giulietta and MiTo in the lineup with small sedans.

The move comes from Fiat wanting to incorporate Alfa Romeo and Maserati more in the future. The first step of this plan has already begun with the 4C being built at the Maserati factory. 

The first of these new cars would be a mid-size sedan in 2015 that could be followed by a larger sedan as soon as a year later. The rear-wheel drive Spider will also come in 2015. At least one crossover is also in the planning stages for Alfa Romeo.

Fiat's plan is to sell Alfa Romeo as a sporty alternative to BMW. Alfa Romeo has been suffering from aging product in recent years, and if there is a time for a radical change, then this is it. 

Alfa and Maserati will work together on chassis development to save on costs. Some parts will also come from Fiat's ownership of Chrysler. 

Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne believes that the move could triple Alfa Romeo sales to 300,000 units a year, which is also partially thanks in part to the brand expanding to North America.

Source: Car

Alfa Romeo Planning Transition to Rear-Wheel Drive Cars :: News :: autoviva.com

Next Gen Alfa Romeo Spider Will Use 168hp 1.4 Turbo Four

The next generation Alfa Romeo Spider and Mazda MX-5 are on the horizon for 2015, and the first plans for the car from Alfa Romeo are emerging. It plans to use the turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder with 168hp that is already found in the Giulietta and fitted with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

To save money, Alfa Romeo collaborated with Mazda on the chassis for the new car. However, the two cars will have completely different styling and different powertrains. 

They will share windshields, windshield structures, front bulkheads, engine compartments, front and rear axles, wheelbase and track. Mazda has engineered it to weigh between 1,000kg (2,205lb) and 1,100kg (2,425lb).

While the suspension layouts will be the same because of the shared platform, the suspension setups will vary between the two cars.

The final design has not been agreed upon yet within Alfa, but designer Marco Tencone from Fiat Centro Stile is heading the team and spending a lot of time in Japan with his team to craft the car. Tencone is on a bit of a roll in terms of Fiat styling. He penned the Alfa 4C, Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli. The major inspiration for the new car is said to be the original Duetto spider but with modernized looks like he did with the 4C.

The frontal design is said to be heavily inspired by the original Duetto with a central shield flanked by wide air intakes.

Source: Autocar

Next Gen Alfa Romeo Spider Will Use 168hp 1.4 Turbo Four :: News :: autoviva.com

Production Alfa Romeo 4C Finally Revealed at Geneva

The production version of the Alfa Romeo 4C has finally been revealed, and the car will be shown to the public at the Geneva Motor Show on March 5. The car looks very similar to the concept that has been shown since 2011 with two seats, rear-wheel drive and a 1750cc turbocharged engine. Sales will begin worldwide in 2013. The 4C name comes from Alfa Romeo's 8C and 6C sports cars that began in 1920s. The cars used various tunes of Alfa Romeo's straight-eight and straight-six engines respectively until the 50s. The name is also supposed to represent that the car has a less than 4kg/hp power-to-weight ratio. To achieve the low weight, the 4C uses a combination of carbon fiber and aluminum and a 1750cc turbocharged engine. The engine is also used in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta with 232hp, but Alfa Romeo has not officially said how much power the engine will have in the 4C. The transmission will be the Alfa TCT twin dry clutch transmission with Alfa DNA selector with Dynamic, Natural, All Weather and Race modes. The 4C is a tiny car that seats two people. It is 4m (13.12ft) long, 200cm (6.6ft) wide and 118cm (3.9ft) high with a 2.4m (7.9ft) wheelbase. The style of the 4C is supposed to blend the look of the iconic 33 Stradale and more modern 8C Competizione. It is very similar to the look of the previous concepts. Alfa Romeo has not shown what the interior looks like yet, but the passenger cell is made from carbon fiber. The 4C will be built at the MaseratiMaseratiItaly, 1914 > present56 models350 photos6 videos factory in Modena. via autoviva.com

L'Alfa 4C entre en scène !

Deux ans après le concept-car, l'Alfa Romeo 4C revient à Genève. Mais dans sa version définitive. Elle symbolise le renouveau d'Alfa Romeo, marquant ainsi le point de départ du plan de croissance voulu par Sergio Marchionne. Cela signifie également le retour d'Alfa aux Etats-Unis, un vieux serpent de mer qui est en passe de s'éteindre.

