Louis-Carl Vignon - 'The next 3 Alfas will be RWD'

[Fantuzzi]

Opened up my Octane magizine to some lovely articles on the GTA,there is some great info and pictures in this mounths issue. However flicking through the auction advertisements and the Swiss watches pictures, I was caught by the Editorial article stating that Louis-Carl Vignon has said that the next 3 Alfas, presumably the 4C, the Guilia Saloon (please put a 4.2 v8 in it and go after the Germans for a bit of fun...), and the spider/ mx5, will have rear wheel drive.

I wasnt aware of this until this mourning, and after some brief googling I have become no more informed, perhaps it was in a speech at Geneva I havnt watched.

I wasnt sure if this was common knoweldge so thought I'd post it. Hopefully FIAT will try and use Alfa Romeo properly, as a sporty car company, as they should do. Sounds to me like they will.

Im hoping a Maserati based sports car is the third if the 4c is not the first, I know Maserati are going ahead with a 1100kg mid engined Gransport, so perhaps a reworked sister car is the third RWD Alfa, no doubt in limited numbers.

Thought Id post it here first, then if it is 'news' perhaps repost in GG for people to start FWD VS RWD fights over...

Edited by Fantuzzi on Monday 1st April 15:20

[Squadrone Rosso]

I currenyly have a FWD, 4WD & RWD Alfa's.

RWD is so overrated.

I don't get the fascination other than the romantic notion that people have that they can do Clarkson type power slides everywhere.

[trashbat]

The 4C is the first one. Next there is the Maserati-derived E segment, i.e. a replacement to the 166. I don't quite know what the third is; maybe the Giulia, but it's always unclear as to whether that'll be RWD.

[jamieboy]

Squadrone Rosso said:

I currenyly have a FWD, 4WD & RWD Alfa's.

RWD is so overrated.

I don't get the fascination other than the romantic notion that people have that they can do Clarkson type power slides everywhere.

Surprised by that, a bit.

I'd agree that the notion that rwd automatically makes a humdrum 3-series or C-Class a significantly better thing than the fwd competition is more marketing than substance - they're all relatively numb, presumably engineered that way on purpose.

But I'm surprised you don't find the steering feel of your Spider in a different league than the Brera.

I don't think it much matters for shopping cars, and I'm absolutely not saying all fwd cars are bad, but I do think rwd gives some benefits for a car aimed at the enthusiast - a better base to build on, anyway.


even if rwd is more susceptible to "diesel spills"

[Fantuzzi]

jamieboy said:

Squadrone Rosso said:

I currenyly have a FWD, 4WD & RWD Alfa's.

RWD is so overrated.

I don't get the fascination other than the romantic notion that people have that they can do Clarkson type power slides everywhere.

Surprised by that, a bit.

I'd agree that the notion that rwd automatically makes a humdrum 3-series or C-Class a significantly better thing than the fwd competition is more marketing than substance - they're all relatively numb, presumably engineered that way on purpose.

But I'm surprised you don't find the steering feel of your Spider in a different league than the Brera.

I don't think it much matters for shopping cars, and I'm absolutely not saying all fwd cars are bad, but I do think rwd gives some benefits for a car aimed at the enthusiast - a better base to build on, anyway.


even if rwd is more susceptible to "diesel spills"

I drive a mk3 MR2, its pretty nailed to the tarmac in the dry so no real tail happy stuff (well perhaps its more my cowardice and not finding any drift worthy corners on my regular hoon route),
however I do notice the purity of RWD compared to FWD, even against good FWD rivals. Some might not notice it as much as others, depending on the cars they have driven.

That's not say that RWD is always better, of course not, but I agree that it is sign that the designers had car nuts in mind, rather than just making a car for the masses.

I also didn't know that the 4c was lacking power steering, which is great news..

[rijmij99]

Fantuzzi said:

I also didn't know that the 4c was lacking power steering, which is great news..

I can't understand how they would have even contemplated it in a sub tonne car with no real mass over the front wheels. If you can't steer something that light you shouldn't be allowed a license.

[Fantuzzi]

rijmij99 said:

Fantuzzi said:

I also didn't know that the 4c was lacking power steering, which is great news..

I can't understand how they would have even contemplated it in a sub tonne car with no real mass over the front wheels. If you can't steer something that light you shouldn't be allowed a license.

Indeedy. Im willing to eat my hat if it isnt far better as a drivers car than the Cayman S, almost 500kg lighter (dry weights), no PAS let alone Electric PAS, it should be insanely good.

[anonymous-user]

Must check lottery ticket numbers!