It looks like the 4C is not the only surprise Alfa Romeo->ke1386 had in store, as the company also plans to unveil a new, rear-wheel- and all-wheel-drive architecture that will be used for a series of models, including sedans and coupes.

The new platform will be unveiled next April and Alfa hopes it will be a step forward in the company's new plan to boost its global presence. As of now, Alfa Romeo competes in just five percent of the global market, but by 2016, it wants to raise that number to 32 percent.

To achieve this hike, a series of new models will be launched, starting with the new Giulia , which will be unveiled in 2015, at the earliest. This will be the first model built on the new rwd/awd platform, and it will be followed by a large sedan and a midsized coupe that will take on the BMW 4 Series->ke3834 and 6 Series->ke320, respectively.

A large coupe is also in the works, and it will share platform with the upcoming Maserati GranTurismo coupe that is due in 2016. In the same year, we expect to see Alfa's new two-seat roadster.

These are not the only models that Alfa Romeo has planned though. At the 2014 Geneva Motor Show->ke228, we will see the 4C Spider, and later on a compact crossover built on the same platform as Jeep's new model that replaces the Compass->ke422 and Patriot->ke1383. A midsized and a large SUV are also in the works, but you shouldn't expect them until the end of the decade.

Click past the jump to read more about the Alfa Romeo Spider, one of the many models we expect from the Italian company.

Alfa Romeo Spider

People have been talking about the Alfa Romeo Spider -- one of the models that will be offered by Alfa Romeo on the North American market -- for quite some time now. It is believed to take its design inspiration from the 2uettottanta revealed by Pininfarina at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, but with more of a road-going design.

The model will be developed in cooperation with Mazda, but it will be built on a totally new chassis that will feature weight-saving technologies to help it weigh less than 2,200 pounds -- about 220 pounds lighter than the current MX-5.

Under the hood, we expect a four-cylinder, turbocharged unit with an output of about 150 horsepower.