Archive for Alfa Romeo

Now this is quite interesting, you can now grab a pair of jeans to go with your newly launched (in Malaysia) Alfa Romeo MiTo. Alfa Romeo teamed up with fashion expert Louise Roe and London-based fashion designers Bjork and McElligott to design a range of MiTo jeans. Alfa Romeo icons such as the Alfa Romeo badge’s serpent are used to decorate the designs. The jeans are going for £75 a pair and are available for sale at two Donna Ida retail outlets in the UK. Proceeds from the sales will go towards the Jeans for Genes charity.

Look after the jump for more pix of the MiTo and the jeans.

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The new 1.8 liter turbocharged Alfa Romeo engine is now officially available in the 2010 Alfa Romeo 159 range, after being previewed to the public earlier this year at Geneva in March. The new model variant is called the Alfa Romeo 159 1750 TBi and is positioned between the 2.2 JTS and the 3.2 JTS.

The 1.8 liter (1,742cc) engine makes a peak torque of 320Nm from just 1,400rpm, and peak power of 200 PS is achieved between 4,750rpm and 5,500rpm. These are very impressive power stats as lots of power is made throughout a rather wide range (thanks to variable valve timing, turbocharging and direct injection).

I believe there’s some very good tuning potential here, at the expense of narrower powerbands as a trade-off. The variable valve timing is configured to set valve overlap times in a way (VVT is on both intake and exhaust) that helps spool up the KKK fixed geometry microcast steel turbocharger up faster. 0 to 100km/h takes 7.7 seconds.

Other than what’s described above, the engine has a few more tricks up its sleeve. The 9.5:1 compression pistons have flexible rings and use materials that are designed to reduce wear. The aluminium alloy cylinder head uses roller rocker arms to help reduce losses through sliding contact by up to 65% at 2,000rpm, compared to normal cylinder heads. In Malaysia, only the 2.2 JTS version is available as of now.

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Think small, expensive but remarkably charming small hatchbacks and only three cars will come to mind – the MINI, and more recently the Fiat 500 and the Alfa Romeo MiTo. As of today, all three are now available in Malaysia. The MiTo offers a much more affordable price compared to the MINI Cooper and Cooper S, retailing at RM153,888 OTR excluding insurance, registration and road tax.

The 3-door MiTo shares the same engine as the Fiat Bravo – a 1.4 liter turbocharged engine producing 155 horsepower, and in the MiTO it is mated to a 6-speed manual. It is the only transmission available in the car right now, so you’ll have to work your left leg a little if you want to cruise around town with style in this particular Italian baby. 0 to 100km/h takes 8 seconds, and the car is rated to drink only 6.5 liters of petrol per 100km traveled.

There is a decent list of equipment including cruise control, auto clmate control, LED rear lamps, steering wheel audio, VDC with hill holder function (great for starting on a slope if you’re still rusty with the manual’s clutch), a 6-speaker audio system.

There is a little three-position switch near the gear lever which will alter the throttle response and steering assist for three driving environments – Dynamic, Normal and All Weather. This is called the Alfa Romeo DNA system. The MiTo is also equipped with the Q2 electronic limited slip differential, a grand total of 7 airbags including a driver’s kneebag, and finally the chassis is rated 5 stars by Euro NCAP.

Public viewing and test drives are available at the Auto ConneXion Alfa Romeo 3S Centre at Jalan 13/2 Petaling Jaya. More photos of the MiTo available after the jump.

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Alfa Romeo is back alive and kicking with a launch of 4 new models in Malaysia all at once. Spearheading the list and expected to the the company’s volume seller here is the long-awaited Alfa Romeo 159, priced at RM 188,888.

Under the hood is a 2.2 liter JTS inline-4 twin cam engine mated to a 6-speed Selespeed automated manual transmission. The JTS (Jet Thrust Stoichiometric) is a direct injection lean burn engine that puts out 185 PS at 6,500rpm and 230Nm of torque at 4,500rpm, which is quite torquey for a 2.2 liter unit.

