Thursday 10th April 2008

Alfa To Use Jaguar RWD Platform?

Alfa reportedly in talks with Tata over use of Jag RWD tech

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Jag could form basis for RWD Alfas

We’ve been hearing for a while that Alfa Romeo is planning to get in on the rear-drive game, but the latest news is that the company is now in talks with Jaguar to borrow platforms.

The problem is for Alfa is that it is continually pitching itself against premium German brands such as BMW, but still uses FWD.

But as developing a whole new RWD platform will be too costly for Alfa one solution would be to use existing technology from another carmaker.

This is where Jag would come in and with a decent RWD set-up Alfa will have decent stab at the US market when it returns.

The good news is that the XF, where the platform would most likely come from, has been praised for its fine handling.

There is said to be ‘ongoing talks’ between Fiat and Tata over sharing the platforms.

Although nothing has been agreed yet rumour has it that Jaguar platforms could also be used in Lancias and even Maseratis.

[Collaudatore]

Hurrah.

[Agoogy]

Payback and investment for Tata/Jag, improvements for Alfa, resulting in more beautiful cars on the roads....whats not to like....

[king arthur]

I would expect to see this collaboration go both ways, with TATA and FIAT also working on engines together, especially diesels, to replace Ford/PSA based units.

[funwithrevs]

Yawn, a company with a history of sharing platform development costs enters early talks that may not come to anything about possible shared platform development.

[cvegas]

Great news for car enthusiasts worldwide.

Aluminuim XJ/XK platform is a fabulous light-weight base for future Alfas and Massers.

Deals could make F type cheaper to produce and therefore cheaper for us punters.

Boss of TATA sits on FIAT's board.

[donz29]

At last! Alfa please start building rwd's!

[funwithrevs]

Perhaps they Tata want a Jaguar 147?

[cowellsj]

About time too.

[Matthew_Eames]

wonderful, they can both gain so much from this venture....sounds great

[Gizmo535]

The words 'strategic fit' have rarely been so apt.

Fiat might teach TATA a thing or two about making small cheap cars... oh, no, hang on. Fiat Nano, anyone?

[MitchT]

"The problem is for Alfa is that it is continually pitching itself against premium German brands such as BMW, but still uses FWD."
It's for the same reason that I struggle to view Audis as anything more than overpriced Volkswagens.

I just hope that Alfa's RWD enightenment finds its way into their smaller cars. I would be lovely to have a pretty, Italian, 3 Series rival with RWD and that lovely 3.0 V6 noise.

[Alfanatic]

The Article said:

We’ve been hearing for a while that Alfa Romeo is planning to get back to the top of the rear-drive game,

Fixed that for you ;-)

Edited by Alfanatic on Thursday 10th April 12:44

[fatboy b]

funwithrevs said:

Perhaps they Tata want a Jaguar 147?

Again in English....

[wab172uk]

cvegas said:

Deals could make F type cheaper to produce

Possibly

cvegas said:

and therefore cheaper for us punters.

Now you're just been silly. Reduced production costs = more profit.

[paulie-mafia]

Please let it happen!!!!!

[Triple7]

It has been speculated in the motoring mags that Jag will move the all new XF in 2014+ (which currently uses the ex-S Type platform) into aluminium age, like the current/new XJ and XK are. Jag were going to do this from the start, but had to bring the XF into production early due to their drop in sales etc.

I could therefore see Alfa picking up this current platform which is excellent, once they have moved on to aluminium.

As long as the Jag brand doesn't get tainted by Fiat i.e as the X-Type was perceived using mondeo platform, then fine.

G

[GAFF1974]

Sounds like a marriage made in heaven. Can someone tell me why FIAT didn't buy JLR in the first place, they hardly have a presence in the 4x4 market, are weak the large luxury saloon segment and are cash rich?

[Road_Terrorist]

MitchT said:

"The problem is for Alfa is that it is continually pitching itself against premium German brands such as BMW, but still uses FWD."
It's for the same reason that I struggle to view Audis as anything more than overpriced Volkswagens.

I just hope that Alfa's RWD enightenment finds its way into their smaller cars. I would be lovely to have a pretty, Italian, 3 Series rival with RWD and that lovely 3.0 V6 noise.

It's actually a 3.2L V6 and it's a GM motor. So Alfa will have a Jaguar Chassis with a GM engine and built in Italy .

[varsas]

Fiat cash rich? I thought they nearly died a few years back...they've been selling bits of the company off, and tried to offload the automotive part to GM....but GM paid 2billion instead of getting lumbered with it!

They don't want Jaguar if they have Maserati. Fair point about LR though.

Edited by varsas on Thursday 10th April 13:43

[jimmy_mac]

Do Maser *really* need Jag's RWD tech? Haven't they been doing rather well on their own thank-you-very-much?! As for Alfa; give them the lot!