It looks like the rest of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competiziones are starting to get into customer hands since that first one was delivered to James Glickenhaus. Last weekend at Motor4Toys we just missed a red one, but it happened to show up this morning at our weekly gathering in Irvine, California. The car drew a huge crowd, who universally praised it for its voluptuous good looks and gorgeous red paint job. The owner drove in and parked, revving it a bit to treat the onlookers. Although we’ve had the great pleasure of seeing the car in person a few times already, it is still stunning. And it was fun to watch the others seeing it for the first time. This is truly mobile art. Drew and Jonathon happened to be at the show this morning as well and are trying to convince the owner to let them take it for a spin. Hopefully they get their wish, but until then, check out the gallery to see some of my pics along with Drew’s typical photographic magic.

Remember how Ferrari kept saying it wasn’t making a cheaper model despite the plethora of spy shots indicating otherwise? Well technically they were right: the California, as it turned out to be, is no cheaper than an F430. Ferrari’s sister company Alfa Romeo seems to be going the same route. Although earlier reports had suggested that the upcoming 149, as it’s being tentatively called, would share its platform with the Fiat Bravo, Alfa insisted the new car, pictured above in a rendering from Progetto 940, would get its own distinct platform.

The truth, it seems, lies somewhere in the middle. Although the basic architecture will be based on what underpins the Fiat Bravo and Lancia Delta, Alfa’s platform will be heavily modified to the point of bearing little resemblance to its corporate cousins. Dubbed “C-Evo”, the newish Alfa Romeo platform will be more performance-oriented than the Fiat one on which it’s based, and will underpin the five-door hatchback slated to replace the 147, as well as the future successor to the 159. The next Brera and Spider could also borrow off that (unfortunately front-drive) platform, along with an anticipated upcoming crossover.

Alfa 149 is inherent it to insert a new three-arm rear suspension and Alfa’s trick Q2 differential, in on the eventual stock of Q4 all-wheel-drive remaining a think about mark. Diesel and gasoline engines are foreseen to cycle between 120 and 250 horsepower, and the 149 is tipped to be complying provided the following six-star EuroNCAP safety rating, and a good amount tellingly, new U.S. bubble burst equipments as well.

Some continue to keep in good shape too the Alfa hatch serves to be established on the same platform so emphasizes the Fiat Bravo and Lancia Delta, despite Alfa representatives hold asserted too the 149 might spearhead its own quality platform. Either way, the platform can underpin the replacement for the 159 sedan and wagon, as immensely as the replacements for the Brera and Spider, additonally Alfa executives stay to deliberate for the duration of the risk of a crossover ideal as well.

We’ve currently proven you pics based on information from Gordon McCall’s party and from what i read in the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance, but today’s indemnity picks up an Italian accent. The Concorso Italiano is one of the highest annual gatherings of all conditions Italian, be it music, cuisine, fashion, tourism, and of route cars. Previously apprehended at the nearby Bayonet Black Horse Golf Course in Monterey Bay, such year’s gathering took place at the Marina government airstrip. Just covet the previous 20-something years, now year’s Concorso brought out a few stunning cases of Italy’s finest, cars calculated provided passione and implemented to be driven con brio. And recently similar to in past years, a few non-Italian cars the current bid the same driving thrill got invited in for the party.

While the tarmac did not supply the same soft picnic grove as the golf course, the organizers tried the most ideal to motivate up for it surrounded by a plethora of shady tents to visit filled in vendors, food and fun. Concorso has presistently been heard a greater amount of laid coming back as opposed to selected of the a larger amount of considered occurreneces for the duration of the week, and that much providing the somewhat a good amount rigid airport setting there was that much a feeling too you got at a good deal more of a car club equate as opposed to a genuine concours. Check out the gallery by clicking one of the images right here and you will hopefully see how we mean. The natural Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, and Alfas got joined by a collection of Lancias, DeTomasos, Fiats, and a smattering of “others” the included German, Japanese, American, and British cars. Our prefered prevent was the supercar lineup too featured two MC12s, two Veyrons, an Enzo and an F50. We significantly spotted Valentino Balboni, Adam Corolla and Jay Leno additonally we got there.

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Alfa Romeo is hard at grunt work on a replacement for the 166, the flagship sedan that debuted in 1998 and was halted the preceding year. The under graduates at the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan, however, give the impression to suffer gotten fed up of backlogged right about for Alfa Romeo to unveil the new car, so they have turn up up investing in a few bids of this own.

