New GTV and 8C binned

Phil H

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4,107
The article says that "FCA appears to have brought the curtain down on a new generation of sports cars" when perhaps it should say 'FCA appears to have brought the curtain down on a new generation of Alfa Romeo sports cars'.

Might it be that they really do intend to refocus on Maserati as the flagship brand, and are prepared to redirect the investment accordingly?

PH
 

StuartW

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9,306
Such a shame, so many manufacturers are playing it safe it seems, and yet Alfa offer an SUV with a sub 4 second 0-60. The market has shifted in completely the wrong way to my eyes
 

MrMickS

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3,951
I think it shows a lack of ambition and vision. Alfa needs the GTV/Spider otherwise they are nothing but another box maker. Without a sports car in the range there is little point spending the money on F1 as there is nothing to translate that interest.

I remember buying my 146. I went into the dealer and they had a GTV and Spider. They were the cars that I really wanted, and spent the most time looking at. Practicality won out though and I bought a 146. It was the allure of the sporting heritage and getting a car in the same range as those beautiful machines that helped me put down a deposit though.

In the larger FCA/PSA group there should be room for an aspirational sports car. Mazda manage it, VAG have the TT, Ford are keeping the Mustang even though they are transitioning the rest of brand towards SUVs.

Perhaps part of the issue is the 4C. Its well liked by journalists and is quite a car. Its also too far away from the rest of the range to provide that inspirational link. Its almost 8C territory when it comes to most people. I wonder if there was an expectation that it would get people flocking into dealerships but failed. Not because it isn't a good car, but because its the wrong car.

If they are going to prosper Alfa need a £35-45k sports car. Something that's in a similar price bracket to a Giulia, as the GTV was with the 155, so that people will consider them. They can keep making the same car for 30 years, as the did with the Duetto, just make something for people to lust after.
 

zagatoes30

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20,759
Alfa sales are always best when they have Saloon, Coupe & Spider all based around the same basics. 750, 101, 105 & 155, 916 models spring to mind. Even in the 70s the Alfetta / Giulietta range had Saloon & Coupe with the old 105 Spider staying in production to provide the balance. The range needs balance something it has been missing for years IMO
 

MrMickS

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3,951
Actually I think it shows a lack of sales and money.

FCA have money. If they want Alfa Romeo to increase sales they need a range to attract people and dealers. Two newish cars and one old car isn’t enough.
 

conaero

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34,593
Maybe this is due to the pending merger?

Alfa Romeo will loose the Ferrari derived engine and tech.
 

conaero

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34,593
I feel money and the current QV are to blame.

The QV is undoubtably a weapon but a loss leader to sell the standard Giulia in bulk but the problem is they are **** and nobody is buying them.

You see this time and time again with the Italian / FCA group.

The only ray of light is someone in the group will need to produce solely the sports cars....with Ferrari gone/going.

Why as a group they can’t just specialise and not cross over is beyond me, you write it down and it appears simple:

Bulk hatch and city cars - Fiat
SUV and Saloon - Alfa
Sports and Executive - Maserati

But this incessant need to crossover into each other’s territory cocks it all up.

Add in the crossover to EV cars and the fact people buy Italian for their petrol engines and there’s your problem in two paragraphs.
 

Wagons-Lits

Member
Messages
250
I feel money and the current QV are to blame.

The QV is undoubtably a weapon but a loss leader to sell the standard Giulia in bulk but the problem is they are **** and nobody is buying them.

You see this time and time again with the Italian / FCA group.

The only ray of light is someone in the group will need to produce solely the sports cars....with Ferrari gone/going.

Why as a group they can’t just specialise and not cross over is beyond me, you write it down and it appears simple:

Bulk hatch and city cars - Fiat
SUV and Saloon - Alfa
Sports and Executive - Maserati

But this incessant need to crossover into each other’s territory cocks it all up.

Add in the crossover to EV cars and the fact people buy Italian for their petrol engines and there’s your problem in two paragraphs.

It's interesting what you say - yet VW group is habitually 'line stepping' into other territories and the market doesn't seem to mind. Porsches, Audis and VWs all sell by the boat load.

My two cents says for all the doom mongering about Maserati and lack of product, it's really Alfa that's at risk of dying. What's the point of a mid market brand that's squeezed from both sides ? Only as a BMW competitor, hence their possibly final push into SUVs which is where BMW seems to make most of its money. The market for mid priced sports cars just really isn't there, at least as a stand alone proposition.

On the other hand Maserati whether we like it or not is well positioned to jump headlong into the zeitgeist, and selling sexy BEVs is a surefire way to put the brand back on people's maps. It wasn't too long ago that selling lots of SUVs = you get to make a few sports cars too. Where we seem to be going is selling lots of EVs = you get to have an ICE engine too.
 

davy83

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2,809
I would tend to agree "Where we seem to be going is selling lots of EVs " its clearly where this is going, they dont see a future in the high powered petrol Alphas, and reckon there is a need to move everything over to EV's or similar.
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,759
I feel money and the current QV are to blame.

The QV is undoubtably a weapon but a loss leader to sell the standard Giulia in bulk but the problem is they are **** and nobody is buying them.

Have you driven a 280BHP Veloce? Spent a weekend with one a couple of months ago and was shocked how good it was, fast, comfortable and it just got better the harder you pushed it. It might not be selling well but it is a great bit of kit, still think I need to justify a QF though
 

conaero

Forum Owner
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34,593
Maybe not the 280 but have the standard D models. Sitting in it left me cold and the drive did nothing to change that.
 

Nayf

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2,734
I imagine there isn’t enough money for Alfa coupes and Maserati coupes at the same time.
 

Delmonte

Member
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878
What I cannot understand with all this, is why not just make the GTV? Surely it’s just a chopped down Giulia which has already had the billions in developement spent on it? Cheap fix, surely? If they haven’t got the money for this they really must be skint...