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Autocar Magazine - Spider concept Issue 03 Feb 2010

2K views 28 replies 9 participants last post by  kinloch4 
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#1 · (Edited)
A true replacement for the classic Alfa Romeo Spider is among a run of all-new models being prepared by the firm to secure its future and prevent it from being wound up in the year of its 100th anniversary.

Fiat Auto boss Sergio Marchionne placed Alfa on probation at the start of this year. Model plans have been put on ice, ahead of a review of the brand’s future in April.

Unless Alfa Romeo bosses can convince Marchionne that they have a convincing forward product plan, the new Golf-sized Giulietta - which will be launched at the Geneva show in March - could be the last new Alfa model.

Alfa is seen as the most vulnerable brand in the new Fiat/Chrysler group because it has suffered consistent heavy losses for years and sold just 110,000 cars last year, almost half of what it sold in 2000.

Despite this, the company is not only pressing ahead with the Giulietta launch but is also planning a blitz of concept cars this year to demonstrate the brand’s potential.

As well as an all-new Spider, Alfa is said to be preparing conceptual replacements for the 159 saloon and Brera coupe. It is rumoured that Pininfarina will be responsible for the styling of the Spider, Bertone for the coupe and Giugiaro for the saloon.

It is thought that under Alfa’s original plans, the replacements for the Spider, Brera and 159 were to be based on Fiat’s new C-Evo platform, which also underpins the Giulietta. The Spider and coupe would share the standard-length platform with the Giulietta, while the 159 replacement would be based on a long-wheelbase version of the C-Evo.

All would get front-wheel drive (as well as the option of all-wheel drive) and a raft of turbocharged, four-cylinder Multiair engines, including the new 197bhp 1750 TBi unit that has just made its debut in the 159.

However, Alfa’s sudden move into partnership with Maserati and Abarth has thrown these plans into question.

Some sources say new Alfa boss Harald Wester is now investigating whether Fiat and Chrysler can develop a new rear-drive platform using base technology from Chrysler.

This would support a replacement for the Alfa 159 and 166, plus the next Chrysler 300C, Lancia Thesis and Dodge Charger and Challenger.

There’s also a possibility that any big Alfas could be built in the US at Chrysler factories and shipped back to Europe, allowing them to be particularly competitive on price.

The thinking is that a switch to rear-wheel drive would not only return Alfa to its sporting roots but also make a new 159 much more competitive in a market segment dominated by German marques. Fiat bosses are said to be wary of Alfa launching another ‘me too’ front-drive saloon after the relatively slow sales of the 159.

At the Detroit show last month, Marchionne admitted that Alfa has been “underperforming for a long time”, suggesting that Alfa was the thorniest problem in the whole Fiat/Chrysler portfolio.

“This year is make or break for Alfa,” he said. “We need to be realistic with what Alfa can and should do. It plays in a very difficult market because it has an ambition to go after higher-end German cars.

“When you look at the execution [of Alfa’s product plans], it’s been relatively poor,” Marchionne added. He also made it clear that he thought Alfa had suffered from inconsistent management and too many fresh starts.

“We need to work a lot harder on Alfa to make an intelligent decision that effectively preserves the highest possible value to Fiat,” Marchionne said.

Autocar Magazine Copyright 2010
 
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#2 ·
Put me down for one now!! (as long as I can pay for it over 25 years....)

If it ever gets near production I am sure it will have watered down rather a lot, but as a design exercise this has the lot!
F430 look?
 
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#5 ·
Its not really a fake Nev - its an Autocar designer's interpretation of what a new Spider might look like thats all. No different from all the other sketches floating around. There is NO CAR at the moment, they don't suggest there is one - and if you read the text there might never be one either!

They paint quite a gloomy picture of Alfa's future
 
#6 ·
1st of all this is an Autocar special and has been mentioned has been talked about in the Gen Alfa second

secondly it's also been talked about in multiple threads that Alfa as part of its centenary has commisioned 3 concept cars for the Geneva motorshow ... one spider, one coupe and one saloon ... each done by a seperate styling house ... there have also been links to the 'teaser' sketches that have so far been shown for Pinin's Spider concept and Bertone's Coupe (Brera) concept ... BUT PLEASE REMEMBER THESE ARE CONCEPTS !

Oh and Autocar is well known for getting things completely wrong from time to time
 
#8 ·
If they ever do make this stunningly beautiful car, I want one!!! And lets hope they are sensible and put in there 3.2V6. Yes a 2.0 turbo'd engine is likely to be lighter and quicker, but it wouldn't be a red-blooded sporting alfa withouot a great V6 in there - just for that glorious sound track it makes :D

Per
 
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#21 · (Edited)
Its the driving pleasure and sportiness + if they wanted to build some car with over 260 BHP, they would either have to use a 4WD system or have the RWD. Alfa is a sports brand, not a family premium e.g. Toyota. Alfa will be closer in spec to BMW's if they had RWD and thats why Alfa wants to go back to RWD, but hasn't got the platform anymore. Due to supid Fiat platform, which is designed for cars like Fiat.

If you are happy driving a 159 or brera on a punto platform, then I have no further to say. But I would rather drive a car on a 3 series like platform.
 
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#23 · (Edited)
How many weeks or days of ice do you get every year, if you get it for more than 2 weeks then stick some winter tyres and you will be fine :cheese:

Germany has twice the ice and snow that we have in the UK, but they use the most BMW's and Merc's in world (yes I know it's built there) but you don't see them on the road side, do you :eek:

Infact they are driving at 140 MPH constant speed on the fastlane :wow:, not like UK drivers doing 60 MPH on the fastlane :eek:

So theirs and idea :confused: If they can do it with the RWD and drive better then us here. Then we should not be sitting on the road side in icy and snowy conditions with a RWD, BECAUSE WE SHOULD STICK SOME WINTER TYRES ON (shouldn't we).

If RWD was as bad as u said, then today BMW would have not been NO.1 :thumbs:

:) :) :) :) :)
 
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