Auto Design

Bertone has announced that the dream car they have designed over the Maserati chassis shared by the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione will be named Pandion. The choice is consequent with Bertone’s tradition of naming their spectacular show car with animal names, such as the Alfa Romeo Testudo, Canguro, Carabo and Delfino. Read the rest of this entry »

The two-seater spider/roadster by Pininfarina

In addition to the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulietta, designed in house, there will be at least two more Alfa Romeo dream-cars to look and scrutinize at the Geneva Motor Show opening early this March. Read the rest of this entry »

The latest director of design for the Alfa Romeo brand, Christopher Reitz, has resigned recently and has already left his office in Turin. However his resignation has not been made official and even his own designers were not aware of the decision. His absence was said to be temporary and due to family “health” concern. Indeed, my well-placed source has confirmed he has resigned over frustration. For months designers at Alfa Romeo have been left with nothing to do by Marchionne’s decision to put every plans for new products on hold.

Reportedly the Alfa Romeo designers have not been given even the chance to practice their skill on a celebrative show-car for the Geneva Motor Show. Most likely they will have to wait until the end of April to learn about their future, when Sergio Marchionne (Sua Maestà, His Majesty, as he is referred to within Fiat) will unveil the new business plan for the entire Fiat Group Automobiles.

Mr. Reitz first joined Fiat in January 2005, from the London based Nissan Design Europe, as head of advanced design for the Fiat’s brands and in April 2008 he replaced Frank Stephenson at Alfa Romeo top design job. After graduating from the Art Center Europe College in Vevey, Switzerland; Reitz joined the Volkswagen Design Centre in Wolfsburg for three years. In 1996 he moved to Ingolstadt at Audi design.

Alfa Romeo has released the first official picture of its new Alfa Romeo Giulietta, thus confirming the past speculation on the naming of the heir to the Alfa Romeo 147 hatchback first launched in year 2000. The new compact 4 door, five seater, Alfa Romeo will make its official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show shortly before going on sale, in summer, in Europe and in most extra-European markets (including Japan) in Autumn next year. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta ( after the Milano label has been killed last Friday) is going to be a very symbolic and relevant car for the brand. On one side it will the latest mass production Alfa Romeo in the first 100 years of the company history. On the other side this will be one of the first Alfa Romeo, if not the very first, to go on sale in the U.S.A. following the alliance of Fiat Group Automobiles with the new Chrysler Group, unless Marchionne decide otherwise, int the next weeks. Its platform would also be shared by Dodge which has plans to design and produce a sporty hatchback of this size for its own market. If so, it will certainly be of great interest to see how designer Ralph Gilles, recently appointed also President and CEO of the Dodge Brand and his team will exploit the “European” package. Alfa Romeo is not saying much about its new car at this time but our sources says it is a major development of the FGA new “compact” platform based on Alfa Romeo recent experience, with upgraded suspensions and mechanics. These have been engineered to place the Giulietta at the top of its class an din view of the amazing 1.7 litre four-cylinder, turbocharged with direct injection powerplant (with dual clutch gearbox) credited of 230 HP due to be launched 12 to 18 months after the introduction.

In comparison with its predecessor, the overall dimensions have increased for wheelbase, length and width and its range of engine has been expanded and renewed.

At the entry level there will be the ubiquitous 1.4 litre, four-cylinder, Multiair proposed in different output versions, starting at 120 HP . So far for the new, typically Alfa Romeo, gasoline engines. In addition the Alfa Romeo will also be available with multijet turbodiesel JTDM engine in both the 1.6 and 2.0 litre displacement versions delivering 105 to 170 HP. All engines are new and most of them come with the exclusive Multiair technology that improves performance while cutting emissions, and with Start&Stop. As the first official picture shows, the source of inspiration for the design of the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta has been once again the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Just as it was for the smaller Alfa Romeo MiTo.

