Showing posts with label Alfa Romeo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alfa Romeo. Show all posts

Friday, December 23, 2011

Auto Avio Costruzioni Tunes Second Alfa 159, Battle with Ferrari Continues


If you are a frequent Carscoop reader, you may recall a story that we wrote in October about Laurent Muller, the man who bought the rights to the Auto Avio Costruzioni trademark in 2004.

Muller’s original goal was to build a supercar based on the Ferrari 430, but with a V12 engine instead of the production version’s eight-cylinder unit.

However, as soon as he announced his plans in 2008, Ferrari filed a lawsuit against him claiming that it still owned the rights to the Auto Avio Costruzioni name, as it was used by Enzo Ferrari for a short period after leaving Alfa Romeo and before founding the car company that carries his name.

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Friday, December 16, 2011

Fiat Group Lowers 2012 Sales Estimate by Half a Million Units


A funny t-shirt slogan reads “aim low, achieve your targets, avoid disappointment”. But it would probably be best if you didn’t give it as a Christmas present to Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne.

The reason is that the Italian group has lowered its 2012 sales forecast of 2.7 million units by a substantial amount; the new target for next year is 2.2 million, 500,000 units short of the original estimate presented in the group's 5-year plan.

The good news is that its partner, Chrysler, is expected to hit its 2.4-million sales target. Adding up the numbers brings the Fiat-Chrysler combined sales projection for 2012 to 4.6 million units.

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Rare Find: Fully Restored 1973 Alfa Romeo Montreal V8 up for Sale on eBay


Looking over at eBay's listings today, we discovered a very rare Alfa Romeo sports coupe up for sale.

The car is a 1973 Alfa Romeo Montreal of which only around 3,900 examples were built over a period of seven years from 1970 to 1977, and none were officially imported to North America as the coupe didn't meet U.S. and Canadian emission control requirements at the time.

The Italian sports car was designed by the great Marcello Gandini of Bertone fame and was originally presented as a concept at the 1967 Montreal Expo in Canada before making it into production as the Montreal in 1977.

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Monday, December 5, 2011

Alfa Romeo Giulietta by Maserati to be Used as a Courtesy Car for the Trident Brand's Dealerships


Collaborations between two companies that belong in the same group is a common practice. However, platform or parts sharing, or even badge engineering, is not the only form of a partnership.

In 2008, Ferrari chose a limited edition of the Fiat 500 as a courtesy car for its customers. Now, two more brands of the Fiat group have emulated the Ferrari-Fiat move. Maserati has chosen Alfa Romeo's C-segment hatchback, the Giulietta, as a courtesy car for its clients in Europe.

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Marchionne: Maserati will Launch Three New Models Very Soon, Doesn’t Rule Out Alfa Sale if the Price is Right


The Fiat Group may have its share of problems, especially in Europe, yet CEO Sergio Marchionne recently announced that its second most prestigious brand, Maserati, will soon launch no less than three new models.

“Maserati will increase its volumes by having three cars”, said Marchionne after the CBI conference in London last week. According to British publication Car Magazine, Marchionne said that these would be the Kubang SUV, the Quattroporte replacement and a smaller four-door sedanthat will compete in the E-segment against the likes of the Jaguar XF and BMW 5-Series.

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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Rendering: Should the Fiat Group Build it?


You know that there's a lot of interest in a model when independent designers begin to imagine different versions and body styles of a car that has not yet entered production.

Case in point the Alfa Romeo 4C mid-engined sports car that remains in show car form for now but is slated to reach dealerships around the world –including North America- as early as 2013.

The artists over at Teamspeed created their vision of what an open-top Spider version of 4C would look like. We think that the rendering is pretty much spot on and would make for a very interesting addition to the Alfa 4C's lineup.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Dodge's Detroit Motor Show-Bound Sedan Model will Not be Called the Hornet

[2006 Dodge Hornet Concept pictured above]

We've known for a while now that Dodge plans to introduce a new compact sedan model based on a Fiat platform that will replace the Caliber at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January.

