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Alfa Romeo shows off Giulia and Stelvio GT Junior special editions

Alfa Romeo has announced a pair of new special editions commemorating the 1966 GT 1300 Junior. The Giulia and Stelvio GT Junior series are only available in Europe, and were inspired by the beloved predecessor to the legendary GTV. The Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior was part of a larger series of coupes from the 105 and 115 family. Built on a shortened Giulia chassis of the same era, lightweight aluminum-bodied GTAs and GTVs became a force in road racing, as well as GTC cabriolets and versions modified by carrozzerias. Possessing all the style of the Giugiaro-penned top-spec versions but with a less powerful engine and more affordable price tag, the GT 1300 Junior was by far the best seller of the range. It was a bona fide hit, and Alfa Romeo moved over 90,000 units from 1966-76. As the name suggests, the GT 1300 Junior had a 1.3 liter four-banger. Its 89 horsepower was delivered through a five-speed manual to the rear wheels. Weighing only a little over 2,000 pounds, its excellent handling helped make it an iconic model for the Alfa Romeo brand. To evoke the GT 1300 Junior, the Giulia and Stelvio have been dipped in an exclusive gold color called Lipari Ochre, a modern take on one of the GT 1300 Junior's most memorable hues. Both modern Alfas come with five-hole wheels, 19 inches on the Giulia and 21 inches on the Stelvio. There are no performance modifications to either vehicle. The Giulia and Stelvio come with either a 2.2-liter turbodiesel engine making 210 horsepower or a petrol 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder generating 280 horsepower. Both are mated to an eight-speed automatic via a carbon-fiber driveshaft. The Giulia can be optioned with a rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive drivetrain, while the Stelvio comes only in AWD flavor. Alfa Romeo says the GT Junior editions are the third in a trilogy of special editions that began with the 500-unit and wildly be-spoilered Giulia GTAm that debuted in May. That sold out almost immediately, and was followed by 6C Villa d’Este editions of the Giulia and Stelvio paying homage to 1949 6C 2500 SS. The company hasn't said how many units of the GT Junior will be sold, but they won't be coming to the U.S. anyway. Related video:

Alfa Romeo Milano EV teased in camo ahead of April reveal

The Alfa Romeo Milano is officially set to be revealed on April 10 this year as the Italian company’s first fully-electric vehicle. In addition to a reveal date, AlfaÂ’s given us some photos to pore over and get an idea of what the Milano will look like when the wrappings are taken off. For starters, though, donÂ’t get too excited about the prospect of buying one. The Milano is expected to be sold in Europe and perhaps other international markets, but not in the U.S. ItÂ’s said to be related to the Jeep Avenger, which is another small EV we donÂ’t get on this side of the pond. Just like the Avenger, the Milano is a small subcompact crossover that appears to be one size smaller than the Tonale, which is sold here. Alfa promises that itÂ’s taking this project just as seriously as any from a dynamics perspective, though, touting that engineers from projects like the 4C, 8C and Giulia/Stelvio Quadrifoglio are ensuring the Milano lives up to AlfaÂ’s high standards through testing at its Balocco test track.  If we ever get to drive it, weÂ’ll be sure to test AlfaÂ’s claims that it will be the best in its class for dynamics and handling. As for the design, the Milano is a stubby little SUV with what appears to be a fairly strongly raked rear window. The camo in front only does so much to cover up AlfaÂ’s traditionally triangular trefoil grille. Its wheel and tire package is shockingly big for such a small vehicle as it wears massive 20-inch wheels wrapped in low-profile Michelin Pilot Sport EV performance tires. Despite the Milano launching as an EV, itÂ’s expected to offer gasoline variants, too. We analyze the possible powertrain options in our most recent report about the Milano, but all of our questions should be answered in April this year, so stay tuned for news on the first electric Alfa. Related video: 2023 Dodge Hornet GT

Aston Martin applies to trademark 'Vanguard' name

Aston Martin hit up three trademark registration offices in an effort to reserve the name "Vanguard." The automaker from Gaydon sent two requests to the European Union Intellectual Property, one to the Japan Patent Office, and one to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on March 22. CarBuzz discovered the filings and suspects the name could be applied to the carmaker's first battery-electric vehicle. We've no idea if that's correct, but it sounds like a fine guess. Two years ago, then-Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers told Motor Trend the automaker would overhaul its conventional lineup in 2023, launch the luxury automaker's first EVs in 2026, and convert half the lineup to electric cars by 2030. Other reports from last year indicated the brand would offer an electrified version of every model in the range by that year, and launch an EV in 2025. The new Vanquish is expected to arrive in 2025 with a hybrid powertrain, and there were suspicions awhile back that it would offer an electric option. The questions are, is the Vanguard the name for the rumored electric Vanquish? And if Vanguard ends up being used anywhere, and that use is on an EV concept or production car, has the timetable for that car's appearance changed? Filing a trademark often happens in the final year or two before debut. Aston Martin just applied for the DB12 name; we expect that car on the market in less than a year. A similar span separated the Valkyrie, 2001 Vanquish, DBS trademarks from their launches. On the other hand, the Cygnet got trademarked here two years before its launch, the DBX, five. Our guess is that we'll see the EV before the timeline we might have expected in 2021. This is the brand's 110th anniversary year, after all. Between that, the raft of new product on the way, and a stunning start to the Formula 1 season, why not take advantage of the momentum. Company boss Lawrence Stroll might also want to show investors — both those who could inject more money and those who might be trying buy a large share — that the company is ready to ride the alternative energy tide the appropriate way this time, as opposed to its last electric effort, the Aston Martin Rapide E. The electrification is anticipated to commence this year with the arrival of the V8-powered plug-in hybrid powertrain in the Valhalla, and could be bolstered by a mild hybrid system in the updated DB11 thought to be renamed DB12.