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2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider doffs its cap in Detroit

With the debut of the 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider the Italian company's US lineup has officially doubled. Cosmetically, it makes most of its changes up top and out back, starting with its exposure to the sky. The 4C's 236-pound carbon-fiber monocoque was already engineered for open-air duty, so the Spider only needs an aluminum rollbar underneath the CF roll hoop - called a "halo" - as well as some new upper body brackets and a crossbeam in the engine compartment to maintain stiffness. The CF windshield frame is both bolted and glued to the monocoque. When it's time to close the cabin off, a stowable cloth roof or, later after launch, an available carbon-fiber hardtop will do the job. We've already had the chance to affix and remove the former, and it's a simple job that's good for a full 160 mph, unlike some rival's similar toupees that aren't approved for top-speed runs. When we saw spy shots of the 4C Spider on a photo shoot recently, we thought the center-mounted exhaust from the concept car had been retired, but that's not the case. Buyers will have the option of a center-set Akrapovic titanium dual-mode exhaust, with a carbon-fiber body surround. The aural sensations will be boosted further with three air extractors in the new decklid. The cockpit comes standard with cross-stitched leather in either black, red or Tobacco, depending on package. Details include CF vent surrounds, and an Alpine stereo with plenty of media input options (we're hoping it's better than the absolutely terrible head unit we've already experienced in the 4C coupe). Exterior touches will be enhanced by four new wheel designs in silver or dark finish, with four choices of brake caliper. How much performance will you give up to go topless? It doesn't look like much, if any. The 4C Coupe has been run from standstill to 60 miles per hour anywhere from 4.1 seconds to 4.3 seconds. Alfa gives the estimated time for the Spider as 4.1-seconds, to go along with 1.1 g of lateral acceleration, and says the car only weighs 22 pounds more than its fixed-head sibling. It looks like the Spider is out to earn all the attention it's going to get when it launches this summer. You can turn your attentions now to the mega gallery above and the lengthy press release below, and we'll have live shots of it from the Detroit Auto Show shortly.

Stellantis tells UK: Change Brexit deal or watch car plants close

LONDON - British car plants will close with the loss of thousands of jobs unless the Brexit deal is swiftly renegotiated, Stellantis has told the UK parliament, the latest in a series of warnings from the industry since the country left the European Union. The world's No. 3 carmaker by sales and owner of 14 brands including Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat said that under the current deal it would face tariffs when exporting electric vans to Europe from next year, when tougher post-Brexit rules come into force. "If the cost of EV (electric vehicle) manufacturing in the UK becomes uncompetitive and unsustainable, operations will close," Stellantis said in a submission to a House of Commons committee examining the prospects for Britain's EV industry. Stellantis urged the government to reach an agreement with the European Union about extending the current rules on the sourcing of parts until 2027 instead of the planned 2024 change. In response, a government spokesperson said the business secretary had raised the issue with the EU. "Watch this space, because we are very focused on making sure that the UK gets EV and manufacturing capacity," Britain's finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Wednesday at a British Chambers of Commerce event. The potentially existential problem facing Britain's car industry is closely tied to the shift to EVs. Under the trade deal agreed when Britain left the bloc, 45% of the value of an EV being sold in the European Union must come from Britain or the EU from 2024 to avoid tariffs. The problem is that a battery pack can account for up to half a new EV's cost. Batteries are also heavy and expensive to move long distances. Experts have been warning since Britain left the EU at the end of 2020 that the country would need a number of EV battery gigafactories or potentially lose a hefty chunk of its car industry. Only Japan's Nissan has a small EV battery plant in Sunderland, with a second one on the way. Cost of failure Britishvolt, a startup which received UK government support for an ambitious 3.8 billion pound ($4.80 billion) battery plant at a site in northern England, filed for administration in January after struggling to raise funds. The company was then bought by Australia's Recharge Industries, which has yet to unveil plans for the site.

2022 Alfa Romeo GTV leaked image shows high performance coupe

Update: Turns out, the image came from the School of Design Milan and is not a leaked image of the upcoming Alfa GTV. We have since learned the image was of a rendering presented during a class. Alfa Romeo declared it was going to bring back the GTV name with a high-performance hybrid car last summer at its five-year plan conference. We got a teaser then, but now this image has surfaced online, initially appearing on the Italian Club Alfa website. It does indeed have the coupe bodystyle we surmised before. We're getting a grand tourer vibe from the styling right now, especially in knowing Alfa plans on giving the GTV 600 horsepower. The power will most likely come from the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 hooked up to some form of hybrid electric system. We've been told to expect all-wheel drive, torque vectoring and a 50/50 weight distribution for the GTV, along with a short electric-only range. Alfa's Giorgio platform was designed with electrification in mind, so this car will certainly ride on those underpinnings. That's great to hear, because the Giulia and Stelvio are both dynamic standouts in their respective classes. This car's looks looks set to take on other luxury grand tourers like the Lexus LC500 and BMW 8 Series. The GTV is set to be joined by a new 8C supercar with even more horsepower in 2022. That vehicle will also be using a hybrid powertrain. Both these cars are still a few years from production, but we may just see a concept or two at auto shows leading up to their eventual reveals.