Alfa's recently debuted [and far less cute than the] MINI-fighter– the MiTo– will soon get some drop-top glamor, according to promiscuous British car magazine AutoExpress. The cabrio is likely to debut in 2009. It's meant to offer "class leading" handling. For the sake of weight and price, the top will be soft. AutoExpress also reports that Alfa is angling to give the MiTo much, much better reliability than current and former Alfa nightmares– lest they continue to scare-off all remaining customers. While AE's chop looks good, Alfa, Fiat, and forgotten-sibling Lancia all need a rear wheel-drive (RWD) sports car or roadster. While Lancia recently declared that their two-seat Fulvia concept car was headed to production, there are two absolutely critical vehicles to affordable Italian brands: fantastic city cars and RWD roadsters. But as fuel economy and packaging are concerns for everyone, including the Europeans, front wheel drive just makes more sense. Not to mention the cost of developing an all new RWD platform. But really, do you want to live in a world where the Miata has no true Italian or British competitors? In any case, if Alfa's long prophesied return to the U.S. is for real, the MiTo and MiTo cabrio will most likely be part of the entourage.
11 Comments on “Alfa MiTo Wigs Out...”
Back to TopLeave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You can also login using Facebook Connect.
[and far less cute than the]
But much better looking, not to mention that I have high hopes the interior dash won’t send me into epileptic fits like the MINI does (and I’m not even epileptic).
Agreed for the rest of the analysis. I though I read that Alfa was working on a light RDW platform (their current cars are ridiculously heavy).
That’s pretty sweet, but I think that the Brera is the shit (and hope it comes here).
Roadsters should be low slung and sexy. That thing is fat. It’s reminiscent of a VW Beetle convertible.
@AKM:
The interior of the MiTo might not be as LSD hallucinogenic as the MINI’s interior is. But it is also really boring (and close up shots show it to be fairly low quality).
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/1558/mitodef18da3.jpg
I’m not sure this is a great idea for Alfa. Yes, the MiTo looks better, but that’s it.
MINI sales have stayed flat (hardtop) or declined (convertible) over the last few years, and it’s got numerous advantages over a new Alfa import. These include reliability, availability of service, name recognition, and likely performance.
If they do ship the MiTo to the land of the free, it’s going to be a very small player at best.
Anyone else reading the name MiTo as, Me Too?
Yes, me too.
Take a good look at that front overhang: WAY too long. It’s got a protruding chin only Mrs. Leno could love.
I’m guessing Milano Torino?
Now, that is very pretty. Very cat-like.
Qwerty: Roadsters should be low slung and sexy. That thing is fat. It’s reminiscent of a VW Beetle convertible.
Thank the safety nazis for that. All roadsters nowadays are fat and look like Beetles.
I love the Alfa Spider, and would buy one in a heartbeat if I could. But this MiTo is is not exactly living up to the Alfa lineage.
–chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org