1989 Alfa Romeo Spider Quadrifoglio on 2040-cars

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The hottest modern sports cars rendered as rally racers

The modern-day World Rally Championship a monumental amount of fun to watch – I should know, as I recently was lucky enough to head to the UK to watch WRC Wales Rally GB – but even the most monstrous of the current WRC cars are based on fairly pedestrian European hatchbacks. Back in the heyday of rally, the Group B era in the 1980s, much hotter cars were the basis of even more incredible competition machines, for the most part. Take the exotic Ford RS200, or the Lancia Delta S4 with its twin-charged engine. And the hatchback-based Group B cars were bonkers, too. So what would some of our favorite modern cars look like if Group B had never ended? A British site named CarWow hired an artist to reimagine everything from the Rolls-Royce Wraith to the Porsche 911 as a retro-inspired rally car, and they were kind enough to let us share the results in the gallery above. The gallery features an Alfa Romeo Giulia in Martini livery, an Audi TT in classic Ur-Quattro colors, a Fiat 500 Abarth sporting massive flares and a hood blister full of auxiliary lights, a new Ford Mustang in RS200 livery, a Lancia Delta in Alitalia colors, a Porsche 911 in Rothmans livery, a Renault-Alpine in classic blue, a Rolls-Royce Wraith tribute to the Jules cologne Corniche Coupe, and a relatively modern-looking VW Touran. So far, the favorite around the office is the incredible Mercedes-Benz S-Class that is an homage to the wonderful 300 SEL 6.8 AMG "Red Pig" that essentially put AMG on the map. Check out the gallery above and see which one you like the best. Related Video:

2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Road Test | The driver's choice becomes less compromised

The 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio marks the third model year of the Italian SUV. And every time we’ve driven it, weÂ’ve come away smitten with its driving dynamics but disappointed in areas of technology and finish. So, Alfa Romeo has made some changes, upgrading some interior pieces, revamping the infotainment system and upgrading the driver assist systems. Wisely, everything mechanical has been left alone. The result: This is the best version of arguably the best-driving performance crossover on the market. But it still has room for improvement that could continue to sway some buyers to the competition. WeÂ’ll start with a recap of the best part of this crossover: how it drives. The now famed Ferrari-derived 505-horsepower V6 is the headline grabber, for good reason. It delivers loads of power and does so smoothly and across most of the rev band. It sounds great when driving in Dynamic or Race mode. The transmission itÂ’s connected to, an eight-speed automatic, shifts smoothly and reasonably quickly, but some of the competition can crack off shifts faster. But what really makes the Quadrifoglio shine is the combined capability of the chassis and all-wheel-drive system. They provide enormous amounts of grip and a neutral feeling that encourages you to keep adding power through every corner. It feels light and responsive, more like a car than a crossover. ThereÂ’s a bit more body roll than you might expect for such a serious sporting machine, but itÂ’s not unwelcome. It gives the Stelvio a fluid, lively feel, not unlike what you would find in a Miata, which is also slightly roly-poly. The Stelvio is never upset by bumps, either, and the ride ranges from compliant to bouncy depending on the driving mode. The steering in Dynamic and Race mode is extremely well-weighted and progressive, though in Normal mode, itÂ’s a bit light and numb. On the whole, though, the Alfa is wonderful to drive. Nevertheless, itÂ’s also a luxury crossover starting at over $80,000, so it canÂ’t just drive well. It needs to provide a premium experience with plenty of gizmos to justify the price. In this area, the Quadrifoglio makes a solid initial impression. Every surface is covered in either leather or carbon fiber, and features double stitching at every seam. It looks and feels lovely. The interiorÂ’s crown jewels, though, are the huge aluminum shifter paddles.

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.