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Alfa Romeo abandoned the Spider to focus on crossovers

As much as enthusiasts like to forget or deny it, automakers are in the business of making money, and sometimes that means doing things that seem counter to a brand's image or history. Alfa Romeo, for example, is attempting to make a comeback in the US. The make has a long history of making sporty vehicles, so news that Alfa has ceased plans on some new cars in order to focus on crossovers should be disappointing, but far from surprising. The new Fiat 124 Spider, based on and build alongside the Mazda Miata, was originally supposed to be a new Alfa Romeo Spider. A while back, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne has said that as long as he's in charge, Alfas will be built in Italy. That seemed to be reasoning enough for the new car's switch to Fiat, but Automotive News is reporting that the company actually abandoned the new Spider in order to build SUVs. The Spider isn't the only vehicle that appears to be off the table. While the new BMW 3 Series-sized Giulia is set to hit dealers later this year, larger sedans meant to compete against the 5 Series and 6 Series have been axed. Alfa's first crossover, the Stelvio, is expected to debut later this year. The company has plans for a Giulia-based crossover as well. A lot of this seems counter to Alfa and FCA's five-year plan that was announced fewer than three years ago. Then, the 400,000 annual sales target worldwide by 2018 powered by Italian-designed and -built engines. In actuality, the company has struggled to get even the Giulia to market, delaying everything else in its wake. Related Video:

9 thoughts about the Alfa Romeo Giulia Lusso

The 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Lusso is the type of car that reminds you why you love cars in the first place … and why everyone has perhaps gotten a little too practical in their automotive tastes. This is a car filled with life and joy, with controls that speak to you in ways that most other cars and their brands have long ago forgotten. ItÂ’s far from the spiciest Giulia available, but if anything, IÂ’d say the Quadrifoglio overshadowed just how enjoyable the base car is. This was the most time IÂ’ve spent in any Giulia, and whether I was driving my son to school, making the L.A. freeway trek down to the VW ID. Buzz reveal, or whisking through the Santa Monica Mountain roads, the Lusso made the experience extra special. Here are 9 thoughts on the Alfa Romeo Giulia Lusso. 1. All-star steering The steering is just incredible, one of the main reasons I find the Giulia so desirable. ItÂ’s quick and feelsome with a terrific wheel to grip. LetÂ’s talk about D mode, which is the sportiest of the three “DNA” drive modes (N is normal and A is eco). A subtle amount of extra weighting on turn-in is added, and itÂ’s perfect – utterly spot-on and natural. That weighting then lightens as you keep turning through tighter turns, which means the car isnÂ’t fighting against you and allows you to genuinely feel the road free from excess weighting as you make minute adjustments. Steering in N mode is still relatively firm on center, but that turn-in weighting is just a bit lighter. Still great during most of the times youÂ’re driving, but D mode is so, so, so good. All-star, Top 10 board with various Porsches, Mazdas and the surprisingly great Aston Martin DBX on my scorecard. 2. Hey, I actually noticed the brakes! Sadly, the Giulia is not available with a manual transmission. Like a giant tease, though, the brake pedal is closer in size and shape to one from a three-pedal car. Pedal aside, wow are the brakes it's attached to ever good. Wear thin shoes and youÂ’re able to delicately brush the pedal, feeling the calipers brush the rotors in kind. So beautifully modulated. I could see someone finding them a little too responsive resulting in jerking stops, but either stop wearing work boots, try harder or buy a Lexus ES. I donÂ’t usually notice brakes unless theyÂ’re especially good or especially bad/weird. These fall in the former category, and whatÂ’s even more impressive, is that theyÂ’re brake-by-wire.

Alfa Romeo won't sully the GTA name by putting it on the Stelvio

Alfa Romeo began celebrating its 110th birthday by resurrecting the heritage-laced GTA nameplate on a track-happy evolution of the Giulia Quadrifoglio. Enthusiasts went wild when they heard the news, but the company warned it's not about to put the GTA name on every model it makes just to capitalize on its popularity. First launched in 1965, the GTA acronym has historically denoted a lighter version of an existing model developed with racing (or, at least, track use) in mind. The recently-unveiled Giulia GTA fits the bill; a Stelvio GTA wouldn't, according to the company. Executives thought long and hard about it and ultimately ruled it out. "GTA is an important name for Alfa Romeo. Frankly speaking, we had a meeting on a Stelvio GTA, but it's just not in line with customer expectations. It has to be the best possible [on the track]. On the Stelvio, we have a higher center of gravity [than on the Giulia], so it won't achieve the same goals," said Fabio Migliavacca, the company's product marketing boss, in a candid interview with British magazine Autocar. His comments suggest the 505-horsepower Quadrifoglio model is as hot as the Stelvio will get in the foreseeable future. There's no indication Alfa Romeo is planning to add a second sedan to its range — its next new model is widely believed to be a smaller crossover — so the GTA treatment will be limited to the Giulia (pictured). This could explain why demand for the car and its two-seater GTAm counterpart has been exceptionally high. The stripped-out, 540-horsepower sedans are limited to 500 numbered units combined worldwide. Alfa Romeo hasn't started taking orders yet, and it had the misfortune of unveiling the model mere days before the Italian government imposed an ongoing national coronavirus quarantine, but it has received more expressions of interest than it has build slots. Migliavacca revealed a majority of the enthusiasts the firm has heard from prefer the more hardcore GTAm over the slightly softer GTA. It's lighter, and consequently quicker around a track. "A lot of people are raising their hands and saying, 'I want to have one,' 'I want to have four,'" he said. "It's truly an amazing reaction considering the timing." Related Video: