RE: New Maser-based Alfa brews
Wednesday 22nd November 2006
New Maser-based Alfa brews
Exec saloon with rear-drive due in 2009
 Maserati Quattroporte: imagine it with an Alfa nose |
There's a new rear-wheel drive Alfa Romeo in the brew, according to this week's Autocar.
It'll be an executive-level machine that could become the sister car to the next-generation Maserati Quattroporte. As Maserati moves away from Ferrari, it has cuddled up to Alfa, so the collaboration makes more sense.
Original suggestions that the new Alfa, dubbed the 169, was due to be based on the 159 have been scotched, according to the story, because of the problems of fitting everything into the 159's tighter wheelbase.
The car's likely to be powered by V6 and V8 engines and could be built at Maserati's Modena plant. Expect to see it in 2009.
It'll be the first Alfa driven from the rear for almost 15 years: not since the demise of the Alfa Romeo 75, the Alfetta's replacement, which ceased production in 1992 has the once-sporty marque produced a car with the drive in the right place.
Discussion
negative creep said:
only problem I see is why will people pay for the Alfa badge when they can have the trident instead? Still, lets hope we get more rwd Alfas!
The other being depreciation, with the Alfa being worth £XK after 3 years and the mazza worth £XXk even though it will probably be a little more expensive.
School holidays already...About time we had RWD Alfa's once again. If Alfa really want to pitch at the mid range BMW / Merc / Jag market they cant get away with using the FWD Fiat platforms so it makes perfect sense to raid the Maserati / Ferrari parts bin for selected elements. Lets hope they price this thing competitivly and some of the RWD ideas filter down to the smaller more everyday Alfa's too.
There was talk of a smaller 4 door Masser a while back based on either Chrysler or GM parts. I wonder if this concept has been pushed down to the Alfa badge.
There was talk of a smaller 4 door Masser a while back based on either Chrysler or GM parts. I wonder if this concept has been pushed down to the Alfa badge.
I think the 166 was one of the best looking saloon cars ever made. If it had been RWD or 4WD together with a V8 it would have been an awesome car.
Unfortunately summed up by: 3.0 sportronic auto (2006) fully loaded 9,700 miles £14,500 (on Pistonheads)
Not sure what that would've been new but probably nudging £30k? Put another 20k miles on it and you'd be lucky to get £5k!!
'mickken' has a view that although displays a horrific ignorance of cars for a 'PistonHeader', is commonplace amongst the British car buying public.
Unfortunately summed up by: 3.0 sportronic auto (2006) fully loaded 9,700 miles £14,500 (on Pistonheads)
Not sure what that would've been new but probably nudging £30k? Put another 20k miles on it and you'd be lucky to get £5k!!
'mickken' has a view that although displays a horrific ignorance of cars for a 'PistonHeader', is commonplace amongst the British car buying public.
john_r said:
Unfortunately summed up by: 3.0 sportronic auto (2006) fully loaded 9,700 miles £14,500 (on Pistonheads)
Not sure what that would've been new but probably nudging £30k? Put another 20k miles on it and you'd be lucky to get £5k!!
Not sure what that would've been new but probably nudging £30k? Put another 20k miles on it and you'd be lucky to get £5k!!
Yes, but at least that brave soul has been prepared to spend for their pleasure, while most people admire from afar and then buy something dull.
Wombat Rick said:
john_r said:
Unfortunately summed up by: 3.0 sportronic auto (2006) fully loaded 9,700 miles £14,500 (on Pistonheads)
Not sure what that would've been new but probably nudging £30k? Put another 20k miles on it and you'd be lucky to get £5k!!
Not sure what that would've been new but probably nudging £30k? Put another 20k miles on it and you'd be lucky to get £5k!!
Yes, but at least that brave soul has been prepared to spend for their pleasure, while most people admire from afar and then buy something dull.
If you look it up, you'll see it's being sold by a finance company - likely that the 'brave soul' had finance on a £30k car and then realised that it was cheaper to drop the keys off than pay to the end... Can you imagine paying out £300-£400 a month on finance and then realising the car has depreciated by over £1,000 a month in the first 11 months!
Probably somewhere around £2 per mile running cost if I'm being generous and ignoring servicing, fuel and tax...
And I thought my M5 was expensive at my current monumental average 12MPG (note to self: must buy less heavy shoes...)
Edited by john_r on Wednesday 22 November 16:39
Maybe so, but as a passionate car nut and not a bean counter I'm still delighted when I see a car out there which quickens the heart, and that has absolutely nothing to do with residuals, cpm, mpg or anything else statistical. It's just an emotion.
Your M5 is a great car, there is absolutely no doubt about that, but it wouldn't have had me gawping out of the office window like the Quattroporte visiting our neighbours did this afternoon.
Your M5 is a great car, there is absolutely no doubt about that, but it wouldn't have had me gawping out of the office window like the Quattroporte visiting our neighbours did this afternoon.
Wombat Rick said:
Maybe so, but as a passionate car nut and not a bean counter I'm still delighted when I see a car out there which quickens the heart, and that has absolutely nothing to do with residuals, cpm, mpg or anything else statistical. It's just an emotion.
Your M5 is a great car, there is absolutely no doubt about that, but it wouldn't have had me gawping out of the office window like the Quattroporte visiting our neighbours did this afternoon.
Your M5 is a great car, there is absolutely no doubt about that, but it wouldn't have had me gawping out of the office window like the Quattroporte visiting our neighbours did this afternoon.
I learned the hard way about depreciation... I purchased a new Jaguar once... D'OH!!!
Edited by john_r on Wednesday 22 November 16:54
Would be very nice indeed- reliabilty sorted, drive the right wheels, design was never a problem- this is what we need- if the price is OK superb (no all we would need is a nice 2+2...)
Alfa Badge was keeping with Bugatti in 30s then slowly coming down to BMW level in 70s- only last 15 years brought it together with Mrs Smith and the cheap crowd- probably time to go upmarket again...
Alfa Badge was keeping with Bugatti in 30s then slowly coming down to BMW level in 70s- only last 15 years brought it together with Mrs Smith and the cheap crowd- probably time to go upmarket again...
Aaah... this brings back memories of my Alfasud Sprint.
A fine-handling machine that sadly was reliable in only one thing -- that it was unreliable.
Taking a girl out for dinner was a thrill -- would we go back to my place or would we wait for the AA at midnight?!
After that, I had to drive Hondas for a few years to recover my private life!
A fine-handling machine that sadly was reliable in only one thing -- that it was unreliable.
Taking a girl out for dinner was a thrill -- would we go back to my place or would we wait for the AA at midnight?!
After that, I had to drive Hondas for a few years to recover my private life!
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