Report: New Alfa Romeo-Derived / U.S. Made Dodge Compact Sedan to Debut at 2012 Detroit Show

A new U.S. market compact sedan to be developed by Fiat and built by Chrysler is set to make its debut appearance at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in the beginning of next year, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The as-of-yet unnamed model will be badged as Dodge and powered by a Fiat-derived 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. It’ll also do 40 mpg combined, or at least it will if Fiat wants to net itself a further 5% of Chrysler from Mr. Monopoly Uncle Sam.

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Monstrous Paramount Marauder Armored Vehicle to Star in First Episode of Top Gear Season 17

In just a few hours from now, Top Gear will air the first episode of season 17 on BBC. During the past two weeks, we got a taste of what Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have in store for us this year through two teaser clips.

In one of those trailers, we saw a large off-road-like vehicle playing the role of a monster truck on a white Alfa Romeo 156 and an older generation Renault Megane sedan.

It turns out that the vehicle is a mine protected armored truck called Marauder from South African company Paramount Group and the driver behind the steering wheel is Richard Hammond. We were contacted by Paramount Group who told us that the Marauder will be featured in tonight's first episode of Top Gear Season 17.

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VIDEO: Top Gear Teases Season 17 with New Trailer

In a couple of weeks, BBC will begin airing the 17th season of its highly popular Top Gear TV series. To get our engines running, the media channel released the first promotional trailer of the new series teasing the new automotive adventures of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

The 30 second-long trailer kicks off with Clarkson driving the all-new McLaren MP4-12C on the wet and continues with Hammond in the passenger seat of a MINI WRC racer. Oh, and there’s also a scene with an odd looking red truck...obliterating an Alfa Romeo 156 sedan and a Renault Megane saloon. For the rest, follow the break to watch the trailer

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Alfa Romeo 4C Sports Concept Heading to Goodwood Festival of Speed

The new Alfa Romeo 4C Sports Concept will receive its UK public debut at the rapidly approaching 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place from July 1 to 3.

Seen for the first time at the Geneva Salon in March, Italy’s answer to the Lotus Elise boasts a lightweight chassis with power coming from a mid-mounted 1.75-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 200 ponies to the rear wheels. It can complete the 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint in less than 5 seconds and reach a top speed of 155mph (250km/h). Production is set to start in 2012.

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Novitec Rosso Supercharges Alfa Romeo 8C Spider to 600-horsepower

It may not be the best sports car Italy has to offer us right now, but Alfa Romeo’s 8C Spider is certainly a prime candidate for being one of the most beautiful out there. That said, even Novitec Rosso is smart enough to know that you don’t mess with a good thing with the German tuner focusing its attention on improving the Alfa’s mechanical hardware.

The highlight of Novitec Rosso’s performance package is hidden under the 8C Spider’s hood with the adoption of a modified version of the supercharger system used on the firm’s Maserati GT tune. A new water-to-air intercooler with a dedicated radiator, custom injectors, a stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system and an ECU optimization round off the changes to the 4.7-liter V8 engine.

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Zagato’s Dodge Viper-Based Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale Smiles at the Camera

Thanks to the interwebs, we now have the first video clip of Zagato’s spanking new Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale that was introduced to the world just last week. Hiding underneath the Italian suit are the platform and the mechanical hardware of the now-obsolete Dodge Viper ACR including the 8.4-liter V10 engine. Zagato has not yet given information regarding output and performance numbers.

The Italian coachbuilder plans to build only 9 examples of the Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale with the American heart, with the first three cars having already been spoken for. To get a look of the new coachbuilt Alfa in the flesh and on the road, just hit the jump below.

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Zagato TZ3 Stradale: A Dodge Viper ACR Dressed as an Alfa Romeo

We don’t know if Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne’s future plans for the upcoming, next generation of the Dodge Viper include the development of a corresponding Alfa Romeo model based on the underpinnings of the muscle car, but famed Italian coachbuilder Zagato has given the formula a try with its new TZ3 Stradale.

You see, Zagato’s TZ3 Stradale is an Alfa Romeo bodied sports car based on the platform and mechanical hardware of the track-conquering Dodge Viper ACR, which features the same 600HP 8.4-liter V10 engine as the standard Viper SRT-10 along with a 6-speed manual gearbox and a race-spec suspension. All parts of the TZ3 Stradale’s carbon fiber body are new with the cherry topping being the classic Kamm-tail (K-tail) layout.

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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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Alfa Romeo Shows Concept Designer Bags Inspired by MiTo

In what could be seen by many as further proof that Alfa Romeo is steadily losing sight of its core values (whatever is left of them, that is...), the firm's UK division unveiled two concept designer bags for its MiTo subcompact as part of the company’s centenary year celebrations and to help support young British fashion talent. We might be wrong, but we think it would have been more appropriate for the Italian firm to show its support to young British car designers...

