1991 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a fast Alfa, developed fast

Alfa Romeo's 33 Stradale is a gorgeous supercar to simultaneously cap off the internal combustion era of the brand and kick off the electric era. But we did have some questions about it after the reveal, which we brought to Larry Dominique, the senior vice president of Alfa Romeo North America. And he was kind enough to answer a good number of them, revealing some interesting information. One of the first things we wanted to know about was the decision to make such a pivotal car such a clear tribute to the famed Tipo 33 race car from many decades ago. We certainly weren't complaining, but we could easily have seen Alfa doing something more modern or more original. Dominique said that part of the reason was to help with awareness of Alfa and its history, as awareness in general is something the brand still struggles with. So connecting the car with famous motorsports machines could help people understand more of what Alfa is and was. Of course, the Tipo 33 was also a gorgeous car to start with, and as this is among the last gas-powered Alfas, a tribute makes sense. The 33 Stradale's specs also looked shockingly similar to that of the Maserati MC20 supercar, and considering the mid-engine layout, we were expecting that under the curvy exterior, the Alfa would basically be that Maserati. Dominique told us that's not quite the case. Parts of the frame are borrowed from the Maserati, but apparently the engine is a version of the twin-turbo V6 from the Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio models, not Maserati's Nettuno V6. Apparently some aspects of the active suspension are also taken from the Giulia Quadrifoglio GTA, though neither Dominique nor Alfa's PR representative present had the detailed specifics at the time of the interview. We also learned a few more details about the electric powertrain. The battery pack comes in around 100-kWh in capacity, and it has an 800-volt architecture to support high-speed charging from 350-kW chargers. Beyond that, though, Dominique didn't have anything else to talk about for the electric 33. The 33 Stradale will be fast with 60 mph times under 3 seconds, but it's fast in another way. Dominique told us that this project got under way toward the end of summer and beginning of fall just last year. With final development coming over the next several months, that's a quick turnaround to getting a production car. One thing Dominique wouldn't tell us is how expensive the 33 Stradale is.

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti

It is the cover car of the moment for enthusiast publications across the country. And the introduction of the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio deserves the notice. With it Fiat Chrysler Automobiles marks the real return of Alfa Romeo sales and service to the North American market. Alfa's two-seater – the 4C – preceded it, but the target market for those coupes and roadsters could be fitted into a commuter jet. The new Giulia is aimed at the midsize sport sedan audience currently occupied by the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Audi A4. The sales potential is huge and historically underserved by Italian brands. While the Giulia Quadrifoglio, with its 505 horsepower and track-ready suspension gets the ink, we think it's the more pedestrian Giulia sedan that's deserving your attention. And by pedestrian we don't mean prosaic; the Giulia is an exciting sedan built atop a competent platform and propelled by a responsive turbocharged drivetrain. With a base price in real-wheel-drive form (all-wheel drive is optional) of under $40,000, the Giulia is accessible in a way the $72,000 Quadrifoglio is not. On Alfa's Build Your Own site we studied the options, selecting an upgrade with Alfa's Giulia Ti. It constitutes a $2,000-bump over the Giulia's $38,000 base, and gives you 18-inch alloy wheels (vs. the 17-inchers on the standard Giulia). The Ti also provides dark gray oak interior accents and the availability of both Sport and Lusso (luxury) appearance packages. Other adds included the Vesuvio Gray exterior ($600), additional leather interior trim ($995), the Ti Performance package ($1,200) and the Ti 18-inch Sport Package ($1,750). The Sport package adds more aggressive alloy wheels, paddle shifters, and aluminum pedals, while Performance supplied the active suspension and limited slip differential. The end result is a net price of $45,535 including applied offers. We think we'd lease it. In talking with an Alfa dealer in suburban Washington, an advertised lease special on a $44,000-Giulia resulted in 39 payments at just over $500 per month, with roughly $7,500 out of pocket and a residual value of $21,239. At the end of that 39 months you have the option of returning the car to FCA or buying it for the residual. We think the Giulia, with an MSRP of between $40,000 and $50,000, is a screaming deal. And to buy your own 'used' car at the end of three years for $21,000? That's a crazy good deal. Related Video:

Fiat Chrysler trademarks Kamal, likely for small Alfa CUV

We have Alfa Romeo news to share, and for once it's not about a product delay. Fiat Chrysler has trademarked the name Kamal and we think it will be used on one of two crossovers planned to follow the (delayed) Stelvio. Fiat Chrysler trademarked the name Kamal last month. Because trademark filings are intentionally vague, there is no specific brand attached to the application, only parent company FCA. The link to Alfa comes from a small CUV concept that used the name way back in 2003. If we had to wager, we'd say this one will be smaller than the midsize, Giulia-based Stelvio and could use a version of the same platform or whatever will underpin the brand's (eventual) small hatchback. It probably won't come in gold like the concept. We hope not, at least. Interestingly, there's no trademark for Stelvio in the US Patent and Trademark Office's database. That name was confirmed by Sergio Marchionne in February, but anyone familiar with recent Alfa news knows things change. And then they get pushed back and change again. About that waiting, though. Alfa's product plans have been made and amended, the gorgeous Giulia has been delayed, and now things seem to be on track. Maybe. If the latest trademark filing is any indication, the brand is at least thinking about what's supposed to come next. Related Video: