2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce on 2040-cars

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Abarth Classiche 1300 OT revives the Alfa Romeo 4C for one last hurrah

The Alfa Romeo 4C is back from the dead. Well, at least partially. This Abarth Classiche 1300 OT doesn’t wear an Alfa Romeo badge, but itÂ’s effectively a re-bodied and re-jiggered 4C built with an eye to the past. Limited to only five examples, the Classiche 1300 OT is part of StellantisÂ’ “Reloaded by Creators” project that aims to reinterpret beloved cars of its past in a modern form. This time, the model is the Fiat-Abarth OT 1300 race car from 1965. WeÂ’ll put new and old side-by-side below for you to critique how Abarth did. One of the original carÂ’s most distinctive features was the big periscope atop the roof meant to cool the cabin while racing, and Abarth made a small attempt at recreating it with a little scoop atop the roof. Its hood features a scoop that looks a little like the originalÂ’s, and you can see similar inspiration found for its rear taillghts. All that said, this re-body job doesnÂ’t really go far enough to make you forget itÂ’s actually just an Alfa Romeo 4C underneath. You may recall a similar attempt made a few years ago with the Abarth 1000 SP that used the same formula, but instead was based on the 4C Spider. Technical details are practically non-existent for this new Classiche 1300 OT, but we suspect itÂ’s powered by the same 1.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the 4C was and cracks off shifts via a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. We donÂ’t know the curb weight, but Abarth says all of its body is now made of carbon fiber, so itÂ’s likely to be even lighter than the standard 4C. If weÂ’re lucky, Abarth has done some re-tuning of the powertrain and suspension to differentiate how it drives compared to the 4C. And if you want one of these creations, Abarth says ordering is open now, but remember, only five are ever going to be built.

2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Review & Buying Guide | Same dish, better noodles

When it comes to Italian cooking, the noodles matter less than the sauce. Despite the Alfa Romeo Guilia's robust flavor, especially the arrabiata 505-horsepower Quadrifoglio, there was no disputing the fact that the pasta upon which that delightful gravy was slathered came out a bit under-done. It was beautiful and wildly fun to drive, but it also seemed a bit incomplete due to a dated and relatively cheap-feeling cabin. There were also pervasive, widely reported reliability issues. To address the criticisms and improve the pasta, so to speak, the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia sees a multitude of updates intended to make it more competitive against its mainly German competitors. These are best noticed in the upgraded switchgear and more modern infotainment features. The driver assistance tech gets a successful upgrade as well. Now, only time will tell regarding the reliability issues, but after some time spent with a 2020 Giulia, we can at least report that it's far closer to the sexy Italian sedan we should have gotten from day one.   What's new for 2020? You’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference from looking at it, but the 2020 Giulia received a lot of upgrades. Alfa upgraded the sedanÂ’s interior materials and added a ton of new technology, including an available Wi-Fi hotspot, over-the-air software updates, and both wireless and USB Type-C device charging capabilities. As an added bonus, the 8.8-inch infotainment screen is now standard and has been upgraded to a touch display, while the driver assistance tech has been upgraded with new systems supplied by Bosch. What's the GiuliaÂ’s interior and in-car technology like? AlfaÂ’s 2020 upgrades focused on improving the GiuliaÂ’s cabin, and itÂ’s much better for it. Materials on the steering wheel, dash and center console were all improved and the control interfaces made less flimsy and toy-like. The overall quality result still doesn't match most competitors, but it's no longer objectionable and the materials generally feel nice to the touch. The design itself stays basically the same, maintaining its attractive and minimalist look. It lacks the Swedish flair of a Volvo S60 or the drama of some of the offerings available from Lexus and Mercedes, but Alfa was sure to pack in just enough Italian flair to keep things interesting. There's even a little Italian tricolore emblem at the base of the shifter.

2024 Alfa Romeo Tributo Italiano Editions celebrate the obvious

For the first time, Alfa Romeo has a special edition meant for worldwide consumption. The Tributo Italian Edition — a "tribute to the brand's origins, Italian excellence and sportiness" — was designed for the Stelvio, Giulia, and Tonale. The upgraded spec shared among all three models includes two-tone exteriors, a black roof paired with one of three available colors: Rosso Alfa, Verde Montreal, and Bianco Alfa. Those are the colors of the Italian flag, naturally, which also appear on the black mirror caps. All ride on Alfa's adaptive suspension, come with all-wheel drive, and fit a smattering of the company's driver assistance and convenience features. Inside buyers get dual-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, heated and cooled perforated black leather seats with red accents and stitching, logoed headrests, premium audio, and ambient lighting.  Specific kit for the Tonale begins with the Dark Miron accents outside, like in the grille "V' insert, on the skid plate, and accents along the side. A special bodykit adds redrawn front and rear bumpers, side skirts, and wheel arches. The Tributo Italiano specials sitting just below available Quadrifoglio trims, the generous equipment level means the Tonale's 285-horsepower plug-in hybrid powertrain, red Brembo calipers behind 20-inch wheels, adaptive full-LED matrix headlights, hands-free electric tailgate, aluminum tread plates, and chrome-plated twin tailpipes. The cabin is spiffed up with a fancy "carbon design" insert. A sunroof is optional. The Stelvio and Giulia Tributo Italiano editions are both powered by the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 280 hp, the most powerful option beneath the Quadrifoglio's 2.9-liter. The Stelvio rides on 21-inch wheels, the Giulia on 19-inchers, the largest size available for the sedan.  The limited editions are coming to dealers in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2024. Alfa didn't mention production numbers nor price, but did say the Italian-themed cars will slot at the top of their respective 2.0-liter lineups. We'd guess an MSRP in the mid-50s for the Tonale, the upper 50s or low 60s for the Gilulia, and the low to mid-60s for the Stelvio. Related Video