The 159 has a decent level of equipment. We’re talking about a total of 9 airbags for the front, rear, side and driver knee, and there is also a front passenger airbag deactivation feature. Creature comforts include bi-xenon headlamps with washer, auto dimming rear view mirror, auto driving light control, follow me home headlamps, keyless ignition, rain sensor wipers, paddle shifts, stability control, an 8 speaker sound system, a sunroof, and full leather upholstery.

Internationally, there is a new engine for the 2009 model year and it would be nice if Sime Darby Autoconnexxion has plans to bring it in for future variants if they deem it suitable, we’re talking about the TBi engine, which is a 1.8 liter engine with direct injection, turbocharging and variable valve timing for both the intake and exhaust. It put outs 200 PS and 320Nm of torque (a 230 PS variant is also available for the Brera/Spider), so the two models could be differentiated like the Audi A4 1.8 and 2.0.

But in any case it looks like those who have been buying the Accord 2.4 and Mazda 6 2.5 (don’t think Camry 2.4 buyers are in the same category!) can now opt to shell out a little more and enjoy a sexy Italian beauty!

Next up is the Alfa Romeo GT Blackline Coupe, powered by a 165 horsepower 206Nm torque 2.0 liter JTS engine mated to a 5-speed Selespeed, priced at RM 218,888. This sleek coupe never fails to turn heads but mechanically it is not very different from the Alfa GT sold by the distributor’s previous incarnation, Sime Darby Auto Italia.

The GT is equipped with a BOSE Hi-Fi system with amp and subwoofer, a CD player with MP3 capabilities, xenon headlamps, 8 airbags, stability control, and sports seats.

The Alfa Romeo Brera Coupe is priced at RM 308,888 and is powered by the same 2.2 liter JTS engine as the 159 sedan. You’ve got 7 airbags, stability control, 6 speakers, rain sensor wipers, keyless ignition, bi-xenon headlamps, 8-way electrically adjustable front seats with heating for the driver’s seat, and leather upholstery.

The flagship and most expensive car is the 2-seater Alfa Romeo Spider, also powered by the 2.2 liter JTS and 6-speed Selespeed. It’s priced at RM 318,888 and is essentially a soft top convertible version of the Brera.

The Spider’s equipment includes keyless ignition, rain sensor wipers, cruise control, paddle shifts, 6-speakers, bi-xenon headlamps with washer, heated driver’s seat, stability control, and 5 airbags for the front and sides of the 2 passengers including a driver’s knee airbag.

There is more coming. The cute little hatch called the MiTo will be coming later this year to give the MINI Cooper and the Fiat 500 some competition. Look after the jump for full galleries the bellas, including a few promo videos of the 159 and GT.

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The high performance Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA Concept was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show recently, and the Italian auto maker is not about to leave the gorgeous MiTo at that only. The auto maker has revealed that it will present another MiTo concept at the upcoming AutoRAI event which will take place in Amsterdam.

Called the Alfa Romeo MiTo Veloce Concept, it would be positioned between the standard MiTo and the high performance GTA version if it goes into production, and something tells me that it will. The MiTo Veloce Concept is expected to be powered by a tuned version of Alfa’s 1.4 liter turbocharged engine that would kick out 177HP.

The MiTo Veloce is expected to sprint to the 100 km/h point in about 7.5 seconds, and is expected to feature an up-rated suspension, as well as some slight modifications on the body work. The show will kick start on April 1st, so stay tuned as we will bring you more details.

Italian-based Alfa Romeo has released an official promo video of the Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA Concept, which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. The 2 minute 48 second-long video showcases the MiTo GTA being driven in Valencia. You can also hear the roaring exhaust note delivered by its 240HP 1.75 liter turbocharged power plant. Continue reading to watch the video.