While the company is keeping most of its cards close to its chest, Reid Biglund, head of the Dodge brand told the Detroit News we'll find out more in the coming weeks including the car's name which he says won't be Hornet as some media outlets suggested. "Hornet will not be the name," said Biglund.

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Guangzhou Automobile Says New Fiat Joint Venture will Build Alfa Romeo Cars in China


The already crowded Chinese car market will soon welcome a new and ambitious competitor as local manufacturer Guangzhou Automobile Group has completed plans to set up a new joint venture with the Fiat Group named Guangqi Fiat.

Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of this week's Guangzhou Auto Show, the Chinese company's president, Zeng Qinghong, said that Guangqi Fiat will start production as early as July of 2012.

More interestingly, Qinghong revealed that the joint venture would also build Alfa Romeo cars for the domestic market.

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Friday, September 9, 2011

Alfa Romeo MiTo

The Alfa Romeo MiTo (known internally as the type 955) is a three door sporty supermini officially introduced on June 19, 2008, at Castello Sforzesco in Milan, with an international introduction at the British Motor Show in 2008. The car was available in all Alfa's major markets in stages from July. The three-door hatchback is front-wheel drive and will be sold to compete with the MINI and the newer Audi A1. Designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, the design is believed to be inspired by the 8C Competizione. The MiTo is built on Fiat Small platform used on Fiat Grande Punto, also employed by the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa D. The new car was provisionally named the "Junior". In 2007, a European competition was launched in which the public had a chance to name the car. The winner from each country could win an Alfa Romeo Spider or an Alfa Romeo mountain bike. The winning name was "Furiosa", which scored well in Italy, France, UK and Germany but not in Spain. However, on March 14, 2008, Alfa Romeo announced officially that the name would instead be 'MiTo', an abbreviation of the cities Milano (Milan) and Torino (Turin), because it was designed in the former and was to be assembled in the latter; the name is also a play on the Italian word "mito," meaning "myth" or "legend." The car has a new "Alfa DNA" system which allows the driver to choose between three different driving settings: Dynamic, Normal, and All-Weather. This system controls the behavior of the engine, brakes, steering, suspension and gearbox. The MiTo also features LED tail lights and 250-litre (8.8 cu ft) of luggage space. The MiTo also features a Q2 electronic differential on the front wheels, which allows for faster and tighter cornering without loss of traction. The aggressiveness of the differential is linked to the DNA switch.

The GTA (Gran Turismo Alleggerita), the sportiest version of the MiTo was unveiled in March 2009 Geneva Motor Show as a prototype. This version has 1.75 litre turbocharged engine with direct fuel injection and variable valve timing both inlet and exhaust. The choice of engine size is very significant - the 1750 DOHC inline 4 engine was the largest engine available in Alfa Romeos for many years, and therefore an association certain to be prized by Alfisti. Therefore, this particular displacement is certain t o guarantee sales among enthusiasts. The maximum power is 240 PS (177 kW; 237 hp).The MiTo GTA has top speed of 250 kilometres per hour (155 mph) and acceleration from zero to 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) in 5 seconds. The weight of the GTA has been reduced by using carbon-fiber for the tailgate spoiler as well as roof and mirror fairings. Aluminium is also used to reduce the weight. The suspension is lowered by 20 millimetres (0.8 in) and the car has active rear suspension.In June 2008 former Alfa Romeo CEO Luca de Meo announced that an open-top MiTo Cabriolet would be added to the range in 2010.[The Quadrifoglio Verde (see Alfa Romeo in motorsport article for the history of this emblem) version of Mito was presented in 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Quadrifoglio Verde (English: green four-leaf clover) has traditionally been the highest line of Alfa Romeo models. The QV version has the new 1.4 litre 170 PS (125 kW; 168 hp) Multiair engine and newly engineered suspension, steering and new six-speed C635 gearbox developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT). The new multiair technology allows fuel consumption of 6 litres per 100 kilometres (47 mpg-imp; 39 mpg-US) in EU combined driving and CO2 emissions of 139 g/km.[In 2010 Alfa Romeo announced it would produce a limited 100 car series of Mitos to be distributed to Maserati dealerships in Europe. Maserati version MiTos feature same 125 kW (170 PS) engine as the Quadrifoglio Verde, new special leather interior with badging called Pelle Grau and exclusive blue paint Blu Oceano. Aluminium kickplates of the car bear words "Alfa Romeo for Maserati". The cars are to be used as courtesy cars for Maserati service customers very much like Ferrari version of Fiat 500.