A couple of days ago I returned to Balocco, at the Fiat Group Automobiles proving ground, to test drive the new Alfa Romeo Mitos equipped with the very promising “Multiair technology”. In few months there will be three versions: the 1.4 MPI (aspirated) the 1.4 TB 170 HP and the 1.4 TB 136 HP, where TB stands for Turbo Benzina (gasoline). The first two goes on sale in fews days in main European markets. The Quadrifoglio Verde comes in Janaury, when the right hand drive cars will also be ready for export.

I was very keen to witness the impact this technology (comparable to the invention by Fiat’s engineers of the revolutionary Common Rail) will have on the reduction of emission from all sort of internal combustion engines (fuel with gasoline, E85, oil for diesel, CNG,  LPG) as well as on their performance.

A few laps on the two of the many circuits created at Balocco (the so-called Langhe for handling, and the regular one for high speed) are very convincing: the 1368cc four cylinder engines in aspirated setting (78  kW) or turbocharged (100 kW for the  or 127 kW for the “king of the hill” Quadrifoglio Verde) have all it takes to deserve the label of “truly Alfa Romeo’s Cuore Sportivo”. They are very flexible, very progressive yet very brilliant (prompt in their response at low revs and low gear) and reactive in mid-load and mid gear condition. Out of the track and on twisting mountain road, driving the “100 kW” turbo engined Mito I found myself going most of the time in third gear, with which you can do virtually anything as if it were an automatic. This used to be, and still is, very typical of the Alfa Romeo dynamic cars. What left me a lot more cold and sceptic is the gearbox, not so fast not so precise when you need to shift into first or second gear. Here Fiat Powertrain Technology, the suppliers of the powertrains have many opportunities for improvements.

Nothing, or almost, is changed as far as the design goes and I decided I would add a touch of beauty to my story with a pleasant excursion up North.

The day of my test drive I was very lucky as I was allowed (an unusual concession) to take the new Mito out of the proving ground so that I could go on my own, where I wanted to really test the car and used it to experience an enjoyable drive that I could recommend to you, should you have the chance to be in Balocco (that is mid-way between Milano and Torino) or in Milan and have one day for yourself.

The main destination is a small place called Orta San Giulio, a small town on the Lake Orta. Every good travel guide will recommend a visit. Especially if you are not so keen on shopping in Milano and you have seen its main attractions. A day (or two) out of town may be very refreshing and good for you physical and spiritual health. If you have the time and you are lucky enough to get a room you may even consider to spend one night at Villa Crespi, a rather unique combination of a 4 stars luxury hotel and gourmet restaurant rated with two stars by the most authoritative Michelin Red Guide to restaurants and hotel. Rooms start at 150 euro (which might be a lot cheaper than an equivalent hotel in Milano, especially if you visit a fair there, consider it for the Salone del Mobile, if you are a designer) and a lunch or dinner ranges from 70 to 120 Euros.

The village of Orta and the San Giulio island, with the Monte Sacro (Holy Mount) a World Heritage site of UNESCO, more than justify the journey and can fill up a whole day, walking through the woods of Monte Sacro, strolling though the village and looking at shops, buildings and people, eating a refreshing ice-cream and taking a short boat ride to the San Giulio Island.

Lake Orta lies to the west of Lake Maggiore, in the northern Italy. It is a minor star in the constellation of the subalpine lakes, but all the fascination and the history of the larger lakes seem to be concentrated in this short space.

Do not be ashamed or surprised if you have never heard of Lake Orta and Orta San Giulio. This is not know even by many Italians. Yet it has long been a favourite by discriminating for the quiet beauty of its landscape, its fascinating history and its wealth of artistic treasures - principally Romanesque and Baroque architecture.

The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, visited the lake in May 1882 and said that the experience changed his life forever. Indeed he inscribed the date “from Orta onwards” as a preface to his masterpiece Thus Spoke Zarathustra. French famous novelist Honoré de Balzac, described the place as “grey pearl in a green jewel-box”.

