Anyone questioning the need for yet another merger in the European car industry need only look at Alfa’s just announced five-year plan, which seems to have mercilessly canned the much-anticipated GTV - a future BMW M4 rival - and the new 8C, an unseen supercar. The suggestion that both have been shelved is not hugely surprising given the sluggish performance of FCA’s European operation, and reiterates the firm’s ongoing issues with economies of scale compared to its rivals.
Hence the rerouting of its medium-term strategy, which focuses on the streamlining of Alfa’s range to include only those with highest sales potential – Giulia, Stelvio and its next SUV, the Tonale. Not nearly as exciting as the late Sergio Marchionne’s ambitions for the brand, but his successor, FCA SEO Mike Manley, has very different ideas for recovery.
Things might yet change, though, what with the PSA merger expected to be 80 per cent complete in just four years, meaning Alfa and its FCA siblings could be closer to the dramatic turnaround they’ve been seeking. Alfa Romeo’s image has certainly improved since the launch of its Giulia and Stelvio, helped in part by their excellent Quadrifoglio variants. But that doesn’t stop us mourning the loss of a two-door GTV and striking 8C, which we’d argue would have provided further fuel to the brand’s heartwarming fire.
Those now stillborn cars were due from 2021, and we’d even seen a leaked illustration of the GTV that really whet the appetite back in April. Essentially a 600hp, hybrid V6 take on the Giulia QF, the GTV would have faced up to BMW’s next M4 and Mercedes-AMG’s C63 Coupe. The 8C was set to use the same electrified 2.9-litre powertrain, only with a clearer performance focus and the added exoticness required by a successor to probably the prettiest Alfa of the 21st century. The potential was certainly there, so here’s hoping that something similar will grace FCA/PSA strategy in the future.
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