A new transmission for the MiTo was unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the six speed TCT is produced by Fiat Powertrain Technologies in Verrone. Magneti Marelli delivers the control system which integrates BorgWarner's hydraulic actuation module into its own power and transmission control units. It can handle torque inputs of up to 350 N·m (260 lb·ft)In Geneva was also unveiled Blue&Me–TomTom, this new system integrates TomTom navigation to the Blue&Me infotelematic system. At launch the MiTo will feature low-displacement turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. Also, a power limited 79 PS (58 kW; 78 hp) naturally aspirated engine variant is produced to meet the new Italian legislation for young people. MiTo got new electro-hydraulic valve control system Multiair engines from September 2009. MultiAir engines will increase power (up to 10%) and torque (up to 15%), as well as a considerable reduction in consumption levels (up to 10%) and CO2 emissions (up to 10%), of particulates (up to 40%) and NOx (up to 60%). This new engine is available with 105 PS (77 kW; 104 bhp) ,135 PS (99 kW; 133 bhp) and 170 PS (125 kW; 168 bhp) power ratings. All multiair versions have start-stop system as standard. In October 2009 was unveiled a dual fuel MiTo version, this version can run with LPG (Liquefied petroleum gas) or petrol, with this engine MiTo has range of 1,200 kilometres (750 mi). The LPG version is made colloboration with Landi Renzo. In Summer 2010 came available Dual Dry Clutch Transmission called Alfa TCT. From model year 2011 the start-stop system came as standard to all versions. In the Frankurt Motor Show 2011 was introduced two new engines for MiTo the 0.9 L TwinAir straight-2 and new low emission 85 PS (63 kW) version of 1.3 JTD diesel engine.The MiTo was awarded with five star result in Euro NCAP crash test. It has seven airbags as standard. The MiTo got also a ‘good’ or green result from the first ever made Euro NCAP's rear impact test (whiplash).

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Alfa Romeo 8C Spider Engine

The Alfa Romeo 8C name was used on road, race and sports cars of the 1930s. The 8C means 8 cylinders, and originally referred to a straight 8-cylinder engine. The Vittorio Jano designed 8C was Alfa Romeo's primary racing engine from its introduction in 1931 to its retirement in 1939. In addition to the two seater sports cars it was used in the world's first genuine single-seat Grand Prix racing car, the Monoposto 'Tipo B' - P3 from 1932 onwards. In its later development it powered such vehicles as the twin-engined 1935 6.3 litre Bimotore, the 1935 3.8 litre Monoposto 8C 35 Type C, and the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Mille Miglia Roadster. It also powered top of the range coach-built production models. In 2004 Alfa Romeo revived the 8C name for a V8-engined concept car which has made it into production for 2007, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.





8c spider engine note at kyalami alfa romeo experience



Alfa Romeo 8C Spider Engine With The Top Speed



Red Alfa Romeo 8C Spider Engine On The Red Carpet



Alfa Romeo 8C Spider Engine Detail



Alfa Romeo 8C Spider Engine Show Up



Alfa Romeo 8C Spider Engine View Detail From Every side



Elegant Alfa Romeo 8C Spider Engine



Alfa Romeo 8C Spider Engine Hatchback



Friday, July 15, 2011

Flower Power: Alfa Romeo MiTo "Inked" by Louise Dear


Alfa Romeo has commissioned a one-off art piece to mark the UK launch of its congestion charge free MiTo 1.3 JTDM-2 Sprint, which is powered by an 85-horsepower turbo diesel that emits 95g/km of CO2 .

