Alfa Romeo is planning to take the states in a big way, and to do that, they can’t be the maker of abysmal front-drive hatchbacks the way they once were. New cars and new engines are on the horizon, and at least one of them will come from Ferrari, it was announced today.
Reuters has a brief dispatch that reveals the company is planning to invest 500 million Euros in the plant in Termoli, Italy to build new engines that will power the storied brand’s comeback. One of them will be a high-output four, the other will be a “Ferrari-derived” V6, and both will be specific to Alfa Romeo.
That’s all we know at the moment, unfortunately. We do know Alfa Romeo is launching their new sedan later this year, expected to compete with the BMW 3-Series and its ilk, and that the sedan and a related SUV will come to America in 2017. It’s not clear when these new engines will see duty in those models, but previous reports have indicated that the Alfa sedan will launch with turbocharged Maserati-sourced engines.
Mostly, I’m excited about this Ferrari-sourced V6. My guess is it could be the engine from the new turbo 488 GTB with two cylinders lopped off, or maybe they’ll do that to the naturally aspirated V8 from the outgoing 458 Italia. With rumors of an entry-level Ferrari Dino popping up again, this news makes a lot of sense. Maybe that Dino will wear an Alfa badge instead.
There’s a lot we don’t know about Alfa Romeo’s plans yet, but there’s also a lot to be excited about.
Update: Automotive News fills in a few of the blanks here. They report the four-cylinder engine will be a 2.0-liter turbo unit that will debut on the new sedan this summer, and that the V6 will be twin turbo with up to 480 horsepower. It has been re-engineered from the 3.0-liter V6 built by Ferrari for use in the Quattroporte and Ghibli.
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