I have been there few times before and choose to spend just a couple of hours thus taking the time to drive to Milano via the Mottarone pass and down to Stresa where I would reach the motorway.

You have to drive up the Mottarone, especially on a clear day to enjoy a stunning view over seven Alpine lakes of different size, two of them in Switzerland, with the white Alps as a background.

If the air is not absolutely clear you will still see the closest lakes Orta, to the west, and Maggiore to the East, The peak is at an altitude of 1491 metres.

From the pass you can drive downhill along a very entertaining private toll-road (where you will cross into very few cars) with a poorly maintained tartan surface that put to full test the suspension of the Alfa Romeo Mito, rich of hairpins and faster bends that you will love to handle with the agile and dynamic Alfa Romeo. I had a great fun.

Back on the motorway I checked the difference between the “Comfort” and the “Dynamic” driving model that let the driver choose the pace (performance and consumption) at the push (or pull) of a switch.

Well, I had a great day and should you have the chance to share my experience I am sure you will simply love it.

Italy, August 6th, 2009.

The Bertone Saga is coming to an end these days as the Italian government has reviewed the very few offers presented from five bidders, only three of which met the procedure formality and the expectations of the Appointees (namely: granted a job to all Carrozzeria Bertone workers).

The job of Minister Claudio Scajola was simple and easy. Perhaps just a formality.

The first of the three bidders that made it to the deadline was interested just in the premises and facilities of the coachbuilding industrial complex of Carrozzeria Bertone; one only wanted the Bertone brand name, logo and Archive; the third one wanted both. Read the rest of this entry »

The Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este this years has been as good as the weather. That is to say that half of it was very good, with peaks of excellence, and the remaining half was bad, raining and boring, with touches of ugliness.

 By the end of the elegant week-end on the Lake of Como, one would say it was not one the best edition ever but still offered enough interesting cars to look at, people to greet and talk to, and subjects to discuss.

As such it was one not to be missed. Those who did not attend it missed the extremely rare chance of hearing the sibilo and smelling the pollution of its turbine engine, not to mention seeing this extraordinary visualisation of the dreams about the cars of the future they were dreaming in the fifties and sixties.

  Read the rest of this entry »

Among the most beautiful cars to be seen at this year Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este is this unique Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B designed and built by Carrozzeria Touring in 1938. The extremely elegant (and fast) Berlinetta was built on the running chassis developed by Alfa Romeo as the successor of the very successful Alfa Romeo 8C 2300. In its time, the Alfa Romeo 8C built in many different configurations for the road  and for the racing circuits was one of the fastest motorcars world-wide. Alfa Romeo built only 33 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B running chassis but, only six were coachbuilt as Berlinetta.

This Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta is owned by Alfa Romeo’s Museo Storico

This unit, coming back to Italy after 62 years spent around the world, ranks as one of the most elegant vehicles to emerge before the Second World War. In September 1947 the car migrated from Italy to Switzerland and to the USA. After being sold to a buyer in South Africa in 1980, the car - with red paintwork at that time - was restored in England and repainted in its original blue.Powered by the famous Alfa Romeo straight-8 designed by Vittorio Jano, the car was purchased in 2005 by Jon Shirley, one of the founders of Microsoft who resides in Medina (Washington) and restored to its original condition

Voted Best Car in Show at Pebble Beach last year, it is very likely that it will double its success and be awarded the Coppa d’Oro di Villa d’Este by public referendum. After all the Concorso takes places few miles away from the shops where this car was built 71 years ago.

BMW and the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este will be celebrating their 80^th anniversary this year with a very special edition that will also mark the ten anniversary of the BMW sponsorship and involvement of the famous event on the banks of Lake Como. Although BMW was established in 1916 (as a constructor of aircraft engines) the company built its first passenger car in 1929 after becoming famous for its motorcycles. Read the rest of this entry »

Geneva will offer a preview of the powerplants that Fiat would share with Chrysler in the USA, as early as next year, if the alliance currently under scrutiny will get the green light. Read the rest of this entry »