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Italian auto maker Alfa Romeo has finally unveiled the MiTo GTA Concept at the Geneva Motor Show. On the outside, the aggressive-looking super mini is treated to large air intakes with mesh inserts, a front lower lip spoiler, a centrally mounted exhaust tail pipe, and a huge rear diffuser among others.

The MiTo GTA Concept receives power from a 240HP 1.8 liter cracking power plant which comes with direct injection and a dual variable valve timing system. Alfa Romeo has used carbon fiber in a number of places such as the roof, tailgate spoiler and mirror fairings to help improve power to weight ratio. The similar treatment, but with aluminium was utilized in the suspension and braking components, as well as in certain parts of the chassis.

Unfortunately, Alfa Romeo has yet to release more information regarding the MiTo GTA Concept, other than what we already know. Please click here to read our previous report on the Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA Concept as well as to view an gallery.

The new Alfa Romeo 159 was released at the Geneva Motor Show with the additions of two new Euro 5-compliant engines including; a 200HP 1.75 liter TBi with 320Nm of torque which accelerates the 159 sedan to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds, to a top speed of 235 km/h, and a 170HP 2.0 liter JTDM power plant. This can propel the 159 Sportwagon to the 100 km/h in 9 to a top speed of 216 km/h.

At the show, two variants are being displayed including the 159 sedan in TI trim and the 159 Sportwagon. The sedan in TI trim is finished with lowered geometry, bigger tires, 19 inch alloy rims, miniskirts and large aluminum brakes with red calipers on the outside while the interior features sports seats in perforated leather with the Alfa Romeo logo stitched in red, plus the steering wheel with sports grip and the gear knob covered in leather with red stitching. The TI also comes equipped with triple-zone climate control, VDC system with Electronic Q2, GPS, Bose Hi-Fi system and Cruise Control.

On the outside, the 159 Sportwagon is treated to 18 inch wheels while the inside features sports steering wheel with radio commands, a gear knob covered in leather with black stitching and new sports seats covered in leather while its head lining, the parcel shelf and the pillar fairings are finished black. Making up the equipment list include; triple-zone climate control, Cruise Control, VDC system (with Electronic Q2), Bose Hi-Fi system, GPS system (with telephone and voice commands), and Visibility Pack (rain, mist and twilight sensors. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

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Alfa Romeo has unveiled more details on the Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA. It’s still called a concept right now but I reckon it’s quite close to a production version.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Alfa Romeo nomenclature, GTA actually stands for Gran Turismo Alleggerito and is associated with mad and scary cars full of torque steer such as the 147 GTA.

Under the hood of the MiTo GTA is a 1.8 liter turbocharged engine with dual variable valve timing and direct fuel injection producing a nice 240 horsepower. Although torque figures were not given you can probably expect between 300 to 350Nm of torque. The MiTo GTA has been lowered by 20mm, and the front suspension uses new geometry for the aluminium leading arms, and all-new bushings for the rear suspension. The dampers also have active damper control for a better balance between handling and comfort.

There is also something Alfa calls a “Sky-Hook” function which is supposed to improve comfort levels, but it’s not known what it is or how it works at the moment. We’ll have to wait until Geneva to find out.

Check out two more photos after the jump.

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Alfa Romeo will be exhibiting an Alfa Romeo Mito GTA Concept at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in early March, which will likely to be a close to production high performance version of the 3-door Alfa Romeo GTA. The powertrain is likely to be Fiat’s new 1.8 liter direct injection turbo engine, which is also said to be making a debut in the 159 in 200 PS form.

The Mito GTA could have it in a higher state of tune, perhaps 240 horses is not too hard to imagine. The engine has dual variable valve timing, direct injection and turbocharging technology. This is the same Euro 5-compliant engine that was announced to be slotted into the new Lancia Delta.

The Mito GTA will most probably also have the Q2 differential to help rein in those horses sent to the front wheel. Looks like MINI John Cooper Works will have some good looking sexy Italian competition soon!