1981 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Convertible 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo Stelvio Luggage Test | How much cargo space?

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is quite obviously more about Sport than Utility, especially the high-octane Quadrifoglio you see here resplendent in Alfa Rosso paint. Frankly, I wasn't expecting much from its luggage-hauling potential. After all, according to the specs, it has only 18.5 cubic-feet of space behind the raised back seat, which is quite simply terrible. That's the same as a Jeep Renegade, which is considerably smaller on the outside. Based on past luggage tests of SUVs with a comparable cargo number, there's no way all the bags from my garage will fit. In fact, there's a good chance multiple bags would be staying at home or riding on people's laps.  Well, let's put that assumption to the test.  Here's what the Stelvio has going for it. Sure looks a lot bigger than a Renegade. Actually, it looks bigger than the Range Rover Evoque, which has 21.5 cubic feet. As you can see, this particular Stelvio came equipped with a cargo rail system and net. Those clasps are easily removed by lifting up on the little handle and moving into that wider part of the track. Now, you'll note that the Stelvio has a cargo cover like virtually all SUVs, but this one is a little different in that it's in two pieces. A smaller one that rolls out from a cartridge aft of the back seat, and a semi-rigid piece that connects to the liftgate.  As always, I started off by keeping the cargo cover(s) in place when trying to stuff as much of my luggage as possible in the back. As a refresher, I use two mid-size roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D). As it turns out, the cover cartridge didn't impede loading at all. I'm guessing because the reel is smaller, but either way, this is a real benefit. It means you don't have to find someplace to store the damn cargo cover if you're picking someone up at the airport, for instance, and discover their bags are too big.  However, you'll note (maybe) that my wife's fancy bag is missing from this luggage Tetris ensemble. That's because it got caught on the rigid cargo cover attached to the tailgate when placed atop the bag on the right. OK, then, let's remove that. Basically, you just yank the thing out. Not too complicated.

2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Estrema bridges the Quadrifoglio gap

Alfa Romeo is expanding the 2023 Giulia range with a model named Estrema that was developed for driving enthusiasts. Also available on the 2023 Stelvio, the Estrema trim level bridges the gap between the Veloce variants of both cars and the high-performance Quadrifoglio. "Estrema" is Italian for "extreme," and in this case it denotes a car that — in Alfa Romeo's words — was designed for "a connoisseur of driving." The list of standard features grows with the addition of a limited-slip rear differential and the adaptive Alfa Active Suspension system for both comfort and performance. These updates may not sound major, but they should make a perceptible difference on the kind of twisty roads that the Estrema models were created for. Car-spotters will be able to pick out the Estrema versions in a crowded parking lot by looking for carbon fiber exterior accents (including the piece of trim that underlines the grille), specific wheels that measure 19 inches on the Giulia and 21 inches on the Stelvio, dark "Estrema" emblems and black brake calipers. Inside, there's more carbon fiber, red contrast stitching and a blend of leather and Alcantara upholstery.  The Estrema models aren't any more estrema under the hood than the versions that they're based on. The only engine available in the United States is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged to deliver 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel-drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission come standard on the Giulia, though Alfa Romeo's Q4 all-wheel-drive system is available at an extra cost, and the Stelvio is exclusively offered with all-wheel-drive. With the Q4 system, the Giulia reaches 60 mph from a stop in 5.1 seconds. On sale now, Alfa Romeo's Estrema models are scheduled to reach dealers across the nation in the third quarter of 2022. Buyers have four colors to choose from: Alfa White, Alfa Rosso, Misano Blue, and Vulcano Black. Pricing is set at $56,685 for the rear-wheel-drive Giulia, $58,685 for the all-wheel-drive model, and $60,545 for the Stelvio. Note that these figures include a mandatory $1,595 destination charge. Related Video:

Alpine A110 vs Alfa Romeo 4C Review | Two sports cars enter

YORKSHIRE, U.K. – A proven ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is all part of Alfa RomeoÂ’s romantic charm. With bodywork like red satin draped over a carbon fiber tub and the promise of a mid-engined, Italian exotic for Cayman money, the 4C was certainly a bold vehicle to relaunch the brand to the American market. Pebble Beach types could appreciate its inspiration in the gorgeous, minimalist Alfa Romeo coupes of the past. Everyone else could kid themselves it was basically a baby Ferrari, never mind the fact it only had 237 horsepower and a four-cylinder engine. At first blush, the 4C was a riot, and remains so in the Spider form itÂ’s still sold in. And it gets the blood pumping in the way a fling with an exotic Italian should, especially compared with the Germanic 50 shades of gray alternatives. I can remember the thrill at driving one back in 2014, its Italian license plates making it feel all the more exotic. It may only have cost $60,000, but it hogged attention like a Ferrari worth four times that. The fun didnÂ’t last. As seductive as the fundamental formula was and still is, time and more measured eyes ultimately found the 4C to be lacking. The ugly, fat-rimmed steering wheel turned out to be a useful visual metaphor for the feel it delivered, simultaneously under-geared and punishingly heavy, especially at low speeds. At higher ones the kickback was violent enough it needed quarter-turn corrections even traveling in a straight line. And the binary power delivery smothered whatever finesse there might have been in the chassis. Its on-limit handling, on track and in the wet, was spooky. Shocked, I called a friend with an old Exige and asked to drive his car along the same route. That I concluded youÂ’d be better off with a 10-year-old Lotus definitely didnÂ’t win me many friends in Milan. Which begs the question: What does the apparently similar Alpine A110 do differently to have earned such overwhelming praise among the same reviewers here in Europe who damned the 4C? Performance stats are comparable, as is the AlpineÂ’s pricing in markets in which it is sold. Both tap into the nostalgia and heritage of their respective brands, not least in the historic long-distance European road rallies both excelled in.