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Alfa Romeo could reportedly bring Sauber F1 tech to its road cars

In the summer of 2018, Alfa Romeo laid out its five-year plan, only weeks before former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO Sergio Marchionne passed away. Alfa ambitiously projected several new vehicles of various shapes, sizes and performance levels but gave only vague details. A new report from Piston Heads adds a layer of color to the timeline, suggesting one or more of these upcoming rides could feature influence from Alfa Romeo's Formula 1 partner Sauber. PistonHeads.com recently had the chance to chop it up with Sauber Team Principal Frederic Vasseur at the F1 pre-season sessions in Barcelona, where Alfa Romeo and Sauber were testing out their just-unveiled 2019 car. According to the brief conversation, Alfa and Sauber have collaborations in the works beyond the paddock. "We are already working on another project together and you will see the result quite soon," Vasseur told PH. "It's a huge opportunity for us, but it will involve only the guys at the factory in Switzerland, as the trackside guys are focussed on the racing." Vasseur later tipped that they might have several projects in development. Without any more details, there's a lot of room for speculation, so let's quickly unpack what Alfa has already admitted to be planning. In addition to two new SUVs that will launch in the upcoming years, the performance-minded Italian brand said it would resurrect two well-known and highly desirable nameplates: 8C and GTV. Both cars will reportedly be hybrids, with the 8C serving as a halo mid-engined supercar, while the GTV will essentially be a Giulia coupe, complete with an eventual Quadrifoglio variant. Considering how great and high-powered the current Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglios already are, it seems unlikely these projects would deal with those current models. It's possible Sauber is helping Alfa Romeo with the GTV, as previous reports suggested the two-door will have F1-derived technology, but it is unclear if the coupe is coming "quite soon." It's also possible that Sauber is collaborating with Alfa on all of its upcoming performance electrification and hybrid technology. For now, it's a guessing game, but if the reports are accurate, we won't have to wait much longer to learn more. News Source: Piston Heads Rumormill Alfa Romeo Crossover Racing Vehicles Performance Sedan F1

These are the cars being discontinued for 2024 and beyond

While we get new and updated car models every year, its inevitable that we'll need to say goodbye to some nameplates as well. This time around, it feels like we have confirmation or reports of an unusually large number of vehicles being discontinued in 2024 and the coming years.  We shouldn't be surprised. A large number of automakers are approaching their various target dates for electrification of their fleets. As such, some beloved internal combustion cars are going away, sometimes with appropriate fanfare like special editions. Others are slinking away quietly, killed by slowing sales and changing consumer trends. Of course, the end of production doesn't necessarily mean permanent death. Some of these models could be resurrected in later years ... and probably as an EV. With that in mind, here are the vehicles that are being discontinued in 2024 and beyond.   Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and Stelvio Quadrifoglio Alfa Romeo ended the production of its combustion-only Quadrifoglio models in April 2024 as the Italian automaker moves toward an electrified future. This isn't the end of the Quadrifoglio entirely, though, with Larry Dominique, Alfa Romeo senior vice president and head of North America, writing, "I look forward to presenting the next chapter in the four-leaf clover’s journey."   Chevrolet Camaro GM is ending production of the Chevy Camaro after 2024, but is sending it off in style with a CollectorÂ’s Edition. WouldnÂ’t it be cool, though, if Chevy brought it back as an EV?   Chevrolet Malibu Rumors of its demise have been around for a while, but now itÂ’s official. GM will end production of the Chevy Malibu in November of 2024. The assembly line in Kansas will be retooled to build the replacement for the Chevy Bolt.   Dodge Durango The three-row Durango is slated to be replaced by the Stealth nameplate after 2024. The Durango name could make a comeback later, according to rumors, on a body-on frame SUV based on the Jeep WagoneerÂ’s platform.   Ford Edge This is the last year for the Edge in the U.S., with the final unit rolling off the assembly line in April. On sale since 2007, the Edge topped 100,000 sales in all but three full years of production.   Ford Escape Newly refreshed for the 2023 model year, FordÂ’s popular Escape compact SUV is reportedly taking its leave in 2025 in order to usher in — you guessed it — an EV in its place.

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider reportedly dead in Europe, only dealer stock remains

It's been hard to get a reliable prognosis concerning Alfa Romeo in general, and especially hard to figure out what's in store for the brand in the United States. Last year the automaker canceled the 4C coupe, last week the brand's future product roadmap appeared to deep-six the anticipated GTV and 8C sports cars in order to focus on more efficient spending in more important segments. In February of this year, Alfa Romeo launched the 4C Spider Italia in a run of just 15 units, the two biggest surprises about that car being the $73,495 price and the fact that it extended the model's run into 2020. We're not yet into 2020, but it looks like the party's over. The French outpost of Motor1 is said to have confirmed with Alfa Romeo that the 4C Spider has ceased production. According to the report, the only 4Cs left across the Atlantic are the ones currently in dealer inventory.  Autoblog asked Alfa Romeo to confirm the news, a spokesman responded by e-mail, "I can't speak for other markets but the US 4C Spider is not cancelled and is still available for order." Introduced in 2015, the 4C Spider still gets on with a turbocharged four-cylinder putting out 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The 4C Spider needs an irrational generosity to love and drive every day, but the last OEM sports car on sale without power steering knows how to thrill when pushed. Our guess is that, overseas, exotic construction and communicative, go-kart handling couldn't make up for a high price relative to the established competition and lack of interior amenities and ultimate refinement. If the European news is true, sales figures lead us to believe it is but a matter of time before the same ax finds its way to the U.S. Alfa Romeo sold 421 4Cs in Europe last year, compared to 238 in the U.S. This year European dealers sold 196 units through the end of September, U.S. dealers moved 127. If we did lose the open-top sports car before 2021, the move would leave the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV as Alfa Romeo's entire U.S. lineup until more crossover-type vehicles show in 2021. No matter what happens, perhaps by 2021 Alfa Romeo will know precisely where it needs to go and have a clear plan for getting there, and perhaps it will be able to do so with the platform and financial resources within a merged Fiat-Chrysler-PSA Group entity. Even for fun, full-throated products, it's hard to get on in today's market without full-throated focus, support, and marketing.