Assemblée dans l'usine Maserati de Modène, cette 4C, dont le châssis est totalement en carbone, apparaît fidèle au concept qui avait tant plu. Sans revenir sur le style, largement inspiré de la 33 Stradale et de la superbe 8C, ce coupé taillé pour le plaisir semble respecter ses promesses annoncées à l'époque. En effet, le rapport poids/puissance sera bien inférieur à 4 kg/cheval. Placé en position centrale arrière, le nouveau 4 cylindres 1750 Turbo, associé à une boîte double embrayage TCT, laisse augurer de belles performances. Quant au prix, annoncé aux environs de 40000 euros à l'époque du concept-car, rendez-vous à Genève.

Voilà une bonne nouvelle pour Alfa Romeo, mais la 4C ne pourra à elle seule régler tous les problèmes de la marque, vraiment à la peine ces dernières années même si la MiTo et la Giulietta n'ont pas démérité. L'ajustement des stratégies produits et industrielles avec le groupe Chrysler a sans doute fait prendre du retard à certains développements, mais cette Alliance apparaît aujourd'hui comme une chance pour Alfa Romeo. Ainsi pas moins de 9 produits sont annoncés d'ici à fin 2016 ! Gageons, qu'un SUV est de la partie afin de nous faire oublier le très réussi concept Kamal que la marque avait présenté à Genève en 2003.

De la même manière, le futur roadster Alfa, fabriqué au Japon par Mazda sur la base technique du futur MX-5, sera l'un de ces arguments de reconquête. Neuf produits pour atteindre l'objectif fixé par Sergio Marchionne, qui souhaite voir Alfa Romeo écouler 300000 untiés par an à l'horizon 2016. Pour mémoire, en 2012, la marque a totalisé 110000 ventes.

via journalauto.com

Fiat Will Build Maserati and Alfa Romeo SUVs at Mirafiori

Fiat says that it will build Maserati's new SUVs at its Mirafiori factory near Turin. The Maserati SUV, which had previously been called the Kubang is known as the Levante and is slated to debut in 2014. It will share a platform with the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Alfa Romeo will follow suit in 2015 with a Jeep-based SUV. The Mirafiori factory will also build Jeep SUVs. The reason for building all of these trucks in Italy is to keep the factory running at capacity. It is currently running just a few days a week. Jeep is rapidly becoming one of the most profitable brands in Fiat's portfolio, and it plans to take advantage of the platforms from the brand. "I've made a commitment. We are not closing Mirafiori. We will make luxury cars for both Maserati and for Alfa Romeo," said Marchionne. The luxury SUVs will be exported to North America, Russia and Asia to feed the areas with the highest demand. Marchionne wants to use US Chrysler dealers to sell the cars. Source: Automotive News Europe via autoviva.com

Alfa Romeo Partners with WSBK for Mito Special Edition

Alfa Romeo and its partner the FIM World Superbike Championship have been partnering for the last seven years. This year Alfa Romeo is celebrating with the

Alfa MiTo QuadrifoglioVerde SBK Limited Edition powered by the 170hp 1.4 Turbo Multiair engine.

To promote the new car stunt driver Paul Swift and British Superbike rider Chris Walker completed a stunt where the Mito drove on two wheels around Silverstone while Walker passed under the car.
The limited edition Mito adds Super Bike decals, an extended body kit with side skirts and rear lower spoiler, 18in wheels and Brembo brakes. The car is only available in Solid Black with a red roof.
The interior gets Alcantara-covered Sabelt seats with carbon fiber backs, dual-zone air conditioning, Bluetooth, cruise control, active suspension, rear parking sensor,  sport pedals, red leather steering wheel and gearshift and an individually numbered badge.
The cars will be limited to 28 units in the UK and 200 units in all of Europe.
Prices start at £21,595 (€24,824), which saves the buyer £1,200 (€1,380) over a standard MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde

via autoviva.com

Ferrari motorisera Alfa Romeo

"Ferrari prendra un rôle plus actif dans le développement d'Alfa Romeo, comme cela a déjà été fait par le passé pour Maserati", a révélé Sergio Marchionne, lors d'une conférence avec des analystes, le 30 janvier dernier. Le patron du groupe Fiat-Chrysler a précisé qu'une annonce officielle serait faite au cours du mois à venir.

Qu'on ne s'y trompe pas, il n'est pas question de mettre un moteur Ferrari sous le capot des Alfa Romeo. Les blocs resteront toujours flanqués de l'écusson du constructeur milanais, mais bénéficieront de l'expertise des ingénieurs dans le domaine des supercars. Toutefois, le groupe est conscient qu'il est nécessaire de réintroduire la dimension sportive chère à la marque.

