The Giugiaro-penned Alfa Romeo 4,3-litre V8-engined concept 2+2 coupé will be one of the star attractions at Geneva. It is possible that the Maserati-like grand tourer could go into production in the future, but it might also provide clues to the design of the next generation GTV… CARtoday.com brings you a full report.
The Giugiaro-penned Alfa Romeo 4,3-litre V8-engined concept 2+2 coupé will be one of the star attractions at Geneva. It is possible that the Maserati-like grand tourer could go into production in the future, but it might also provide clues to the design of the next GTV…
This stunning and as yet unnamed 2+2 will be unveiled at a time when Alfa Romeo’s parent company, Fiat SpA, is taking drastic measures to find its way back to profitability. Fiat this month divided its car-making business into four units, with separate bosses, after news broke that the company, having returned a loss for the past three years, expected to lose more money in 2001.
Nevertheless, designer Giorgetto Giugiaro was given complete freedom to design this high-performance coupé, but Fiat reportedly contributed to the design of the mechanicals.
Several motoring scribes have dubbed this coupé as having a “distinctive Alfa Romeo look”, but being “more of a Maserati” under the skin. Is this the car that will help Fiat SPA conquer more markets… such as North America?
The car’s layout mounts the engine behind the front axle and puts the transmission and rear differential at the rear of the car. This, Maserati fans would point out, is a classic front-engine-rear-wheel-drive racing-type layout. With the engine moved towards the centre of the car, the weight distribution is balanced between the front and rear axle… just like the new Maserati Spyder and Coupé.
In addition, the concept coupe’s 300 kW 48-valve V8 engine has the same 90-degree angle as the engines in the new Maseratis. The coupe’s engine has 10 cm3 greater displacement than the Maserati 4 244 cm3 powerplant. The 2+2 concept also uses a six-speed Selespeed electro-hydraulic sequential command transmission.
Fiat has suggested that this gran turismo has a strong chance of going into production. recently reported that the Italian manufacturer was “considering launching a new high-performance Alfa sports car with Maserati mechanicals that would be aimed at North America, Japan and Germany”.
Giugiaro’s new Alfa does have the dimensions of a grand tourer – it is 4390 mm long, 1890 mm wide and 1290 mm high. But its cabin is only intended for two adults in front and two children behind.
The coupe also features scissor (or gullwing) doors that open vertically. The doors are the only show-car detail that "we designed and engineered – including a pre-feasibility study – with production in mind", Guigaro said recently.
The 2+2 was designed on a racing-type chassis with the bodywork entirely made of carbon fibre composite. “The interior design, still being finalised, is said to be up to the highest standards of the house of creative design,” reported recently.
But could this concept influence the design of the next-generation GTV? Now that the 145 has been replaced by the 147 on the South African market, the GTV becomes the oldest model available on showroom floors. Alfa Romeo signalled that the GTV was due for replacement last year when it launched a limited edition GTV Cup model (described by some as a final evolution of the range), on the European market.
The next-generation sports coupé from Alfa Romeo, whether called the GTV or not, has been the centre of much controversy. US auto giant General Motors owns 20 per cent of Fiat Auto, and reports last year seemed to indicate that the next sports coupé from the Alfa stable could possibly be built on a rear-wheel drive platform that would form the basis of most mid- to compact-sized cars under GM’s mantle around 2003 or 2004.
In fact, it was reported from Australia that GM-owned Holden might be producing the V6 engine for the GTV’s successor – and this was something dyed-in-the-wool Alfa fans scoffed at.
But although Fiat was set to make Alfa Romeo a standalone business unit as part of its massive restructuring plans, which could lead to the luxury brand becoming independent, General Motors Europe president Michael Burns recently denied that the American manufacturer could buy Alfa Romeo.
This seems to indicate that the Geneva Motor Show concept will in itself provide clues to the future of Alfa Romeo’s sports coupé as, from a product development point of view, the GTV is next in line for development.
The layout and dimensions of the 2+2 do not make the car a likely replacement for the GTV, but subtle clues – such as the 147-inspired rear – indicate that Alfa is keen to maintain the dramatic retro-looks of cars such as the 156 and 147. The Guigaro concepts also sport the now familiar triangular grille, which is embedded in the front of the car and blends with the swoop in the bonnet.
