Next to FIAT’s fuel efficient MutiAir MiTo, the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo will also unveil the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde, which means four leaf clover, at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Quadrifoglio is a historic icon for Alfa and it is believed that it will be the sportiest MiTo on the market. The Quadrifoglio is powered by a turbocharged version of the 1.4 Liter MultiAir power plant and will put out a peak of 170 HP and will be able to sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in about 7 seconds, all the while returning 49 MPG and emitting just 139 g/km of CO2 emissions out the exhaust pipe.
The MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde comes well equipped with a set of 17 inch satin titanium finished wheels that resemble the rims from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione super car. The same satin finish is also found on the headlight surrounds and side mirrors. While the interior is made up by a sports inspired interior complete with grippy seat backs and a straight forward set of gauges on the modern looking dashboard with white back lighting.
Using the experience that Alfa has gained on the racetrack, the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde is able to excel in terms of agility and handling thanks to a Dynamic Suspension making it an exceptional vehicle to drive with an added sense of safety. giving it exceptional driveability and unparalleled safety. The Dynamic Suspension system offers three settings: comfort, safety and agility; that offers an unparalleled amount of comfort and ensures maximum grip and safety by actively responding to all road conditions.
The Italian automaker Alfa Romeo has just unveiled the new revolutionary MultiAir system, that is being made available for the first time on the compact MiTo hatchback. The new 1.4 Liter MultiAir engine will be available at the vehicle’s launch and will come in two different versions: the first is a 135 HP 1.4 Liter variant as well as a more economical 105 HP version. The MultiAir MiTo will also be offered in a high performance 170 HP MultiAir Turbobenzina offering later on this year.
Compared to the conventional gas burning engine of the same displacement, FPT guarantees that the MultiAir system will increase power up to 10% and torque another 15%; as well as a significant reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, both up to 10%. At the same time particulate contamination is reduced by as much as 40% while NOx is reduced by up to 60%.
The MultiAir system eliminates the need for a throttle body and allows the engineers infinite control over the valves that bring fresh air into the combustion chamber. The design places the lobes for both intake and exhaust on the same camshaft. The exhaust operates as it would in a convention four stroke internal combustion engine, but the third bump actuates a roller rocker arm attached to the MultiAir setup which is then electronically controlled to open and close the intake valve by the flow of pressurized engine oil. As befits a flag-bearer for the downsizing concept, the MultiAir is a versatile system that is easily applicable to all petrol engines that may potentially be developed for diesel engines in the future.
There are quite a few compact European city cars like the Fiat 500 and Alfa Romeo MiTo amongst others that the automaker planned to sell in the U.S. market as part of the Fiat subsidiary’s planned return to the United States. However the Alfa MiTo is just too small to be fit into the U.S. new car market. According to Alfa Romeo’s CEO Sergio Cravero: "A preliminary product assessment for a sporty three-door small hatchback showed potential volumes in the U.S. right now are roughly 20,000 units a year. That is not enough to make it a viable business case."
Alfa Romeo will return to the U.S. market in 2011 with the 147 replacement, the new Milano, that set to be launched at the Geneva Motor Show early next year. However, with gasoline prices falling, small car sales are not gaining the sort of traction that the automaker would have hoped. It is very likely that those prices that have been reasonable since last summer will only go up as this summer continues, and if there was any lasting effect left by the summertime scare it is that a new car’s fuel economy is a much more important factor to consumers when they are shopping for a new vehicle. The only other problem that Alfa will face is convincing U.S. buyers that despite their size, compact cars can be sold at a premium.
Cravero has made it clear that Alfa Romeo is still in the process of reviewing its U.S. bound new car lineup so there might still be a chance that the MiTo could still be shipped Stateside. "We have to review the possible platform and manufacturing synergies emerging from Chrysler’s new product plan," Cravero said. "Then we can finalize our product grid for the U.S."
The German tuning house Novitec is better known for working their magic on Italian super cars like Ferraris and Maseratis, but with the release of the lovable little Alfa Romeo MiTo, the boys at Novitec couldn’t help but change things up a bit. In doing so the aftermarket modifier has created an exclusive tuning program for the compact Alfa city car, dubbed the Novitec PowerJet 2, the German tuned MiTo makes 31 HP more than from factory, currently making 186 HP with its turbocharged 1.4 Liter four cylinder engine and can run from 0 to 60 MPH in just 7.4 seconds.
