2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo Caimano concept is peak Seventies wedge design

This weekend, the Bremen Classic Motor Show will be opening its doors with a "wedgetastic" theme, highlighted by the Alfa Romeo Caimano concept you see here. Alfa Romeo commissioned Giorgetto Giugiaro and his then-newly established Italdesign firm to cook up the Caimano concept for the 1971 Turin Motor Show. It was based on the Alfasud (also designed by Giugiaro) but shortened the chassis by nearly 8 inches and fitted with entirely different bodywork that made it look like it was from another planet. The canopy greenhouse eliminated the A pillar, with the B and C pillars forming a trapezoidal roll bar at the back, capped by an adjustable spoiler. Inside the cockpit were two recumbent bucket seats, a cylindrical dashboard, and two small openings in the glass canopy for ventilation. Of course it also had pop-up headlights, and it was powered by the 1.2-liter boxer for from the Alfasud, good for all of 68 horsepower. Striking though it may have been at the time, it shouldn't come as a surprise that only one example was ever built, and it remains in the Alfa Romeo museum in Milan. The company is taking it out of the collection, however, and bringing it to Bremen for the show. Alongside it, showgoers can expect to see such other "wedgetastic" creations of yesteryear as the Lancia Stratos, Maserati Khamsin, Lamborghini Countach, Mercedes C111, and the BMW Turbo X1 (which previewed the M1 to follow). Little surprise that most of these wedge designs were penned by either Giugiaro or by Marcello Gandini for Bertone. Along with Lionardo Fioravanti (of Pininfarina fame), they were each born in Italy in 1938 within months of each other, and went on to dominate Italian automotive design over the course of their careers. Related Video: Alfa Romeo at the Bremen Classic Motor Show - The iconic Caimano concept car will be featured in a special exhibition dedicated this year to the revolutionary designs of the 1970s. - The "wedge on wheels" thought up by Italdesign is based on the chassis of the Alfasud, another of Giugiaro's creations, and is a fine example of the extreme design of its time. - The only example of the model belongs to the Alfa Romeo Museum. - The Motor Show will take place from February 5 to 7 in Bremen and will open the classic car season. It will bring together some 650 exhibitors in eight halls covering an area of over 45,000 square metres.

Standard Alfa Romeo Giulia still looks beautiful in Geneva

No matter how many times we see the Alfa Romeo Giulia, it continues to be a beautiful sports sedan. The top-spec Quadrifoglio is a fantastic looking four-door, but even the base model and Super trim on display in Geneva retain the model's attractive looks. The standard versions lose the big vents and more aggressive look from the Quadrifoglio, but their simplified shape is still gorgeous. Alfa packs the cars with tech, too. At least in Europe, base models get standard forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, and a 6.5-inch infotainment system. The Super adds leather and 17-inch wheels, and an optional Sport Pack includes Xenon headlights a sport steering wheel, and aluminum trim on the dashboard, center console, and door panels. Finally, the Quadrifoglio aims for performance with carbon fiber parts on the roof, hood, and front splitter, and the options include carbon-ceramic brake discs, and carbon fiber seats. In Europe, customers will have the option of a 2.2-liter diesel with 150 or 180 horsepower, a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with 200 hp, and the fire-breathing 510-hp 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, which is exclusive to the Quadrifoglio. We don't get the oil-burner in this country, but Alfa says the North American version of the 2.0-liter has 276 hp. The Quadrifoglio makes 505 hp here. According to Alfa's latest product plan, the Giulia should arrive at dealers in the US sometime in 2016, possibly late in the second quarter. Prices for the full range still aren't official, but the Quadrifoglio would reportedly sell for around $70,000. Related Video: New Alfa Romeo Giulia • The new Alfa Romeo Giulia , making its debut at the Geneva International Motor Show, will be available in three trim levels (Giulia, Super and Quadrifoglio) and six new engine versions:150 and 180 HP 2.2-litre diesel with 6 speed manual or 8 speed automatic transmission, the 200 HP 2.0-litre petrol engine with 8 speed transmission and 510 HP 2.9-litre V6 BiTurbo petrol engine with 6 speed transmission. • From April 15th it will be possible to order the new Giulia progressively in all markets throughout the EMEA area. • The supreme expression of the meccanica delle emozioni (mechanics of emotion), the new Giulia offers distinctive Italian style and optimal weight distribution across the two axles, the new sophisticated Alfa™Link suspension system (Alfa Romeo patent) and the most direct steering in the market segment.

These are the fastest-selling new cars of 2024

Automakers finally appear to be back on their feet after a few years of severe instability, but that hasn’t helped all of them in the sales department. iSeeCars recently released its study on the fastest- and slowest-selling new vehicles and found that some companies are moving vehicles off dealersÂ’ lots at more than twice the pace of others. Toyota was the fastest-selling new car brand between October 2023 and March 2024, moving vehicles in an average of 39.6 days. Surprisingly, Alfa Romeo came second, averaging 41.8 days on the market. Last year, we saw a list of the fastest-selling individual nameplates overall, as opposed to this study that's ranked by brand. Fastest-selling new cars of 2024 Toyota: 39.6 days on the market Alfa Romeo: 41.8 Cadillac: 43.4 Honda: 44.2 Jaguar: 44.4 Kia: 47 Hyundai: 47.1 Subaru: 49 BMW: 49.1 Mazda: 53.1 The brands moving inventory the fastest show a strong value and desirability for buyers. iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer noted, “Fast-selling brands like Toyota and Honda represent mainstream consumers seeking maximum value for their new-car dollar. Conversely, high-ranking luxury, low-volume brands like Alfa Romeo, Cadillac, and Jaguar reflect both their limited supply as well as high demand from affluent buyers willing to snap these models up shortly after they arrive on dealer lots.” Of course, there is no light without darkness, and on the other side of the list are a handful of brands struggling to move inventory. Lincoln was the slowest-selling new car company, with an average of 82.6 days to sell. Infiniti was close behind at 79.8 days, and Buick took an average of 79 days to move units. iSeeCars noted that new EVs take much longer to sell than their hybrid counterparts, at an average of 70.6 days on the market in March 2024, compared to just 49.5 for hybrids. Some of the fast-selling new brands also made the used car list. Used Hondas sold the fastest, only sitting on dealersÂ’ lots for an average of 26.1 days. LexusÂ’ used cars sat for 26.3 days, and Toyota moved its used inventory in an average of 27.4 days. By the Numbers Green Alfa Romeo Cadillac Toyota Car Buying