Alfa Romeo UK Introduces 2011MY 159 with New 2.0 JTDM and Revised Features

After its introduction at last year�s Paris Motor Show, Alfa Romeo is finally launching its 2011 model year 159 saloon and Sportwagon range onto the UK market. The updated 159 lineup is enhanced with a new 136 bhp 2.0 JTDM diesel engine, as well as with new interior trim and equipment.

The 2.0-liter JTDM is a Euro-5 diesel unit equipped with a variable geometry turbocharger delivering 136 bhp at 4,000 rpm and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of peak torque at 1,750 rpm. Linked to a 6-speed manual gearbox, it allows the sedan to complete the 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint in 9.9 seconds (SW: 10.1 sec) and to reach a top speed of 126 mph (202km/h).

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The Wonderful Alfa Romeo GT Cabrio that Never Was...

The Alfa Romeo GT was a fairly successful small coupe built between 2003 and 2010. Its clean styling courtesy of the Bertone design house and its sweet handling led to sales of 80,832 units worldwide. But did you know that Bertone also conceived a convertible version of the car? In 2003, the Italian design house and coachbuilder built a one-off, four-seat soft-top version of the GT for Alfa Romeo, in order to convince them it was worth making.

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Fiat to Introduce Two New Dodge-Based Sedans in China and Russia by 2013

As time goes by, Fiat SpA�s integration with the Chrysler Group LLC deepens and the results become more evident with the two carmakers making several plans for the future. Speaking at Fiat's annual shareholders meeting on March 30, Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed plans to launch two new Dodge-based sedans in China and Russia.

The first sedan will be a compact model built on the next generation Dodge Caliber, which is expected in the USA next January. According to an Autonews report, this model will enter production in China in the second half of 2011, while timing for the Russian launch has not yet been disclosed. The other four-door saloon will be a mid-size model based on the replacement for the Dodge Avenger, which is scheduled for launch in the USA in 2013. It will go on sale in China and Russia the same year.

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New Dodge Charger TBi Powered by Alfa Romeo�s 1.75 Liter Turbo Engine

Now here�s some news we weren�t expecting. The Chrysler Group announced today the premiere of a new variant of the 2011 Dodge Charger bearing the TBi moniker, which stands for Turbocharged Boosted Induction. The Charger TBi is powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine sourced from sister company Alfa Romeo. The Italian flavored 1.75-liter powerplant is the same one found on a variety of Alfa models including the Giulietta and 159, as well as the upcoming 4C sports coupe previewed in Geneva last month.

On the 2011MY Charger, the force-fed four-pot delivers a maximum output of 225HP and a peak torque of 250 lb-ft / 340Nm at just 1,900 rpm.

The Detroit automaker said that the gasoline engine �ensures performance that matches or exceeds that of a 3.0-litre V6 whilst still delivering the moderate fuel consumption which is typical of a compact, 4 cylinder unit�. The new powerplant will be matched exclusively to a new automatic "TCT" twin dry clutch transmission with eight gears.

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Report: Zagato Rumored to Build Alfa Romeo TZ4 Stradale Based on Dodge Viper V10

A little less than a year ago, famed Italian coachbuilder Zagato celebrated Alfa Romeo�s centenary with the reveal of the TZ3 Corsa at the Villa D'Este Concours. Based on the hardware of the Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione, the TZ3 Corsa paid homage to its TZ predecessors. It was built as a one-off for a wealthy German collector named Martin Kapp.

In December of the same year, Zagato sent out a holiday card featuring the older TZ1 and TZ2 alongside the latest TZ3 and one more unnamed fourth model wrapped in a bow, hinting at a new TZ4. Fast forward to today, and German car magazine Autobild is reporting that the Italian coachbuilder is indeed planning a fourth TZ model, which could carry the TZ4 Stradale nameplate.