Well, not exactly. The transportation design path was carried out beneath the auspices of the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and the watchful eye of Fiat Group design number one Lorenzo Ramaciotti. So properties had a wonderful likelihood of receiving the automaker’s attention. (Next year’s masters service at the SPD, meanwhile, is making conducted in conjunction surrounded by Lamborghini.) Nine projects – carried out by undergrads based on information from Korea, Slovakia, Romania, Turkey, South Africa, Russia, Brazil, the United States and Italy – got presented, but we will undergo to see that ingredients forward the way to the closing product.

Only cycles ago Bertone, one of the many well&wshyp;known design properties in Europe, looked fancy it was right about to go under. The establishment had lost all its contracts, had a big deployment to sustain, and headed to bankruptcy protection. But such as a phoenix from what i read in the ashes, Bertone is re-emerging, !no! streamlined and keen to get coming back to business. The manufacturing division, heavy in on overhead, was stripped away based on what i read in the styling studio, that is that much held by the Bertone family but attempt independently. And its new sector development director is anticipated to get the design residential structure coming back on track.

Among the steps Bertone is getting ready to is to open up supplementary field offices away based on information from Italy to get in on the local action. The establishment is in the course of setting up shop in China, and has its eyes set on India and Detroit next. To mark its resurgence, Bertone is furthermore planning to putting the BAT 11 to limited production. The Alfa 8C-based thinking car was substantiated pretty near the Geneva prove go on March once conflicting states of its cancellation, and is now headlining the Meadow Brook Concours d’Eleance. The car was originally put up as a one-off for our friend Gary Kaberle, but if Bertone can get adequate orders in place beforehand, the establishment could mull over a compressed run of 25-50 examples. In the meantime, it is willing to focus on rebuilding its reputation and on the 20 design projects it by now has beneath way for automakers in Europe and China, as far as shipyards and aerospace companies.

Several high-ranking executives based on what i read in Alfa Romeo got prepared to see how the launch of the new MiTo materialized. While properties got there, we had the odds to language surrounded by one of Alfa’s top selling officers through dinner and discuss the up to date to know churned out of the rumormill concerning following packages out of Alfa and its sister-brand Abarth.

Let’s take a quick vote here. We can not be tabulating the totals, so we will still be this moment unofficial, but we like you to be honest. How various of you, deep inside, measure if you couldn’t undergo attained it as a expert racing driver? Maybe not the upcoming Michael Schumacher, but at lowest a promising prospect. If easily you had began out in karting at a young sufficient age, kept yourself in circumstances and discovered the sponsorship to fund how would suffer continued a budding career. You seem at the racing succession available the corners of city streets on your commute, view a twisting bundle road as a issue alternatively of an inconvenience, and end up with friends unsolicited (and seldom appreciated) advice on such a driving habits.
Starting to sound familiar? It did to us, but the current was before Alfa Romeo invited us to take half in its Guida Sicura advanced driving software at the Varano circuit in northern Italy. While we may suffer gone in investing in delusions of tire-smoking grandeur before we arrived, properties got all totally deflated following our mostly couple of laps on hand the track among a former rally champion or Ferrari factory driver riding shotgun helpfully putting us in our place. But by the end of the day individuals baseless fantasies got replaced by a marked improvement in our driving competence. Read on to see how the day unfolded.

If you own an Italian masterpiece adorned provided a prancing horse, your desired fortune is usual tempered through a few mechanical or electrical maladies. If and when such a happens, various of us is able to suppose an steep loaner to take our minds off of our troubles, but board Ferrari has a “better idea.” Fiat has produced 200 special edition 500s too are wrapped up up to Ferrari standards, and also red paint, a top notch sound system, electric sunroof, automatic climate control, a brown steering wheel surrounded by red stitching and 16-inch aluminum wheels. Although the stock, 100 hp 1.4-liter engine remains, the waste has carried on tweaked to extend a bit funny things growl. Since Fiat is keeping its run of limited edition 500s to a minimum, the automaker ought to moreover submit a numbered kick plate to verify off at which every exemplary falls in the generation run.

While the “Ferrari Edition” 500 is a ass limited edition example in its own right, we are not certain if we will dig purchasing one as a temporary replacement for our Scuderia. Call us snobs, but the Quattroporte or a Alfa 8C Competizione is as low as we are prepared to go.