Monday, October 25, 2010

Alfa Romeo Sport Cars Autodelta Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

The Performance Car Show that will take place in Birmingham, UK, 14-17 January 2010, Autodelta will unveil the world’s first tuned Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Alfa Romeo’s awesome Alfa 8C Competizione supercar has scooped the award for Best Design of the Year in Auto Express’s 2008 New Car Honours.
The announcement came after more than 4000 Auto Express readers voted in the category, putting the Italian 4.7 V8 head and shoulders above its rivals.  Auto Express’s judging panel agreed with their verdict.
Editor of Auto Express, David Johns, said: “Choosing the best designed cars of the year is never easy, so we turned to the experts for help – Auto Express readers.  Only one car was ever going to win – Alfa Romeo’s  Sport Cars 8C Competizione simply blew the opposition away.”
Alfa Romeo Sport Cars Autodelta Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione 
Marketing Director of Alfa Romeo UK, Nicholas Bernard, added: “It’s fabulous to know that this supercar has stirred the emotions and unified car fans across the UK.  It is the epitome of the Alfa Romeo Sport Cars marque and will provide the design inspiration for future models.”
The 4.7-liter V8 engine in the car masterpiece is obviously a slightly higher performance using a new engine management software. The engine develops 444 hp at its plant stock and Autodelta incarnation promises to 17 more to offer. Technical refinements to the chassis of the car and the suspension was also promised, but no further details were released by the company.
Few details are known at this point, but a remapped ECU should squeeze out a modest 17 horsepower boost from the stock 444-hp, 4.7-liter Ferrari-developed V8. Alfa Romeo Sport Cars Autodelta Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is also working on fine-tuning the chassis, taking their 8C around some of the finest tracks in Europe to get it just right.
Alfa Romeo Sport Cars Autodelta Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Autodelta also announced that they are working on chassis and suspension upgrades that will be presented at a later date.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Alfa Romeo Sports Cars Concept Executive Fastback Saloon for 2017

Introducing 2017 Alfa Romeo Executive Fastback Saloon. Fancy name for a fancy looking car. Designed by Jacob McMurry, this is his version of Alpha Romeo in 2017 which would compliment Alpa Romeo’s return to the North American market. Jacob drew inspiration for this model from the Carnival of Venice and from the 2900B Type 35 racers of the 1930’s.
Alfa Romeo Executive Fastback Saloon for 2017
This Alfa Romeo concept car, which has been designed before the Fiat/Chrysler partnership, inspires comfort, luxury and elegance. Also, thanks to its boat-like tail end, it could well be compared to a small yacht, although in the end it’s only a car…an interesting one, to say the least.
The 2017 Alfa Romeo Executive Fastback Saloon is a concept car designed by Jacob McMurry, a graduate of Art Center College of Design. The design of this elegant vehicle is inspired from the Carnival of Venice and if you’ve been there, you know what we mean.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7o2IMA0YERXJ0hk-Pgg_Kyy4N4cvKT-Bs-IRDyocqD-9Gsc_p3sAzVBojj3z-vP7TwU94XSr-iElfmSarR1q1pDOnUSyQ5SUjiLivt2siIrKKA9tBYF9pGYRdHS3WA6vrHSqa2iJBtW0/s400/2017-Alfa-Romeo-Executive-Fastback-Saloon---Alfa-Romeo-Sports-Car-Concept-1.jpg
The vehicle’s roof is made entirely out of smart glass panels, that have the ability to turn completely transparent or opaque. The car benefits from a diesel V8 engine that sends the power to the rear wheels, or an optional biodiesel engine.