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Alfa Romeo Launches 2011MY MiTo in Europe

This week marks the commercial debut of the 2011 model year Alfa Romeo MiTo in Italy and on other major European markets. First shown at the 2011 Geneva Salon, the modestly updated MiTo comes with a fresh batch of exterior colors, different seat upholsteries, new optional equipment and Euro 5 compliant engines all fitted as standard with a Start&Stop system. Read more �

Dutch Man Builds Alfa Romeo GTV Bi-Motore with Two V6 Engines and 487HP [with Videos]

�What do you do when the power of an engine is no longer sufficient?� asks Stephan Lenior, the man behind Squadra Tuning, on his company�s website. While the solution for the majority would have been a heavily modified or perhaps a completely different engine altogether, for the owner of the Alfa Romeo tuning company based in Holland, the answer to that question was far more radical and complex.

To make a very long story short, Stephan�s solution to u the performance of his Alfa Romeo GTV V6 involved the fitment of a second six-cylinder engine at the back. Easier said than done of course, with the project turning out to be a rather complicated and time-consuming process.

Stephan documented the entire build on his company�s website and if our Google�s translation is correct (any help from our Dutch speaking readers would be appreciated, especially on the matter of the transmission), Stephan took a 3.2-liter V6 along with the sub frame and suspension bits from an Alfa Romeo 166 and placed them in the rear section of the Italian coupe. Together with the GTV�s front-mounted 3.0-liter V6, the two engines produce a combined output of 487-horsepower.

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Chrysler Group Celebrates Production Launch of 2012 Fiat 500 at Toluca Plant, May Also Produce Second Fiat Model in Mexico

Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne and Mexico�s President Felipe Calderon celebrated the start of the 2012 Fiat 500 production today at the Detroit firm�s Toluca plant in Mexico. The company invested $550 million USD, with the assistance of loans from the Mexican government, to build the subcompact model at the Toluca site.

Chrysler said the plant will build more than 120,000 examples of the Fiat 500 for export to the United States, Canada, and South America, as well as to China by the third quarter of 2011. The same factory also produces the Dodge Journey, which is shipped to the U.S. as well as its Fiat twin, the newly revealed Freemont that will be sold in Europe.

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VW CEO Piech Says Germans Could Quadruple Alfa Romeos Sales

In yet another episode of the ongoing verbal battle between the Fiat and VW Groups over Alfa Romeo, the German automaker's CEO Ferdinand Piech said that Volkswagen could nearly quadruple the annual sales of the Milanese brand if the Italians would agree to sell the company.

Speaking to journalists at the Geneva Motor Show, the CEO went on to say that within five years Volkswagen could increase the sales of the money-losing Italian brand to 400,000 cars every year. Alfa Romeo ended 2010 with 112,000 units sold.

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Alfa Romeo 4C Concept: Video and Live Shots from the Geneva Motor Show

I know some of our readers will disagree, hell, even some of the folks here at ROAD CARS will beg to differ, nevertheless, I'm going to say it: I'm utterly disappointed with the styling of Alfa Romeo's 4C Concept, which is slated to enter production in 2012. Alfa had a unique chance to redefine its design language with its first mainstream rear-wheel drive model in decades but instead chose to add the Mickey Mouse - bug face treatment to a body that looks awfully similar to the Lotus Elise.

The specific styling cues may work for the 8C Competizione but if you ask me, the 4C looks just as silly as the MiTo does. Granted; the true essence of the 4C Concept lays under the skin and in particular the mid-engine / rear-wheel drive architecture, but would it be much to ask for some of that styling magic Alfa Romeo has served us over the years?

As always, feel free to agree or disagree in our comments section below.

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Geneva Show: Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe Concept with Mid-Mounted 1.75-Liter Turbo Engine and RWD

Alfa Romeo has unveiled a concept study for a compact and affordable "supercar� called 4C Concept at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The car is a two-seater, rear-wheel drive coupe with a mid-mounted engine that could find its way into production as early as 2012. According to the Italian car maker, the 4C represents �the true essence of a sports car, according to the brand values: performance, Italian style and technical excellence aimed at maximum driving pleasure in total safety.�

As the name suggests, the car is supposed to be a smaller version of the 8C Competizione, which is also true in the case of the design, as the 4C looks very similar to Alfa's supercar. The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept has a length of approximately 4 meters and a wheelbase of less than 2.4 meters. These dimensions emphasize the compact size of the car and also accentuate its agility, Alfa says.

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Duped: Alleged Spy Video of Alfa Romeo 4C an MPCARDESIGN Project

A "spy" video showing an Alfa Romeo 4C GTA and Spider has been circulating around the internet lately, with some screen shots even making their way on British car magazine Autoexpress which posted a story on its website the other day.