Pour mémoire, Alfa Romeo multiplie les propositions de plans depuis novembre dernier, afin de tripler ses volumes annuels, à 300000 unités. Il est notamment prévu de lancer pas moins de neuf nouveaux produits entre 2013 et 2016, dont la Giulia (remplaçante de la 159), puis un roadster fabriqué en collaboration avec Mazda (2015) et la 4C, qui sera produite à 2500 unités par an (1000 pour l'Europe, autant pour les Etats-Unis et 500 pour le reste du monde), dès la fin 2013. 

via journalauto.com

Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior - Bruges, Belgium

Bonjour,
Voici une charmante petite Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior sur laquelle je suis tombe a Bruges.
Elle est magnifique, en tres bon etat, a part le pare-choc arriere.
A bientot,
auTHOMobilia


Hello,
Here is a very nice Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior I saw in Bruges.
It is very nice, and in very good shape, but the rear bumper.
See you soon,
auTHOMobilia

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Classics - Paris, France

Bonjour,
Toujours au Mondial de l'Auto 2010 de Paris,voici deux Alfa Romeo Giulietta speciales. La blanche est une Giulietta SZ (Sprint Zagato). Zagato est le nom du carrossier l'ayant cree. 210 exemplaires ont ete produits.
La seconde est une Alfa Romeo Giulietta SS (Sprint Speciale). Elle est carossee par Bertone. Plus de 1300 ont ete produites.
A bientot,
auTHOMobilia


Hello,
Still at the 2010 Paris Car Show, we have here 2 special Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The white one is a Giulietta SZ (Sprint Zagato), Zagato being the name of the design house that created it. 210 of them were built.
The second is an Alfa Romeo Giulietta SS (Sprint Speciale), made by Bertone. More than 1,300 were made.
See you soon,
auTHOMobilia

Alfa Romeo Giulietta SBK - Turin, Italy

Bonjour,
Voici, surprise sur un parking, depuis la rue, une brochette d'Alfa Romeo Giulietta qui officient en tant que Safety Car sur les epreuves du championnat du Monde de SuperBike (SBK). Je les ai revues plus tard en preparation chez Abarth.
Il s'agit d'Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde, equipees d'un 4 cylindres de 1750 cm3 a injection directe d'essence turbo (TBi), developpant 235 chevaux, et 340 Nm de couple. Elles pesent 1320 kg, atteignent 242 km/h, et effectuent le 0 a 100 en 7,2 secondes.
Cette version Safety Car se distingue par un spoiler avant et des jupes laterales speciales, qui seront disponibles sur commandes dans le catalogue Lineaccessori.
Ces voitures seront aussi utilisees comme Safety Car sur les championnats 600 Europeen, la Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, et le Mondial Supersport.
A bientot,
Thom.

Hello,
Here are the Alfa Romeo Giulietta that will act as Safety Cars on the SuperBike championship (SBK). I saw them later on being inspected at the Abarth premises.
These are Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde equiped with a 1750 cc Turbo, direct injection, 4 cylinder, good for 235 HP and 340 Nm of torque. It weights 1320 kg, reach 242 km/h, and is good for 7.2 s on the 0 to 100 km/h exercize.
The Safety Car is distinguished by special front spoiler and side skirts, that will be available on order from the Lineaccessori catalog.
See you soon,
Thom.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce - Turin, Italie

Bonjour,
Voici un magnifique Spider Alfa Romeo, pris en photo devant le Lingotto, siege de Fiat. Cette voiture etait immatriculee aux Pays Bas, donc le proprietaire a du faire un voyage bien agreable pour venir jusque Turin.
Cette voiture represente pour moi le cabriolet italien typique, voila le genre d'auto qui eveille les sens. Magnifique, non? Bon, les photos sont toujours aussi pourries, aidez moi a investir dans un vrai appareil photo plutot que l'iPhone ;-)
A bientot,
Thom.

Hello,
Here is a superb Spider Alfa Romeo, pictured in front of the Lingotto, headquarters of Fiat. This car was registered in the Netherlands, so the owner must have had a very nice drive to reach Turin.
This car is really a symbol of the Italian convertible for me. I just love it. Magnificent, don't you think? OK, the pics are still as shitty as usually, but help me invest in a real camera instead of the iPhone ;-)
See you soon,
Thom.