2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti on 2040-cars

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Alfa sprints toward Geneva with two-door Giulia

Alfa Romeo is poised to add a two-door version of the Giulia to its lineup, according to a report from Motoring out of Australia. The coupe could be called the Giulia Sprint and be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, the website says. The Sprint name has been used on a variety of sporty Alfas, like the 1965 Giulia Sprint GTA shown above, over the years. The move would broaden Alfa's lineup which currently stands at just the Giulia sedan and the hard-edged 4C sports car in the United States. The 2018 Stelvio SUV joins Alfa's portfolio this year. The company's five-year plan indicates two specialty vehicles will join its lineup in the coming years, though they're unspecified. An Alfa spokesman declined to comment to Autoblog on future product. The Giulia two-door would likely share powertrains with its sedan sibling, which offers a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 280 horsepower and a turbo 2.9-liter Ferrari-derived 505-hp V6. The coupe would take aim at the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe, BMW 4 Series, Cadillac ATS coupe, Audi A5, Infiniti Q60, and others. Related Video:

Alfa Romeo putting a slicker 'coda tronca' on its compact CUV

Our EV revolution Bingo card did not include spaces for the return of wagons (aero crossovers by a more suitable name) and the doubling down on retro design cues, but that's what we're getting and we like it. Alfa Romeo is clocking in on the retro side, design chief Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos telling Autocar, "Our next-generation cars will bring back the Coda Tronca into a current design language — as a means to boost aerodynamic efficiency and range, of course, but also to give the cars a distinctive, classically Alfa Romeo design character." You might not know that "coda tronca" means "short tail" in Italian, but you know what it looks like. Effectively a Kammback or Kammtail, it's when a vehicle roof descends toward the rear of the vehicle, ending in a vertical flank that looks like someone cut the car short with a large knife. It's been on everything from the Shelby Daytona Coupe and Ferrari 250 GTO to the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, and Audi A2 and A7. The short tail was also famously on the 1963 Alfa Romeo Turbolare Zagato, shortened to the TZ. This is the design Mesonaro-Romanos refers to, as well as the Sprint Zagato, or SZ, that preceded it. He said, "You will see it on several future models," the first reportedly the compact crossover due on the market next year. This will be Alfa Romeo's version of the recently introduced Jeep Avenger battery-electric crossover for Europe, once believed to be called the Brennero. The design boss crossed that name out, telling Autocar, "The model name is now decided. it will be Italian and it will be beautiful. But more than that, I cannot say for now." We might have better luck predicting specs. Checking the Avenger's details, we'd expect the Stellantis eCMP 2 platform crammed with battery modules under the seats that add up to 54 kWh. The Avenger's e-motor turns the front wheels with 154 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, an all-wheel-drive version is on the way. Range on the WLTP cycle is rated at an estimated 249 miles. As with the Jeep, the Alfa Romeo is expected to get a gas-powered version, maybe with the same 1.2-liter motor going into the Jeep. We're not sure how else the Alfa might distinguish itself from the Jeep, but the Kamm tail could make range for both powertrains a notable differentiator.  Related Video

Amazon opens contest for The Grand Tour tickets in the US

British enthusiasts already had the opportunity to win tickets to the first taping of The Grand Tour, and now Amazon has opened up a similar chance for customers in the US. In celebration of Prime Day, which starts today, customers in the US can enter The Grand Tour Prime Day Prize Draw. The prize includes travel, $200 to spend, accommodation, and a meet and greet with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. Customers that are interested fulfilling a childhood dream should visit Amazon's website and fill out the entry form soon as the draw closes on July 12. The Grand Tour will launch this fall as an exclusive for Amazon Prime members with the exact city locations for studio records set to be revealed later this summer. Amazon, however, did reveal that the trio will host shows in the UK, US, and Germany. So there's no need to get too upset if you don't win the draw. With Top Gear getting a major shakeup with the departure of Chris Evans, we're itching to see Clarkson, Hammond, and May behind the wheel of cars again. The trio, it seems, is also excited to get the new show rolling as Clarkson posted a drifty video on his Facebook page. The trio are currently in Italy filming a comparison between an Aston Martin DB11, a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, and Rolls-Royce Dawn. The five-second clip has the Challenger Hellcat and DB11 drifting head-on into the camera crew, which is behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo. News Source: Amazon, FacebookImage Credit: The Grand Tour TV/Movies Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Dodge the grand tour