Alfa Romeo is readying an exciting new Spider roadster that will go on sale in the next few years and feature an all-new rear-wheel-drive chassis – thanks to a joint venture with Mazda.
The deal will allow Alfa to use the chassis that will underpin the next generation of the world’s best-selling sports car: the Mazda MX-5. Both versions will be built at Mazda’s home in Hiroshima, Japan, although they will get different bodies, engines, interiors and gearboxes.
The two companies won’t reveal exact details, but Auto Express has learned that Alfa Romeo will make its model a spiritual successor to the much-loved Duetto Spider, which first appeared in 1966 and played a starring role in the 1967 Dustin Hoffman movie, The Graduate.
We’ve produced these illustrations to give you the best idea of how the two-seater will look. Its curves reference the original Duetto Spider, and it features rounded headlights plus a lower Alfa grille mounted between a pair of front vents.
The rear-drive chassis will be incredibly light, making use of Mazda’s advanced SKYACTIV technology, so expect the Spider to weigh less than 1,000kg. And the front-mounted engine will be positioned as close to the centre of the car as possible to ensure great handling.
Thanks to that low weight, the Spider won’t need a huge engine, and in keeping with the back-to-basics philosophy of the MX-5, the car is expected to feature a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo, with power ranging
from 135bhp to 175bhp.
However, it’s possible that any high-performance Cloverleaf version would have the upcoming 4C coupé’s 1.75-litre turbo, with well over 230bhp.
There’s no word on cost just yet, but the Alfa Spider is expected to sit slightly above the new MX-5, with a starting price of around £20,000. A soft-top and folding hard-top are likely to be available. Production of the new sports car will start in 2015.
New Spider heralds Alfa’s return to the US
The tie-up between Alfa Romeo and Mazda is great news – it revives one of the most-loved cars in the history of the Italian company and ensures it won’t cost a fortune to buy. The move should also mean Mazda has more money to develop the MX-5. It’s a win-win.
Joint ventures like this are becoming increasingly popular as car makers seek to minimise production costs and tap into expert knowledge (Mazda certainly knows how to make a small rear-drive roadster).
Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne is a master at this, having already brought the company together with Chrysler, then teaming up with General Motors. And the growth of Alfa is key to this latest deal – a new Spider will be crucial when it comes to re-entering the North American market.
The 4C sports car – due on sale in Europe and the States next year – has already whet the appetite, but US buyers loved the original Duetto Spider and will lap up a reborn version.
Intriguingly, though, Fiat says the MX-5/Spider project is just the start. Could that mean a new Barchetta? We won’t have to wait too long to find out.
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Hideous. Like you pasted giuletta headlights to a different car.
This could be great, gorgeous Italian styling and Japanese reliability. It's like the Alfa Arna from the 80s but the other way round this time!
Auto Express have pasted Giulietta headlights on!
This is not an Alfa rendering,
It'll be interesting to see if they go for a modern take the original Duetto style , or something different, spiritual succesor doesn't mean it has to look exactly the same, thats AE's assumptionm....
First of all, this is too overtly retro to be a modern, yet to be launched, Alfa Romeo. It will not look like this.
Here we have a photo of Pininfarina's 2uettotanta concept with the headlights, and side vents from the 8C pasted onto it. with the rest of the DRG sort of a mish mash of recent or classic Alfas.
Amazing how AutoExpress have managed to take and combine the main features of two truly beautiful cars and produce such a horrible looking abomination.
Let's hope Alfa's Centro Stile - or whoever is tasked with penning the body - can do better than this. I am 100% confident that they can and will.
Awful.
I just put the registration of this car into car-check. Result? It's a Hyundai i40. A new collaboration with Alfa????
Think that looks great actually. Can see this being a big success here in the States where people still fondly remember the original.
Take a "reliable" mazda stick an Alfa badge on it and hey presto it wont break down. What next a fiesta badged as the next MiTo?
The downside is we have to wait until 2015. Come on Alfa Romeo - wake up, there's only the Mito and Guiletta on sale these days.
Specifically it's this Hyundai i40: http://bestsellingcarsblog.com...
Why?
AE have had a bash at what the Alfa MAY look like. Centro Stile will do a very fine job I'm sure and coupled with the current engines and maybe a TCT box option, this will be a great drive. fastpep1 above has thrown in the old tired mention of "reliable". Not sure what his Alfisti experience is but mine after 13 years and 270k miles in 6 Alfas ranging from two 156's, a MiTo (which over 40k miles was bombproof), a Brera and my current two: a Spider with the 200bhp 1.75 TBI (which is a lovely engine) and a 159 TI Sportwagon 1.9 JTDm, I can honestly say that they are no better or worse in the reliability stakes as any other vehicle. C'mon you doubters, they've improved hugely since the 156 came out! Tried a MiTo with the TCT box at Monza Sports Tuning. Guaranteed to make you smile... it was a little pocket rocket! I hope the FIAT parents will bring this forward earlier now that they have the Chrysler take over sorted.
It peaked when it brought us the 156, GT and to a lesser extent the 147. But it is doing without a Spider for God knows how many years. The Brera's performance does not match its nice styling. The Giulietta isn't as elegant as Alfisti expected it to be. I mean you only have to look at the disproportionately big front end. And the new Giulia looks as if it is heading in the same direction. In the meantime we have to settle for the overweight 159. Sharing a RWD platform with the MX5 would be one of Alfa's better plans however.
it looks like fiat is doing its round to screw up the Alfa brand like it is with Lancia. the 8C is really good looking car but when you cut and paste its design aspects onto other cars like Mito and Guiletta it kind of feels sub-standard and not thought through rather than upmarket so this needs to stop. each car needs to look and feel different and what a shame it won't have the Twin Spark!
I will be ordering one of these!
Well I reckon AE should get into car design, because I think it looks great. Spot on Italianate sports car styling. Hope the real one looks as like this as it can.
I think AE's rendering looks excellent to be honest and why not use 8C headlamp units? It'll save Alfa money and they do look great on the car. I wouldn't blame Alfa for exploiting the retro look either because the original Spider was gorgeous to look at therefore it will attract buyers who hanker after the older car but desire the performance and reliability afforded by a modern vehicle.
It is about time Alfa introduced something like this... lovely car.
It would be great if they could build it and would make a welcome change on the roads to the MX5.
I really hope that they have a car thats reliable like the MX5... and not something with the horrors of Alfa electrics and other quirks.
Very handsome indeed... I would love one.. so sexy!