1977 Alpha Romeo Spider Convertable on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider lives to see 2020 and gets an Italia special edition

Alfa Romeo is launching a limited run of special-edition 4C Spider sports cars for the U.S. Called the 4C Spider Italia, only 15 of these cars will be built. Before you get up in arms about how exclusive and impossible to find this will be, consider Alfa 4C sales numbers. All of seven were sold in January, and 2018 saw 238 cars find owners. So, perhaps the limited numbers aren't that limiting. The 4C Spider Italia is essentially a $5,000 appearance package. It takes the standard 4C Spider (the coupe was discontinued in the U.S. last year) and then covers it in an exclusive blue paint called Misano Blue Metallic. Then, the front air intake and rear diffuser are finished in piano black. You also get a "4C Spider Italia" sticker for the side of the car that looks properly Italian. On the inside, there's an aluminum dashboard insert designating this car as the special edition model, and the center console has a plate with the exact number it is in the 15-car run. And that's it. Our brains most recently associate the "Italia" designation with Ferrari, but this package does nothing to bring it closer to the incredible 458's performance. You'll get the same 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque from the little turbocharged four-banger. Perhaps the best news out of this special edition car is that it's a 2020 model year. Alfa announced this car and confirmed the 4C Spider will continue at least through 2020. Even with the only option being a dual-clutch automatic transmission, the 4C is one of the most barebones, pure driving experiences you can get in a new car today. Its continued existence is only a good thing for us sports car enthusiasts. With the $5,000 tacked on to the base price, a 4C Spider Italia will run you $73,495, including destination charges. Alfa says orders for the special edition car will open up in the second quarter of 2019. Related video:

On Broughams and Alfas | Autoblog Podcast #501

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman discuss the odd history of the oft-recycled Brougham name. (Did you know some people pronounce it "broom" and they're not wrong?) There is of course discussion of what they've been driving lately, and things wrap up with Spend My (Your) Money buying advice to help you, our dear listeners. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #501 The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics and stories we mention 2017 Honda CR-V 2017 Porsche Macan GTS 2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Brougham the guy and Brougham cars Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 02:51 Brougham - 37:39 Spend My Money - 47:28 Total Duration: 01:07:02 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Alfa Romeo Cadillac Honda Porsche alfa romeo giulia alfa romeo giulia quadrifoglio porsche macan gts

Alfa Romeo teases 'a new era' with Tonale taillights

The Italians from Turin opened their Facebook page to put the world on alert that "a new era begins with Alfa Romeo," and they did so using Alfa Romeo Tonale taillights. The leading guess as to what this might portend is a battery-electric Tonale. Such a vehicle is possible, but there are questions. Brand product chief Daniel Guzzafame admitted it was "technically possible," and we're expecting an EV from Alfa next year; however, that's meant to be the Italian version of the Jeep Avenger EV sold in Europe. FCA Italy runs the Facebook page in question, and the page contains plenty of Europe-specific content, so perhaps this teaser isn't meant for us in the U.S. Or perhaps the new EV gets Tonale taillights. Or perhaps some market will see a Tonale EV soon.  Another guess is that engineers have created an enhanced Tonale variant to put the Dodge Hornet in the dust. Alfa Romeo was said to be less than pleased about Dodge borrowing the Tonale and launching its Hornet first, then showing a Hornet GLH (Go Like Hell) concept with more than 300 horsepower compared to the Tonale PHEV's 285 hp. So what if there's a Quadrifoglio PHEV headed to market, marking the first time the go-fast division would have put four leaves on a hybrid powertrain? CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said that after the Tonale launch, "we have one big product event every year for five years." This year was the 33 Stradale, next year comes something, and in 2025, "a full EV super-performing car." After that, every Alfa Romeo will be battery-electric, and Quadrifoglio trims make the jump. Imparato said there'd only be a Quadrifoglio variant of the current version if engineers could unlock "the highest level of performance." A four-leafed Tonale could break the seal on the future of performance Alfas, and be among the department's last ICE-powered hurrahs. All shots in the dark, though. Now that the tease campaign has begun, the next clue won't be far away.