paddy

e una 147

Sakiss, I don't quite understand you're post - it is about the MF1, and is not related to the Ferrari F60?

939 = Alfa 159 940 = Alfa 149 941 = Alfa 169 946 = Alfa Brera / Spider (but they have 939 chassis code)

But the Fiat Grande Punto petrol Turbo will have the same 4-bolt pattern? I am asking because a Grande Punto is at the Nurburgring but it is heavily disguised. I don't understand why it is so disguised. I was thinking maybe it is a muletto for the 149, but it has the wrong wheel hubs.

Does anybody know for certain if the Alfa 149 will have a 4, or a 5 bolt hub pattern? The Grande Punto has a 4-bolt pattern. Will the Grande Punto Abarth also have a 4-bolt pattern?

Have Alfa been testing the 149, or a "Sprint" version of it at the Opel test track in Dudenhofen, Germany?

Can you confirm if the wheelbase of the original Sportiva Evoluta Chassis is 2.7 metres, the same as the Sportiva Latina?

A good answer, thanks. I was not aware that the car still had a good offroad capability with these wheels. I have heard several stories about 4x4's which have had problems with such low profile tyres - even such things as tyres bursting when mounting a small pavement. But then the Porsche Cayenne does have good off-road performance for its class, with low profile tyres. I also agree with you that the term "pointless" is perhaps a relative one - to me this car is tasteless, but everybody has different taste. Reactions in the USA have been very positive for this concept car, I am glad to report. Its main point, as you put it, is a promotion tool for the other cars in the Fiat line-up. I follow the view by Aristotle, who said "With regard to excellence, it is not enough to know it, but one has to have it and use it." To me, this concept car does not fall under excellence - whereas a 612 does.

OK, a fair point for the Iveco MLV - but with those huge wheels, this car is being branded as a pimp mobile.... the type of car that will never be taken off road. With those huge wheels, I even doubt its off road capabilities.... I would understand it if the concept car had different wheels. But then, I suppose concept cars always have big wheels. The problem I have Taurus, is the 'civilian' idea behind the concept. I can't really think of anywhere in the world, other than a country such as Saudi Arabia, where such a vehicle would be of use.

Doesn't this concept clash with the current world wide trend towards producing environmentally friendly cars (such as the Mercedes-Benz Bionic, the Opel Astra Diesel Hybrid)? At a time when fuel prices are sky high, surely this POINTLESS concept car is going to harm Fiat's reputation in caring about the environment? What do you think, Taurus?

I have to say that I was a bit sceptical when I first saw the pictures. But the concept car looks far better in the motorshow pics posted by Taurus - especially the paint. Timing wise I think the concept is two years late. I think the car could do with smaller wheels with a higher profile - this 'bling bling' thing is an area where a lot of money can be made, but half of the point is that the customers see the potential in a vehicle to tune it themselves. Do people agree with me that the money could have been spent better?

I think Fiat Spa own 80.5% of Teksid. http://www.fiatgroup.com/comuni/php/file_get.php?w=XOYGK44B1LEUIZW87RPZ

This is plain stupid! I imagine that it might be a cheaper solution for the short term, but for the long run if would surely be far better if Alfa made duplicate castings and cast the parts they need in Italy, at one of the Teksid plants? All of this shipping around, taking engines apart sounds very inefficient to me. Can somebody explain the point of shipping complete Holden engines and then taking them to pieces, rather then sending engine kits with only the relevant parts for Alfa? The cost of each engine must be tremendous!