Walking back to the office just now, I was thinking aout the Top Gear episode when Chris smashed the windscreen ding that silly sliding feature... when one suddenly a QV trundled by... and pulled into the office car park So I pounced on him!
Guy said he'd just done a 150 mile drive in it and and that it was soo comfortable. Fnished in a dark metallic grey with black wheels for a change, it looked even more menacing. The windscreen had been smashed by a stone on motoray in the few weeks he' had it already though!
Wonderful piece of kit. I'm having a Coupé one. Not sure how yet, but I'm having one brand new within the next two years
I've seen a few of these since they were released, many in Assen last month but finally saw the 'Full Phat' model I like in my colour at Brooklands last weekend, carbon seats, steering wheel, red stitched trim with the carbon lips/skirts, I liked it so much I wanted to lick it
Want to like it but the styling for me is far too 'big' and Teutonic/Germanic for an Alfa Romeo; especially the rear. Performance is ace mind. I think the ALFA badge could easily be substituted with a BMW propellor and many would be hard pushed to question it's geographical origin.
If it is a success for the brand- then who can tell the public they are wrong..?
Personally I haven't been so interested in a car in decades. On an otherwise silent five hour drive recently - I inadvertently shouted (to myself) when I saw one the other day!
Anybody heard how they are selling? I've seen only one. Even as an Alfa fan like myself, you have to be quite brave to invest M-Series or AMG money on an Alfa. Part of the challenge will be how the finance packages shape up.
Yes I agree, I have an Alfa so have an interest in their survival..just feel that it may have leant too far away from the European market styling-wise to the US. Sounds gorgeous mind. I was looking for a more curvy luscious Italian creation in line with the 8c/4c amalgamation and not a BMW M5.
I was looking for a more curvy luscious Italian creation in line with the 8c/4c amalgamation and not a BMW M5.
If they go ahead with a coupé 'Sprint' model, they could easily head in this direction. A few tweaks to he haunches and rear would make all the difference. I think it could look amazing.
By the time that's launched (and let's face it, why wouldn't they?) the reliability of the cars would be a lot clearer and any issues hopefully addressed.
WTF were they thinking launching a SUV and no coupe? That's the Chinese market for you.
If copying the other big marques means it keeps the company afloat so they can produce a few tasty enthusiast cars on the side, then I'm all for it
All the other big marques have coupes first: Merc, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Maserati...
But they've already got established SUVs from revous generatons. For Alfa, it's a first (I think). I would have thought that a choice of a Saloon or an SUV would draw more people to the brand than a choice of a Saloon or a Coupé...
In China, maybe. But when was a regular saloon the mainstay of Alfa's line-up? And an SUV? But you can list coupe after coupe after coupe. There have been saloons alongside - Giulia Super, Alfetta, 75, 156, 164 - but these have mostly been quirky vs the GTVs, 8C, etc and the Spiders.
And I don't think either Jaguar or Maserati had an SUV from an earlier generation.
In China, maybe. But when was a regular saloon the mainstay of Alfa's line-up? And an SUV? But you can list coupe after coupe after coupe. There have been saloons alongside - Giulia Super, Alfetta, 75, 156, 164 - but these have mostly been quirky vs the GTVs, 8C, etc and the Spiders.
All true. Maybe 'business ss usual' is not what they're aiming for then? If they're trying to match ze German's, then they need to 'man mark' everything in their line ups, aiming to sell as many of each model type as they do. I have no idea what the figures are, but I'd imagine saloons are the mainstay of all of the German marques...
I think it makes sense. If they churn out three different, awesome Coupés now, then they won't sell enough to grow and they'll be as unreliable as always.
If they churn out all the mainstream stuff in droves, then it means the Coupés that (hopefully) follow will be of better quality, having borrowed the same platform.
The problem then, is that everything will be a bit more 'German'... You can't have it both ways
Yes, the problem is that SUVs are still the fastest growing main segment so if you don't have one then you rule out a huge part of the potential market.
Jaguar released their F-Pace and it immediately became their best seller. And Jaguar and diesel trucks does not naturally sit well together.
However, if you are profitable, you can expand, so one cannot ignore the buying public.