"Future Alfa Romeos will be known by names instead of numbers, and the Racer is the first example of this. It will also signal a new direction in its interior design by moving away from the retro-look, deep-set instrument cowls. Baravalle says the interiors will still be sporty but in a more open, welcoming way.
The facelifted 159, Brera and Spider, being readied for the brand's re-entry to the US in 2010, will also feature the new interior design ideas, will have more cabin space and will weigh around 100kg less than today's overweight cars. This is thanks partly to a new type of steel shell that can be made thinner at the centre of the panel than at the edges - a kind of 'tailored blank', already commonly used in car structures, but in two directions instead of one. Before the facelift we'll see the soft-roader 159 Crosswagon 4x4, due later this year.
The other new cars in the plan include the 149, due three months after the Racer and built on a new, Alfa-specific platform rather than being based on the Bravo/Delta HPE. The unique underpinnings include sophisticated wishbone-based suspension. Baravalle says this approach has doubled the 149's development cost relative to basing it on the Bravo, but it's a vital part of Alfa's distinct brand identity (although he's had to compromise here with the entry-level Racer) and the increased sales of a properly authentic car should return the investment. In 2010 there'll be a proper Alfa Romeo crossover car, based on the 149 platform.
And finally there's the 169, likely to be based on a stretched 159 platform, although Baravalle's 'dream' is to have a longitudinal engine and rear-wheel drive. This could be achieved using Fiat Group components only by adapting the Maserati Quattroporte/new Coupe platform, which would most likely prove too expensive. With the launch planned for 2010, a decision is needed soon.
Production of the 8C Competizione is now under way at the Maserati factory, with orders far outnumbering the production run. The open version may yet get the go-ahead, but meanwhile Alfa Romeo is planning to enter some European GT races with a pair of closed 8Cs. Baravalle says that such a move would bring more benefit to the Alfa brand than an assault on the World Touring Car Championship would achieve. "
News interessanti se fossero vere....... vengon smentite molte voci..... come i 1.8 150-190cv su Racer (e sarebbe pure logico) ......
Mi sembra che dica su 149 che userà i quadrilateri..... e che non è stato ancora deciso su che piattaforma fare la 169.