1967 Alfa Romeo Spider on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo returns to F1 racing by sponsoring Sauber for 2018

Doesn't it feel good to see the Alfa Romeo emblem proudly displayed on a Formula One car again? It's been 30 years since Alfa Romeo had anything to do with F1 cars, as in the late '80s the manufacturer supplied engines to Ligier and Osella. Alfa Romeo even developed the first modern Formula One V10 engine, but that ended up in a 164 Procar instead of Ligier race cars. After a 30-year hiatus, it was announced in late 2017 that Alfa Romeo's brand would return to F1 racing by sponsoring Sauber. There isn't an Alfa Romeo engine in the 2018 Sauber C37, as it uses a current Ferrari power unit instead and Alfa Romeo's involvement is strictly about FCA's sponsoring the Swiss racing team. The drivers for 2018 are Charles Leclerc and Marcus Ericsson. Jorg Zander, Sauber's technical director, says: "The car philosophy is much different to that of the C36. The aerodynamic concept has changed significantly, and the C37 has several new features in comparison to its predecessor. We are positive that the new concept offers us more opportunities and will help us to make improvements during the course of the season. The 2018 Ferrari engine will also give us a boost in terms of our performance. We hope that we will make progress with the C37 and that we are more competitive compared to 2017." Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Image Credit: Sauber F1 Team Motorsports Alfa Romeo Ferrari Racing Vehicles F1 FCA

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:

The Alfa Romeo Giulia starts at $38,990, or $73,595 for the Quadrifoglio

Although the 4C has been on sale for more than a year, Alfa Romeo's US comeback tour really starts with the all-new Giulia. The car goes on sale this month and is expected to compete head to head with sport sedan competition from Germany, England, Japan, and America. The automaker released details on Giulia trims and pricing, and it appears to be right in the mix with the competition. The new Alfa Romeo Giulia starts at $38,990 with destination. While that's on the high side of its class, it's still right in the mix. All of the competition falls between the $34,445 BMW 3-Series and the $40,425 Mercedes-Benz C300. Where the Giulia really shines at this price point is performance, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that generates 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque. Alfa claims a 5.1 second 0-60 mph time for the base model, which trounces the competition. The big bad Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio starts at $73,595 with destination. That's quite a bit more than the BMW M3 and Cadillac ATS-V, but it's right on par with the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Sedan. The four-leaf clover has a 2.9-liter biturbo V6 that turns out 505 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. That's good for a 3.8 second 0-60 mph and a record-setting 7:32 Nurburgring lap time, if you care about such things. The standard Giulia and Giulia Ti ($40,990) are available with FCA's Q4 all-wheel-drive system for an extra $2,000. The Giulia Ti is available with Ti Lusso and Ti Sport packages for $2,250 each. Think of the Ti Sport as the Quadrifoglio light and the Ti Lusso as the comfortable and relaxed model. All versions of the Giulia come equipped with an 8-speed automatic, and Alfa Romeo currently has no plans to offer a stick shift in the US. The Giulia Quadrifoglio goes on sale this month, with the rest of the lineup hitting showrooms next month. If shoppers can look through the vast competition for what on paper is the sportiest of small sport sedans on the market, Alfa may be here to stay. Related Video: