To all Mid Florida AROC members,

Please be reminded that the club's May 19th dinner/meeting will be convened at 6:00pm in the private room of 310 Park South Restaurant, 310 South Park Avenue, Winter Park 32789.  Phone 407-373-0310

So that appropriate seating reservations can be made, please advise by return e-mail, or phone, whether or not you will attend.

We have many future activities to discuss and we look forward, as always, to an enjoyable evening together.

Gladys Bernstein, Hospitality

Thank You Participants & Sponsors for the best ever VIVA Alfa Romeo Show in 2011

the Celebration show by Carl Fowler

Alfa Romeo sets return to U.S. with 4C sports-car brand Automotive News Europe | April 20, 2012 06:01 CET

MILAN (Bloomberg) -- Fiat's Alfa Romeo division took another step toward its return to the United States after registering the brand of its 4C compact sports car, the unit's first model targeted for sale in the country in almost 20 years. The Alfa Romeo 4C trademark, covering accessories such as clothing and toys as well as the vehicle and parts, was issued by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on April 10, according to a release posted on the U.S. Federal News Service. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said April 4 that that the rear-wheel-drive coupe will go on sale in North America by the end of 2013. Deliveries of the 4C, which will be built starting in May 2013 at a plant run by Fiat's Maserati division in Modena, Italy, will launch in Europe in the second half of next year. Fiat, which plans to make 2,500 4Cs a year, showed a concept version of the car last year at the Geneva auto show. Fiat has a target of more than doubling Alfa sales to about 400,000 vehicles in 2014 from 150,000 in 2011 with six new models, including sedans and SUVs, according to a September presentation. The 4C is part of a revamp of Alfa Romeo that will include the new Giulia sedan, which will be based on the Dodge Dart platform of Fiat-controlled Chrysler Group for a lineup developed and made in the U.S. starting in 2014, according to a person familiar with the matter. In Europe, the 4C will be priced at about 50,000 euros ($66,000), company sources told Automotive News Europe. There is no word yet on U.S. pricing. Fiat's growth strategy is centered on Alfa and Chrysler tightening cooperation. The production version of the two-seat 4C may be displayed at the 2013 Geneva show, said the person, who declined to be named as the plan is private. Marchionne wants Alfa to better compete against the world's top makers of premium cars: BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. BMW Group, which includes the BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, aims to sell 2 million cars a year worldwide by 2016. Audi plans to reach 2 million in 2020 and Mercedes, including Smart, aims for 1.6 million in 2015. Developing a full range of models for Alfa and focusing on North America's car-market growth are crucial to his strategy of boosting combined revenue at Fiat and Chrysler to more than 100 billion euros ($131 billion) by 2014.     The mid-engine Alfa 4C is about 4000mm long with a 2400mm wheelbase. The car will be powered by a new aluminum 4-cylinder 1.8-liter turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engine. "The return of Alfa in the U.S. is critical for the group as a global player needs to have an upscale brand in a major market as North America," Jeff Schuster, LMC's senior vice president of forecasting in Troy, Michigan, said. "This is a real sign Alfa will come back to U.S." Net income at Fiat in 2011 came entirely from Chrysler, which was helped by U.S. car-market expansion. Fiat's volume models lost about 500 million euros in Europe last year, and led an industrywide sales decline in the region, as the sovereign-debt crisis caused consumers to hold back on purchases. Marchionne is among carmaking executives forecasting another European contraction this year.

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Alfa's new halo car will be built by Maserati

Alfa unveiled the 4C concept in 2011. The car is rakish, compact and extremely low to the ground.

TURIN – Fiat Group's luxury sports car brand Maserati will build Alfa Romeo's new halo model, according to company sources. The car is a rear-wheel-drive coupe called the 4C.

Fiat said on Thursday that Maserati will build a new vehicle for Alfa in Modena, Italy, starting in May 2013, with a forecast annual production of up to 2,500 units.

Fiat did not name the car, but company sources told Automotive News Europe that the model will be the 4C.

The 4C likely will be the first car sold by Alfa in the United States when the brand relaunches in the market in mid 2013.

In Europe, the 4C will be priced at about 50,000 euros ($66,000), company sources said. There is no word yet on U.S. pricing.

Alfa enthusiasts have dreamed for almost two decades of the return of an affordable rear-drive model after the Duetto Spider was discontinued in 1994. Alfa's 8C Competizione, which was built from 2007-2008, was too expensive for most Alfa buyers. The spider version of the 8C cost up to 213,000 euros.

The 4C was unveiled as a concept at the 2011 Geneva auto show. The two-seater has a central engine and is about 4 meters long with a 2.4-meter wheelbase. It will be powered by a new aluminum 4-cylinder 1.8-liter turbocharged direct- injection engine.

Alfa plans to make the 4C as light as possible at about 850 kg. At that weight, the 4C would have an impressive power-to-weight ratio below 4.0kg/hp.

Maserati built the 8C Competizione coupe for Alfa from 2007 to 2010.

Fiat chose Maserati to build the 8C because Alfa does not have the expertise to build low volume, hand-built models. The sports car maker was picked to produce the 4C for the same reason, sources said.

You can reach Luca Ciferri at lciferri@crain.com.

Marchionne to target Alfa at U.S. market ahead of Europe

CEO to appoint Alfa N. America chief by year endLuca Ciferri and Bradford Wernle
Automotive News  October 17, 2011 06:01 CE

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne says he will appoint an Alfa Romeo boss for North America by year end, as he seeks to get a footing in the U.S., before turning his attention to Europe.

He says it will be easier to re-establish Alfa's credibility in the U.S. than in Europe. The sporty Italian brand's image has been eroded in Europe by years of mediocre quality, outdated engines and aging vehicles that parent Fiat S.p.A. waited too long to redesign.

"We are going to target the U.S. market first and work our way back into Europe," he said in an interview in Turin, Italy. "We have run market tests on the desirability of the Alfa brand in the U.S. and -- notwithstanding our long absence from the market -- it's still one of the best brands in the world, and I think we need to go back and grab it."

Alfa Romeo left the United States in 1995. The brand's boss for North America will come from Fiat-Chrysler ranks, Marchionne told Automotive News, a sister publication of Automotive News Europe.

Fiat dealers to get Alfa

Chrysler to the rescue

Contact Automotive News

Fiat plans output of new high-performance Alfa engine

First announced in November 2006, the new unit – designed for both transversal and longitudinal applications – will be an all-aluminum unit featuring high pressure direct injection and turbocharging, with power peaking at 300hp, Fiat said.

Fiat's current 1.75 liter turbo power engine peaks at 235hp in the Alfa Giulietta compact hatchback.

The first model to use the new engine most likely will be the Alfa Romeo 4C, a limited edition coupe due in mid-2013. Alfa unveiled a concept model of the 4C in March at the Geneva auto show.

The first volume application of the new engine will occur on the Giulia midsized sedan and wagon to replace the Europe-only 159 range due in early 2014. The Giulia models most likely will be built in the U.S. for distribution in North America and Europe.

The new engine will be built for global application at the carmaker's Pratola Serra plant in central Italy, beginning in early 2013. The facility currently builds Fiat midsize gasoline and diesel engines, including the 1.75 liter turbo unit. The new 1.8 liter engine is designed to be compliant with future emissions standards in both Europe (Euro 6) and the U.S. (Tier 2 Bin 5).

"This is an extremely important step for Alfa Romeo, as we continue to reposition our brand and prepare it for global distribution. The United States remains our primary objective as we prepare for a 2013 introduction of our models," Harald Wester, Fiat's chief technology officer and head of the Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands, said in a statement.

Wester added that the engine is the first in a series of initiatives to be implemented in the near future which will reconnect Alfa Romeo to its historical roots as a premium Italian sports car brand.

Alluring Alfa Romeo falls far short of its promise

Few names can match the allure of Alfa Romeo. The sporty Italian brand is all about swooping lines, intoxicating engine noise, nimble road manners and the sexiest grille around.

Alfa Romeo should be a bright Italian alternative to, say, Audi that stands out from the silver-gray herd of German luxury machines.

But the gap between the brand's glittering promise and sobering reality yawns like the Grand Canyon.

Alfa Romeo has not been profitable for a decade, last breaking even in 2001, and has consistently fallen far short of parent Fiat S.p.A.'s sales expectations. Alfa Romeo sold barely 115,000 units in 2010, far short of its goal of 300,000.

At a Fiat presentation to investors Sept. 14 in Frankfurt, Alfa Romeo CEO Harald Wester scaled back Alfa Romeo's 2014 global sales target by 20 percent, to 400,000 units. Even that goal looks ambitious for a brand that expects to hit just 155,000 global sales this year.

Fixing Alfa Romeo remains a huge headache for Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat and Chrysler. Meanwhile, Ferdinand Piech, chairman of Volkswagen AG's supervisory board, makes no secret of his desire to buy Alfa Romeo, adding a note of personal rivalry to Marchionne's challenge. Marchionne has said Alfa Romeo is not for sale.

The stakes for Fiat are high because Marchionne has anointed Alfa Romeo as one of two global brands in the Chrysler-Fiat alliance. The other is Jeep. The two brands are crucial to Marchionne's ambition of forging the Fiat-Chrysler alliance into a global heavyweight.

Serial delays

The latest Alfa Romeo disappointment came in Frankfurt last week when Wester acknowledged the brand's shortcomings and announced that the U.S. arrival of several key models would be delayed. The delays, the latest in a series of missed deadlines, mean Alfa Romeo won't arrive in the United States until mid-2013 at the earliest. And its two key high-volume cars--the compact Giulietta and mid-sized Giulia sedan--won't arrive until 2014.

Although Marchionne has said Fiat and Chrysler product development is "inextricably intertwined," Alfa Romeo delays won't affect the timing of future Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models. In a presentation last week to investors in London, Marchionne indicated that Chrysler Group product planning is still on target.

During his Frankfurt presentation, Wester was blunt in his assessment of his brand's shortcomings. Product planning is poor, he said. For instance, the 159, a mid-sized sedan and wagon, is slated to end production in October, but it won't be replaced until 2014 by the Giulia, a vehicle originally scheduled to arrive in 2012.

Managers have lacked "consistent focus on brand DNA," Wester said. Discounting is "distressing the brand." Alfa Romeo does a poor job of using social marketing and leveraging its owner clubs, he added. Alfa Romeo has been plagued by inconsistent management. The brand has had five CEOs in the past seven years.

Near premium

Wester laid out a new plan to make Alfa Romeo a global competitor in "near premium" segments within three years based on a new fleet of "advanced cars" that deliver "Italian design and a dynamic and active driving experience."

But the entry luxury market is treacherous territory. Brands such as Acura and Volvo have struggled to develop a mix of product, pricing and brand message that results in strong sales.

A lot will have to go right if Alfa Romeo is to achieve Wester's target of 400,000 global sales by 2014. If Alfa Romeo can design vehicles as desirable as past hits such as the 156 sport sedan and Competizione sports car and build them at the same improved quality levels that Chrysler and Fiat are now achieving, the plan could succeed.

Alfa Romeo is on target to sell about 155,000 units in 2011 after selling just 115,000 in each of the past two years.

Although Alfa Romeo plans a lineup of six vehicles, the brand now sells just two high-volume models: the Giulietta and the MiTo subcompact.

The Giulia and Giulietta are key to Alfa Romeo's plans to re-enter the United States. The two vehicles would be sold mainly through 130 Fiat dealerships and would be aimed at entry luxury buyers. The dealerships are counting on Alfa Romeo to broaden their product offerings beyond the 500 subcompact, the only nameplate that they now sell.

U.S. entry in 2013

As plans stand, Alfa Romeo will relaunch in the United States in mid-2013 with the 4C, a limited-edition sporty two-seat coupe. That will be followed by a compact SUV built in Turin, Italy, that shares a platform with the next-generation Jeep Compass, and a new five-door subcompact hatch.

Three more cars arrive in 2014: a Spider roadster, the Giulia (sedan and station wagon) and the Giulietta. A large, rear-wheel-drive sedan derived from the next-generation Maserati Quattroporte will arrive after 2014.

Marchionne's drive to update Chrysler's outdated portfolio took a huge toll on his budding alliance's finances and engineering resources. In the United States, Chrysler has spent $3.3 billion introducing new models, refreshing existing ones and refurbishing factories since Fiat assumed management control in June 2009. Moody's Investors Service downgraded Fiat's credit rating last week based on Fiat's closer alliance with Chrysler.

Fixing Alfa Romeo will require more money and effort. Given Alfa Romeo's long history of delays and failures, fixing the brand remains a tall order.

Reality vs. vision

Despite lackluster sales, Alfa Romeo has optimistic forecasts.

2010 global sales: 115,000, 2 models

2010 global sales goal: 300,000

Revised 2014 global sales goal: 400,000, 6 models for U.S.

Source: Alfa Romeo

• Filed Under: Alfa Romeo

9:52 am, July 14, 2011

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: I spent a weekend in this impressive Alfa, and I was struck by how enjoyable it makes regular driving--and that the Giulietta is, in fact, a conventional car.

People do take notice, which is interesting because it doesn't stand out in the mind-blowing fashion of, say, an Audi R8 spyder. But I did get a honk from a guy in a TT on the way home, and traffic seemed to cluster around me in search of a better look more than I would have liked. The most comparable cars are the Volkswagen GTI and the Mazda Mazdaspeed 3, which have tons of power and panache in small packaging.

The engine and transmission are well paired. The six-speed is smooth with throws bordering on the long side, and the clutch take-up is supple and easy. The tranny is so interactive; it makes the pilot want to dart to outside lanes and downshift past sluggish traffic, which I did on a splendid June morning made all the better by the Alfa's dynamics.

Speaking of which: I punched up to the sport setting and was rewarded with a tighter drive, heavier steering off-center and much better punch. It's a subtle transition but noticeable and fun. No need to use the all-weather setting in summer.

This Giulietta lives up to its melodic name in looks and charisma. Like a beautiful woman, this Alfa wears its jewelry well, and the LED headlights and circular patterns in the wheels standout, adding just a flash of bling in all the right places in tasteful style. The curvy black sheetmetal, the famous Alfa badges, the lines and creases--it all presents in a fashion that brings the romanticism of the brand to life.

Inside is a touch tight, though many comparable cars have similar close quarters. The black seats with red stitching are comfortable, sharp and supportive. The dashboard is easy to read and understand, and it's nice to have real switches to turn off features such as the running lights and auto start/stop--which works flawlessly, by the way. I recorded at least seven instances of the system kicking in on my route home.

My initial impression: I could live with this car, and I would love the looks and the feel of it. This is a great entry car for modern enthusiasts seeking the allure of Alfa Romeo.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR—AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: If Fiat can maintain some of the Italian exuberance when this Giulietta is remade as a Dodge small car, this would be a good thing for Chrysler. This car as equipped, with a small, high-revving MultiAir turbo engine and a six-speed manual gearbox, is a blast to drive. As noted by Greg, the driving feel is pure Euro, the kind of thing we find in a VW GTI, the new Ford Focus or the Mazdaspeed 3. That's the substance, and it's evident in engine responsiveness and a well-sorted chassis--especially in dynamic-driving mode--along with great brakes and a nice shifter and clutch. Add a little Italian flair in the slick and sporty five-door styling (love the hidden rear-door handles and rear hatch release built into the big Alfa medallion), and this car is a notch above all but the Focus from my view.

Inside, the little extra touches and trimmings make the Giulietta a special place to spend time. I love the big silver shift ball and the extra-supportive seats.

Though Greg reported no problems, I have some serious concerns about this application of the stop/start fuel-saving mode. The system shuts down the engine whenever the car is stopped, idling in neutral, with the clutch released. It's supposed to automatically fire back up as soon as the clutch is depressed, but on several occasions, I had depressed the clutch, shifted into first and was releasing the clutch and hitting the accelerator--but the engine hadn't restarted. It wasn't until I pushed the clutch pedal back to the floor that the engine jumped back to life--long enough to leave a big gap in traffic and prompt a few horn honks.

I sure hope that's just a little flaw with this car, because stop/start holds serious promise for saving fuel, but it has to be as dependable as pushing on the gas pedal and having the car go--instantly. Luckily, the system can be shut down, but that sort of defeats the purpose.

I picked up a significant change, for the better, in the engine response and chassis tautness in dynamic-driving mode. I could see little reason to drive in the soft mode, unless your regular drive route is pockmarked with potholes. Pitching the car hard into a corner can tax the suspension to the maximum, but the car holds the road well, even if it sounds harsh doing it. The brakes on this car are quick to respond and strong.

In short, I love most everything about this car and hope Ralph Gilles and the Chrysler team can bring it to us mostly intact as a sporty Dodge small-car entry.

ART DIRECTOR CHERYL BLAHNIK: I had this for a day and I was excited to get in it because I don't make it out to Europe, and it's a car we don't get in the United States. That said, people notice that this car is something different. It received lots of looks and inquiries as to its origin. I even had a lady follow me into a bank parking lot and ask if this car was going to be in the States soon. She was by far the most excited person to talk about this car with me.

I really like the curved lines that make it look elegant and sporty. I sure hope Dodge can continue to keep that form and feel. As Gritz mentioned, the simple thinking of hiding the back door handles gives it just a nice touch of style and sophistication. The hatch visually works on this car, and yes, it does remind me of a VW from the back.

But I'm also not sold on the start/stop system. On several occasions I felt like I couldn't even take off smoothly from a stop and kept having to apologize to our intern for my horrible shifting ability. And there are the times when you want to pull out on to the road from a stop and join the traffic, but with this car I felt like I had to wait because I didn't want to start slowly and have people slam on their brakes because I couldn't get out there quick enough.

One thing I'm really curious about is the price that this would fetch as a Dodge. Once you get past the stop/start issue, it really was a fun car to drive around in. Put the car in the dynamic mode, and it was really fun. The interior had a streamlined feel. Did anyone else notice the constant creaking on the dash area? For a new car, I really find this unacceptable, regardless of price or manufacturer.

Honeywell Turbo Technologies provided AutoWeek this Giulietta for the purposes of evaluation and to demonstrate the turbocharged engine.

2011 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA

ON SALE: Europe (not for U.S. sale)

PRICE: $34,000 (est)

DRIVETRAIN: 1.4-liter, 170-hp, 184-lb-ft turbocharged MultiAir four-cylinder; FWD, six-speed manual

CURB WEIGHT: 3,009 lb

0-62 MPH: 7.8 sec

FUEL ECONOMY: N/A

Greg Migliore

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