We had our doubts about its authenticity ever since we first saw the film last week, and today these suspicions were confirmed after we came in contact with Marco Procaccini from MPCARDESIGN who told us that he made the video as part of a new (independent) Alfa Romeo project he is working on. Apparently, someone got hold of Mario's video, and tried to pass it on as a scoop, duping many people in the process.

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Alfa Romeo Focuses on the Giulietta and 2011MY MiTo at the Geneva Show

The Fiat Group will have a particularly strong presence at the Geneva Motor Show this year, as it�s planning to reveal a bevy of new models and concept cars. Alfa Romeo�s offering at the Swiss salon will be centered on the Giulietta compact and 2011MY MiTo subcompact models, with two of each scheduled to go on display. And for those of you wondering, Alfa's press release made no mention of the rumored concept sports coupe based on the underpinnings of the KTM X-Bow.

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What Were They Thinking? When Alfa Romeo Rebadged a Nissan to Create the Arna

When the Nissan Versa was launched in Australia as the Tiida, many automotive watchers were excited by the prospect of blending Renault�s European flair with Nissan�s Japanese reliability. �Here,� they said, �Is a car that�ll please everyone.�

What they got was a narrow-bodied subcompact with so-so styling, a plasticy dashboard, a shocking lack of equipment and an overinflated price tag. Not to mention Kim Cattrall in the TV spots. If this sounds strangely familiar to our older readers, you�re right on the money. Twenty-three years before the crossbred Tiida hit Australian shores, another mongrel was being birthed in Europe.

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Marchionne gets Nasty, Tells VW Boss Piech to go and Fix SEAT Instead of Eyeing Alfa Romeo

Speaking at the J.D. Power and Associates International Automotive Round-table in San Francisco, Fiat Group and Chrysler LLC CEO Sergio Marchionne bluntly reiterated that the Italians won�t sell Alfa Romeo to the Volkswagen Group, or anyone else for that matter.

�As long as I am CEO of Chrysler and Fiat, Mr. Piech will never have Alfa Romeo. It's hands-off. I told him. I will call him and I will email him�, Marchionne said.

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Alfa Romeo Celebrates Support of UK Athletics with New MiTo Sprint

Automakers find all kind of excuses to create special edition versions of their cars, and by special edition we actually mean better equipped models. For Alfa Romeo, the raison d'�tre of the new MiTo Sprint is "the continued support of UK Athletics (UKA)". Wonder what they'll think of next...

Well, in any case, the new UK market MiTo Sprint is available in UKA �Union Jack� inspired colors (red, white or blue), and comes with some �1,500 worth of extras, including cruise control, leather steering wheel and gear stick, remote audio controls on the steering wheel, Blue&Me Bluetooth hands-free system with voice recognition, and media player with a USB port.

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Alfa Romeo UK Adds New Diesel with 140HP and 62.8 MPG to Giulietta Lineup

A newly developed 2.0-liter JTDM engine has made its way under the hood of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta in the UK. The four-cylinder turbocharged diesel unit, which delivers 140HP at 4,000 rpm and 320Nm of peak torque in 'Normal' mode and 350Nm in 'Dynamic' mode, gets the latest generation JTDM-2 MultiJet Common Rail system that is already present on the 105HP 1.6 JTDM-2 and the 170HP 2.0 JTDM-2 engines.

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Alfa Romeo Rumored [Again] to be Planning a KTM X-Bow-based Sports Car

At this year�s Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo may take the audience by surprise with a lightweight, mid-engine and rear-wheel drive coupe concept that will eventually become the Italian maker�s next affordable halo car, reportedly named 4C GTA.

According to an Automotive News Europe [ANE] report, a Fiat spokesman has confirmed that development is underway, however the Geneva debut is uncertain due to �delays in the concept model construction�.

The brand�s last affordable rear-wheel drive model was the �Classic Spider�, which was discontinued in 1994, leaving a gap that was never filled by Alfa Romeo. True, the limited run 8C Competizione, built between 2007 and 2008, was an impressive car, but with a price tag of over �200,000 (US $276,160) it was simply too expensive for the average Alfa buyer.