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Alfa Romeo Giuseppe Merosi Design Study for a RWD Sports Coupe

From the creator of the Alfa Romeo Vittorio Jano Sedan and Sport Wagon concepts comes this new design study for a classy-looking GT. Named after Giuseppe Merosi, a famous Italian automobile engineer Giuseppe Merosi who worked for Alfa Romeo (then named A.L.F.A.) in the beginning of the previous century, the prototype presented by Marco Procaccini from MPcardesign is a four-seater sports coupe designed to feature a much missed by Alfa Romeo fans, rear-wheel drive layout.

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Poll: Should Fiat Cut Loose Alfa Romeo and/or Sell it to Volkswagen?

Like Saab and countless other brands before, Alfa Romeo is at a tipping point. The famed Italian automaker, which once stunned the world with its gorgeous styling and motorsport victories, is now losing an estimate €200 million (US$265 million) per annum. It’s hard to believe that the company that brought us cars like the GTA, the Spider and the 158/159 Alfetta could be reduced to such a sad state of affairs.

Sergio Marchionne, the unwavering CEO of Fiat and its subsidiaries, is determined to turn the ailing automaker around. Meanwhile, Volkswagen is sniffing around for more brands and smells a potential winner in the Milanese company.

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Fiat Takes TV Show to Court for Defamatory Statements on Alfa Romeo MiTo

The Fiat Group has decided to take legal actions against the producers of the AnnoZero television show, which is hosted on the Italian state owned public service broadcaster, RAI, for statements made on an episode that aired on December 2.

The company alleges that the show's hosts made comments that were "highly defamatory and damaging to the image and reputation of the company, its products and its employees and based on a fabricated comparison."

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Concept Flashback: Alfa Romeo’s 1996 Nuvola Prototipo V6 Sports Coupe

Welcome to the story of the Alfa Romeo Nuvola Prototipo, one of the most gripping concepts to wear the famous Visconti Serpent badges in the past two decades. Unveiled for the first time at the Paris Motor Show in 1996, the Nuvola Prototipo was named after Tazio Nuvolari, the legendary Italian motorcycle and racecar driver who competed for Alfa in the 1930s.

The Nuvola had all the essential ingredients of a proper Alfa Romeo sports coupe - a beautifully crafted body and interior, classic proportions, a dedicated chassis and enough power to put a smile on your face.

Of course we would have preferred a rear-wheel drive setup, but its four wheel drive layout is much less of a compromise (for a sports car) than if power was transferred exclusively to the front axle.

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Marangoni's Green-Footed Alfa Romeo Giulietta G430 iMove with 286HP

Italian tire manufacturer Marangoni has teamed up with tuning firm TRC Italia to create a demo version of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1750 Quadrifoglio Verde () and showcase a new series of eco-friendly tires which will soon enter the market.

Dubbed the Giulietta G430 iMove, the demo car is fitted with special tires sized 235/35 R19 tires boasting a fluorescent, green pigment, which glows in the dark. The compound is rich in silica content and other materials, minimizing rolling resistance and, thus, improving fuel consumption. The car rides on 19-inch Barracuda Karizzma wheels, painted in a contrasting black tone.

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Alfa Romeo Sale to VW Rumors Surface Again

Back in April, the Fiat Group announced yet another round of plans to revive its money-losing Alfa Romeo brand, which included the development of new models and a re-launch in the U.S market. At that time, this seemed possible as the Italian maker intended to make good use of Chrysler and its RWD platforms to expand the model range.

However, at the end of August, Alfa Romeo was rumored to be hemorrhaging about €200 million (US $261 million) annually. The brand-hungry Germans over at Volkswagen felt Fiat's need and offered to take over the historic Milanese company. After much unrest, in October, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne put an end to the rumors and reiterated his turnaround strategy, while Alfa estimated losses climbed to €306 million or about $400 million.

Now, Automotive News [AN] claims that in the past months the two companies have been discussing the sale of Alfa Romeo, but Marchionne is still undecided. So, what will happen next?

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Fiat's Split Into Two Groups Results in New Logos

In about a month's time, on the 1st of January 2011, Italy's Fiat will have completed the separation of its truck and tractor business from its car making operations. The split will result in the creation of two separate groups; Fiat SpA with a clear focus in the automobile sector, and Fiat Industrial SpA incorporating the firm's truck, commercial vehicles, agricultural and construction equipment, and related powertrain divisions.

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Fiat and Chrysler Announce Plans to Build New Cars and SUVs for Alfa Romeo and Jeep at Mirafiori Plant

The Fiat Group has revealed plans to create a new joint venture with its North American partner Chrysler LLC at its historic Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy. Under the new plan, Fiat will bring a U.S. platform to Turin for production of larger segment passenger cars and SUVs for the Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands.

"These will be flagship models for Jeep and Alfa Romeo, the most international brands of the two Groups with significant development potential globally," said Fiat in a statement.

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