The entire exterior of the MiTo has been enhanced, receiving a striking facelift with a centrally mounted cup spoiler in front. From the side the MiTo looks much closer to the ground thanks to the Novitec rocker panels and up to a 65 mm drop if you opt for the Novitec coil-overs. The 18 inch rims come in either a glossy silver or flat black, but wither way they are wrapped in a set of 215/35 Pirelli high performance tires. Out back the Powerjet 2 is pushed to the ground thanks to a Novitec designed roof spoiler and rear diffuser, which looks perfect surrounding the Novitec stainless steel sport muffler.
The Alfa Romeo MiTo has already been awarded countless prizes, due to its compact size, fun to drive nature and amazingly good looks. The Powerjet 2 by Novitec should be no different. The German tuners started off with a good package and made it great, if there is an award for the tuned city car of the year, this Novitec built MiTo should be left standing at the top of the list.
The 2009 Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA concept is not the only high performance offering from the Italian automaker. The Alfa engineers are working hard developing the MiTo Veloce that is set to debut at the upcoming AutoRAI automotive extravaganza, which will take place from April 1st thru the 11th, in Amsterdam. The Veloce will come with a modified version of the 1.4 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder power plant that is currently developing 180 HP (boosted from the standard rating of 145 HP). With this much power, the Veloce can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in around 7.5 seconds.
The factory tuned MiTo will also feature: a sport tuned suspension, upgraded brakes, more aggressively styled body kit with wide arches and larger 14 spoke alloy wheels.
Alfa Romeo has revealed the first official video of the MiTo GTA concept. The concept is powered by a 1.75-liter turbocharged engine that produces 240 HP. We don’t expect much to change when the production version hits the streets of Europe early this summer.
Alfa Romeo revealed today the official details on the MiTo GTA (Gran Turismo Alleggerito) Concept that will make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show.
The word “Alleggerito” in GTA translates into “lightened”, and Alfa went down to even the small details on this one. Carbon fiber was used for the tailgate spoiler, the roof and the side mirrors. Some steel bits in the braking system, suspension and parts of the chassis were replaced with aluminum. All this dieting gives the car what Alfa claims is a power to weight ratio in-line with its sports cars.
The MiTo GTA is powered by a 1.75-liter turbo engine that delivers 240 hp. Alfa says that the by using technology such as direct gasoline injection, dual VVT (variable valve timing), turbocharging, and a revolutionary management system, the engine performs like one almost twice its size (3.0-liters).
Although this is labeled as a concept car, the production MiTo GTA should not have much changed by the time it arrives in European showrooms as early as this summer.
Alfa Romeo may have shown a teaser image of the MiTo GTA Concept earlier this week, but an engine cover just wasn’t enough. Alfa must have known this too because it now released this full body teaser image of the car that will debut at the Geneva Motor Show.
The MiTo GTA 240bhp 1.8-liter turbocharged engine as well as a suspension based on parts from the Fiat Punto Abarth. The styling brings the MiTo closer to looking like a smaller relative of the 8C Competizione. Although this car has not been designated for North America, keep your fingers crossed. Maybe this will be one of the Fiat Group’s next exports after the first round of cars come to the U.S. in 2010.
Alfa Romeo is bringing its quickest version of its little MiTo to Geneva. Until then, this little (and we do mean little) teaser of the MiTo GTA has been released. It’s not much to go on, but with Geneva a few weeks away, we’re so excited to see this hot little Italian that we’re looking for any excuse to post about it.
The car in Geneva will be a concept of the MiTo GTA, but with the standard MiTo already hitting the streets, the concept shouldn’t look too different from the production car. For the GTA version Alfa will take the base MiTo, add a 240bhp 1.8-liter turbocharged engine, suspension bits from the Fiat Punto Abarth, and flared wheel arches.
We that Alfa Romeo is working on a high-performance GTA version of its little MiTo. We still expect the car to hit the streets by this summer, but yet we still haven’t been given a preview. So in the last show before the Europens get their fair-weather driving gloves out, Alfa Romeo will unveil the GTA this March at the Geneva Motor Show.
For the GTA version Alfa will take the base MiTo, add a 240bhp 1.8-liter turbocharged engine, suspension bits from the Fiat Punto Abarth, and flared wheel arches.
The car will keep will keep the same electronic Q2 technology used in the standard MiTo, which mimics a mechanical limited-slip differential. But it will trade out many materials for lighter carbon fiber and aluminum pieces.
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