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Alfa Romeo SZ

Manufacturer	Alfa Romeo SZ
Also called	ES-30 or Il Mostro
Production	1989–1991 SZ 1992–1994 RZ
Assembly	Terrazzano di Rho (MI), Italy
Successor	Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Class	Sports car
Body style(s)	coupe (SZ) convertible (RZ)
Layout	FR layout
Engine(s)	3.0 L V6
Transmission(s)	5-speed manual
Wheelbase	2,510 mm (98.8 in)
Length	4,059 mm (159.8 in)
Width	1,730 mm (68.1 in)
Height	1,311 mm (51.6 in) SZ 1,300 mm (51.2 in) RZ
Curb weight	1,256 kg (2,769 lb) SZ 1,380 kg (3,042 lb) RZ
Related	Alfa Romeo 75
Designer	Robert Opron/Antonio Castellana

The Alfa Romeo SZ (Sprint Zagato) or ES-30 (Experimental Sportscar 3.0 litre) is a high performance limited production sports car/road-concept car built between 1989 and 1991 with partnership via Centro Stile Zagato, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and Centro Stile Fiat. It was unveiled as ES-30 in 1989 Geneva Motor Show as a prototype by Zagato, although the car was mainly built by them - not designed mechanically.[2]

Robert Opron of the Fiat design studio was responsible for the initial sketches while Antonio Castellana was largely responsible for the final styling details and interior. Only the 'Z' logo of Zagato was kept. The car possessed unusual headlights positioned in a trio on each side - a styling used more subtly on later Alfa Romeos in the 2000's.

Mechanically and engine-wise, the car was based on the Alfa Romeo 75, production being carried out by Zagato at Terrazzano di Rho near the Alfa factory in Arese. The thermoplastic injection moulded composite body panels were produced by Italian company Carplast and French company Stratime.

The suspension was taken from the Alfa 75 group A/IMSA car,[2] and modified by Giorgio Pianta, engineer and team manager of the Lancia and Fiat rally works team. A hydraulic damper system was made by Koni. The SZ was originally equipped with Pirelli P Zero tyres (front 205/55 ZR 16, rear 225/50 ZR 16) and is able to sustain over 1.1 G in cornering, some drivers have measured a cornering force of 1.4 G, which remains an excellent performance figure.[3]

The two seater hard roof version also saw a convertible version, the RZ (for Roadster Zagato), produced from 1992 until December 1994.[citation needed]

It features as one of three drivable cars in a Commodore Amiga/Atari ST game, 'Supercars' as a Taraco Neoroder Turbo.

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Previous : Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ

Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ

Manufacturer	Alfa Romeo
Also called	Alfa Romeo TZ
Production	1963–1967
Predecessor	Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ
Successor	Alfa Romeo GTA Alfa Romeo Tipo 33
Body style(s)	2-door coupe
Layout	FR layout
Engine(s)	1.6 L I4
Transmission(s)	5-speed manual
Wheelbase	2,200 mm (86.6 in)
Length	3,950 mm (155.5 in) TZ 3,680 mm (144.9 in) TZ2
Width	1,509 mm (59.4 in) TZ 1,600 mm (63.0 in) TZ2
Height	1,199 mm (47.2 in) TZ 1,020 mm (40.2 in) TZ2
Curb weight	660 kg (1,500 lb) (TZ) 620 kg (1,400 lb) (TZ2)

The original TZ, currently sometimes referenced as TZ1 to differ from later TZ2, was developed in together with Autodelta, a company led by Ex-Ferrari engineer Carlo Chiti. It featured a 1570 cc twin cam engine and other mechanical components shared with the Alfa Romeo Giulia and carried a 105 series chassis number, but was a purpose built sports racing car, with a tubular spaceframe chassis, light all-aluminium bodywork, disc brakes and independent suspension. The result was a lightweight coupé of only 650 kilograms (1,400 lb and top speed of 134 miles per hour (216 km/h). The TZ was built both for street and racing trim, with the latest racing versions producing up to 160 brake horsepower (120 kW). Alfa's twin-spark cylinder head, as also used in the GTA, contributed to the speed of the TZ; the standard Giulia alloy block with wet steel liners was installed at an angle under the hood of the TZ to improve airflow.

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