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Alfa Romeo plans to re-enter the U.S. market in grand style with the expressive and powerful 8C Competizione.
by Lawrence Ulrich
ForbesAutos.com
Alfa Romeo, one of the more romantic names in the automotive industry, is whipping up a rare delicacy to tempt Italian-car fans and trumpet its return to the United States: the 8C Competizione.
Click through for the full review.
The first of the 41 Alfa 8C Competizione supercars arrived in the UK last week carrying a price tag of £138,500 ($276,646) for the hand-built Italian sportscar. Award-winning architect, Ian Simpson bought the 8C from Alfa’s largest dealership, Mangoletsi, in Knutsford, Cheshire.
Simpson will be the first lucky individual in the UKÂ to push the 4.7 liter V8 engine that produces 450-hp from rest to 62mph in 4.2 seconds.
Alfa Romeo has been looking to offer rear-wheel-drive in its lineup for some times now and latest reports say that the Italian company is now in talks with Tata’s Jaguar to borrow its platforms. Alfa is looking to strengthen its image amongst premium German brands such as BMW but still uses front-wheel-drive. However developing a new rear-wheel-drive platform would be too costly for Alfa.
Owner Ratan Tata already has close ties with the Fiat group. The two have deals for engine supplies and Tata also sits on the Fiat board. Sources say that the two are in talks now to share Jaguar’s rear-wheel-drive platforms.
Ah yes, the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider. With only 500 units going into production (and of course the crazy price tag) we all probably could only dream of seeing it at the auto shows and sitting in it for a few minutes. But until then, Alfa has been kind enough to release some new images of the beauty.
Refresher: Power comes from a 4.7 liter 8-cylinder engine producing 450 horsepower.
Click through for more images.
Alfa 8C Spider:
 
 
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After running a poll on its web site, Alfa Romeo has picked the official logo for its upcoming Mi.To. Alfa will begin showing the Mi.To to the international press during June and will start introducing it to major markets in July.
Measuring 4.06 meters long, 1.44 meters high and 1.72 meters wide, the Mi.To will have a choice of 4 engines, all Turbo, that range from 90hp up to 155hp. After its launch Alfa plans to extend the range with even higher power ratings.
Alfa Mi.To Gallery:
 
 
The new Alfa Romeo Mi.To is said to be a strong competitor to the MINI Cooper. While Alfa has no other variants planned for the Mi.To as of yet, that doesn’t stop photoshoppers from taking a stab at it. Check out this new rendering of the Mi.To Sportwagon by CWW and see what the Mi.To would look like if it decided to take on the MINI Clubman.
We’re just left wondering what a Mi.To convertible would look like.
Source: CWW (via autoblog.it)
Just months before Alfa Romeo’s return to the U.S., the Italian brand has lost a major influence at the head of its design team. Frank Stephenson, 49, the American who helped Alfa Romeo’s styling reach the success of the 8C Competizione and the recent Mi.To hatchback, has left the company.
Stephenson confirmed his leave with AutoWeek, but did not comment on what his reasoning was.
“I have a few things I am looking at now, but I don’t want to go into them, but it’s something that I have instigated,” Stephenson said.
We really dig the new Alfa Mi.To and think it will be perfect rival for BMW’s MINI Cooper in the U.S., so Alfa make sure you send one our way when you come to the U.S.
Over at the AlfaMiToBlog, the writters have posted a video of the new Mi.To going drifting in the snow. The video seems to be shot before the Mi.To made its debut on March 14th since its still covered in camouflage.
Power comes from a variety of 4 engines, all Turbo, that range from 90hp up to 155hp. After its launch Alfa plans to extend the range with even higher power ratings.
Click through for the video and our video of the Mi.To beauty shots.
Alfa Romeo was never a huge commercial name. Ford tried to change that in 1986, but was overpowered by Fiat at the last-minute. Then in 1995, Alfa Romeo ceased exporting cars to the U.S. with the last model to be sold being the 164. Now the Italian automaker is headed back to the U.S. and while many enthusiasts are excited to see what Alfa has in store, we (after reading an article over at AutoObserver) are wondering if the majority of Americans really care.
Granted the 8C Competizione is one sexy looking beast, but with a production run of just 500 units (each for the coupe and convertible) and only about 100 making their way to the U.S., how much can the 8C actually do for Alfa image wise. Being sold via Maserati dealerships, Alfa will initially launch in the U.S. with the 159, Brera and the Brera Spider.
As AutoObserver says, the ‘grand old marquee is well past its prime.’ However, the cars still look wonderful and with the name being a legend, Alfa may have some hope in the U.S. One thing is for sure - you guys better bring the Mi.To to the U.S. or you can just Fugettaboutit.
Anyway, let us know how you feel about Alfa’s return to the U.S. by voting after the jump.
Click through to vote and let us know if you care or not.
With only 500 units made and only a few made in black this Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (pictured above) has ‘collectors item’ written all over it. However, all 500 units have been sold out and if you missed your chance to get your hands on one, and if you’ve got deep pockets, AutoScout24 has a black 8C listed and is selling for €380,000 (that’s a whopping $600,837).
But why so much when the original retail price for the 8C is set at €160k? Well this isn’t just any black 8C Competizione. This one come with an additional 140-hp for a total of 590 ponies. No word on what the other technical specs are or how the 590 mark was reached, but if you’ve got the money, get your hands on it as soon as possible.
Black Alfa 8C Competizione with 590-hp:
 
 
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Alfa Romeo withdrew from the U.S. market back in 1995 but now is headed back to the stateside with a whole new vehicle onslaught and could be moving its production to the U.S. as well. Fiat is considering moving Alfa Romeo production to the U.S. and is already in talks with domestic automakers about sharing manufacturing facilities.
“I’ve always had the view that we had to produce in America,” Fiat’s CEO Sergio Marchionne said in an interview with the Financial Times. He said that he plans to start North American production of Alfa Romeo badged cars by late 2011 or 2012.
While GM wants your assistance on picking the name for the Pontiac sports truck, Alfa is looking for your help on picking the logo for their new compact Mi.To car. You have 7 logos to pick from and stick on the back of the Mi.To to help you decide on your vote. It’s a great little marketing gimic they have going on here.
Alfa even wants you to create ‘action trailers’ for the Mi.To. That’s right; you direct and produce it and 5 of the best videos will be published in the vodcast of Alfa Romeo.
Head over to Alfa Romeo’s website for more details.
Alfa Mi.To Gallery:
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Alfa hopes that its latest creation, the Mi.To, will help it recover the struggling Italian brand. Mi.To’s projected sales are expected to reach between 70,000 and 75,000 a year and if it does, the target “will be the first spark in Alfa’s recovery,” according to Alfa’s CEO, Luca De Meo.
The Mi.To is set to go on sale in July in some parts of Europe with a starting price of €16,000 ($25,243). Alfa says that the Mi.To as a rival to the BMW MINI brand with its aggressive design inspired by the 8C Competizione supercar.
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