Alfa Romeo Spider and Mazda MX-5 (2015): the new sports cars revealed

By Tim Pollard (artist's impressions by Christian Schulte)

Spy shots

10 August 2012 12:33

The Fiat Group's revelation in May 2012 that it would co-develop the next Alfa Romeo Spider alongside the Mazda MX-5 got everyone at CAR, and its digital audience, salivating. Today we can bring you the latest artist's impressions showing how this Japanese-Italian fusion could look on the road.

This is perhaps one of the most exciting prospects for years: a project marrying Italian design flair and Alfa Romeo style with the Japanese reliability and back-to-basics MX-5 purity. It could be a marriage made in heaven – we'll know for sure when we see this duo in 2015.

These are artist's impressions, remember. None of us yet know exactly how the sports car twins will look, but the rules of jigsaw identification mean we can have a good stab at how they'll turn out.

The MX-5 hasn't deviated much over the years from the original 1989 recipe, and our sources at Mazda suggest the same evolutionary style will continue, pepped up with the latest 'Kodo' design language seen on the new 6 family car. That means a pointier front face and exaggerated Mazda grille, but the essential footprint of the 2015 MX-5 won't change much.

This suggests the Alfa Spider won't be wildly different. The hard points of the architecture will be shared, but each brand will be allowed the freedom to graft on their own grilles and corporate jewellery. Let's hope they're allowed more flexibility than the identikit Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ twins.

While details remain scant on the Spider/MX-5 project, a few nuggets have been announced already in the formal statement.

'The study calls for both Mazda and Fiat to develop two differentiated, distinctly styled, iconic and brand-specific light weight, roadsters featuring rear-wheel drive,' the companies have confirmed. 'The Mazda and Alfa Romeo variants will each be powered by specific proprietary engines unique to each brand.

'The project assumption is that both vehicles will be manufactured at Mazda’s Hiroshima, Japan, plant with production for Alfa Romeo envisaged starting in 2015.'

Each brand will stick with their own engines, and CAR understands the Spider will use the 1750TBi four-cylinder, tuned to produce more than 200bhp and mated to a seven-speed twin-clutch TCT transmission.

CAR understands the Italian roadster will stick with a folding soft-top, rather than use the MX-5's folding hard top. Fingers crossed the rear-wheel drive purity of the Mazda comes as standard on the Alfa Romeo Spider.

>> What do you think of the 2015 Alfa Romeo Spider and 2015 Mazda MX-5 project? Click 'Add your comment' and sound off

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Alfa Romeo Giulia (2014): CAR Magazine's new scoop

By Tim Pollard (artist's impressions by Radovan Varicak/Motor Forecast)

Spy shots

23 July 2012 11:24

The new August 2012 issue of CAR Magazine spills the beans on the new Alfa Romeo Giulia - the car which will replace the 159 and turn Alfa into a realistic executive contender, hopes Turin.

We've crafted three highly accurate computer renderings of the new Giulia, showing how Alfa will turn up the wick on the style of its new sports saloon. You'll have to read the new August 2012 issue of CAR, out now, for the full eight-page scoop story - but consider this an appetite-whetter.

Alfa has been threatening to bounce back for a while, but this time CEO Sergio Marchionne is serious about making Fiat's upmarket division a viable alternative to the German executive establishment. Part of the reason the Giulia is so delayed is that Marchionne sent it back for fundamental revisions so it could credibly call itself a rival to Audi and BMW.

'Historically, Alfa was known for three things: powertrain, looks and dynamics,' he tells CAR. And the Giulia will focus on all three of those core values. It'll be based on the Fiat Group's front- and four-wheel drive 'compact wide' architecture, a platform derived from the Giulietta's, powered by petrol and diesel engines stretching from 1.6 to 3.6 litres in capacity and bristling with technology.

The new Giulia is due in spring 2014 as a four-door first, as revealed in our artist's impressions, but a five-door Sportwagon estate will follow soon after. And if our artist's impressions are as accurate as we believe, it should be quite a looker.

Crisp styling lines dominate but a pleasing purity is being worked up at the Centro Style design studio in Italy. The Alfa shield grille dominates the front end and the stubby rear end is said to echo the 'coda tronca' of the 1960s racers.

The new Giulia is part of a plan to return Alfa Romeo to the US, potentially its biggest market. Marchionne has already grown sales of the brand by 30% to around 130,000 thanks to the Mito and Giulietta models - but adding the Giulia and dealers in the US could realise the ultimate goal of 400,000 units per annum. It'll be the first Alfa to be built in America, likely to be assembled alongside Chryslers.

The new August 2012 issue of CAR also features a candid interview with the Alfa and Fiat boss Marchionne, plus we reveal five other new Alfa Romeos in the pipeline.

Click here for a digital preview of the new issue of CAR Magazine and our Alfa special.

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Alfa Romeo Mito Twinair (2012) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew

First Official Pictures

16 July 2012 14:44

Alfa Romeo has plumbed Fiat's brilliant and novel two-cylinder engine - the Twinair - into its Mito supermini. The result is the most economical premium supermini on sale, returning in excess of 67mpg. The Mito Twinair will cost £14,510 when it goes on sale on 30 September 2012.

The two-cylinder displaces just 875cc, but with turbocharging and full variable valve timing, the tiddly two-pot kicks out 84bhp and 106lb ft. That's enough for a 12.5 sec 0-62mph sprint, and 108mph flat out. On the way you'll enjoy that unmistakeable phut-phut soundtrack from the peppy little engine, and decent economy - on paper at least.

Alfa Romeo claims that the two-cylinder Mito will achieve 67.3mpg - that's a whole 15mpg more than the most frugal petrol-powered Mini One.

But if the Twinair seduces you into driving it like you stole it - with plenty of revs and not much mercy - you'll likely put a sizeable dent in the Alfa's holier-than-thou economy.

Whatever you end up spending on petrol, there's no need to worry about road tax or London congestion charge - the Mito Twinair is exempt from both thanks to a CO2-emission rating of just 98g/km. Maximum torque is on hand from 2000rpm, so the Twinair should suit city driving rather well.

That depends on the trim level you select. A Mito Twinair Sprint starts at £14,510; that gets you 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, front fog lights, manual climate control, Alfa's 'DNA' adaptive driving mode system, and Bluetooth compatibility.

Handing over a further £1500 buys a Mito Twinair in Distinctive trim, and the upgrades are 17-inch alloys, red-painted brake callipers, rear parking sensors and chrome detailing.

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