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Seven surprises on new Alfa Romeo Giulia revealed by chief engineer

► Chief engineer on new Alfa Romeo Giulia

► Zero to launch in just 2.5 years

► Technical insight, strategy revealed

Judging by the reaction online, it’s difficult not to conclude that Alfa Romeo has wowed the world with its new Giulia saloon. While not everybody was smitten with its looks, unveiled to the world at an event in Milan on 24 June 2015, the whole motoring fraternity certainly sat up and took notice.

Alfa is continuing to fettle the new compact exec ahead of sales starting in spring 2016. Hence our spies caught still-disguised Giulias on test near the Nurburgring in Germany this week, as the development programme moves into the final validation testing phase.

Before more details are announced at the Frankfurt motor show, CAR magazine caught up with the programme’s chief engineer Philippe Krief for an exclusive one-to-one interview to hear the Giulia’s full technical background. We asked him what the knock-out features on the new car are. Read on for seven pearls of insight we learned.

1) The Alfa Romeo Giulia was developed in just two-and-a-half years

This 159 successor has been a long-time coming after numerous delays: the earlier front-wheel drive programme was canned in its entirety, deemed untrue to the brand after Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne ordered a more radical replacement. ‘You ask every car maker: doing a car in two years, everyone will tell you it’s not possible,’ says Krief. ‘The industry standard says four, the longest say five years, everywhere in the world. We had to do it in two and a half years. Marchionne said – and he’s right – the only way to achieve that is to be different.’ Click here to read Sergio Marchionne on the Giulia.

2) The skunkworks mentality and the team of 10

Marchionne authorised a crack skunkworks team to lead the Giulia project. Krief remembers the call-up well. ‘It was 29 April 2013. I was working at Ferrari and received a phone call saying “You have to come and do the new Alfa, we have to do something totally different. So please take a bunch of guys, go somewhere and think about that. You have two years and two months!”’ He appointed a team of 10 specialists in different departments to set the parameters for the programme and they installed themselves away from the usual R&D centre. ‘We were together always, so we had a huge amount of ideas and a quick decision-making process that you can’t have in a big company.’

3) Why the Giulia uses plenty of aluminium and carbonfibre

‘We had two targets: first, weight-to-power ratio,’ says Krief, who’s internally dubbed head skunk (now that’s a business card!). ‘We knew that we wanted to have a car around 1500kg for the Cloverleaf. Then we needed to do the optimisation, to decide where we wanted to save weight, where we could afford to have normal steel. We also decided on the cost criteria: you have to save weight where it’s efficient, but to save weight you always have to pay. On the door it’s efficient, if I pay X I can save a lot of weight; in other areas it’s not that efficient because you only save a little weight and you pay a lot. Suspension arms are mostly aluminium, front and rear, the engines are aluminium, the doors and fenders are all in aluminium, the boot on this one [the Cloverleaf] is carbonfibre, the roof also, we have also the propshaft in carbonfibre and structure of the seats.’

4) There’s a little bit of Ferrari sparkle in the handling

Krief was a senior engineer at Ferrari and promises there’s a little bit of Maranello magic in the new Giulia’s chassis dynamics. ‘I worked on the 458, the Speciale especially,’ he tells CAR. ‘Ferrari had a big advantage of having rear-wheel drive, so it’s exactly the same kind of stuff we wanted to put on the Giulia, this kind of feeling… It has to be precise, very quick, very agile, very stable. It drives fantastically really.’

5) The Cloverleaf can send all its torque to a single rear wheel

Over to the chief engineer to explain the torque vectoring available on the new Giulia. ‘You have a differential, two clutches, there’s always torque coming, even if you’re not on the throttle. Thanks to the torque vectoring, this torque can be split front and rear, left and right. It can create whatever you want: to start stable, have oversteer, then stable, understeer, you can do what you want because this clutch is very fast, the control is very fast… Today the limit of the car is given by the tyres but here you have to think that once you are at the tyre’s limit, it’s like you have a hand above that can add an extra element. You can send 100% to one wheel, it can send everything to one wheel, or another.’

6) The V6 engine is an Alfa classic

‘The V6 is a ground-up build,’ Krief vows. ‘Twin turbos, 90 degree bank, what was important for us was the feeling, it’s not necessarily the amount of torque. When you drive the car, when you accelerate, you can have all the torque suddenly then nothing, or you can have torque which is increasing, increasing, increasing: we use the amount of torque and we tune it to always have this situation, this feeling. Torque is dependent on gear choice: on first and second gear, you can have a huge amount of torque, here we are very progressive, on third and fourth, we are still progressive, but on fifth and sixth gear you have less torque because here you are looking for power. So we give more torque on the lower revs. Yet even in sixth gear, you accelerate and then vooom! There will be other engines of course. We will show these engines in Frankfurt.’ Will there be a four-cylinder Giulia? ‘Probably. And we are package-protected for V6 diesel, we can install it in the car and after we can decide whether to put it in or not.’

7) The Giulia’s active aero changes shape as you drive

‘We wanted the maximum of everything, best engine, weight, suspension, tyres and torque vectoring, and best possible aerodynamics,' says Krief. 'You have to create downforce, it increases the performance of your tyres. So we’ve developed this device to increase downforce in corners. We start from the basis where the car has natural downforce, but then we increase it in a bend: so in curves, the splitter is working to give you more downforce; go back to a straight line and we want low Cx, low drag. The Giulia has two electric actuators linked to the ECU that understands if you’re in a corner or a straight line, whether you’re in an understeer or oversteer situation, and in respect of that decides how to move the splitter.’

© Car Magazine

Do you mean the name?

Yes. The new section "Progetto Aegea" has been set (but still hidden) on Fiatpress

Fiat Aegea

(i'm not sure, but it seems so)

The interesting idea is to call this model family '124'. Just imagine: 124 Berlina, 124 Familiare, 124 Sport (for Hatch) and mazda-based 124 Spder

I have press-info and pictures... No new generation tommorow. I even can't call it facelift... Maybe MY))

1. new engines

2. headlights with LED

3. new wheels and colours

4. revisted interior with new dashboard

you will see differences only when you is owner of current model

Project code - 356

Head of the project - https://it.linkedin.com/in/vincenzocusolito

p.s. maybe better to separate topics for each body version? at least they have a different stages of development.

All official info will come tommorow.

Less covered, and looks promising

Some new shots... but car is hidden more than ever!

btw, front grille reminds me facelifted Viaggio just launched in China. Family feeling

'definitiva'

by Autoblog.it

Volkswagen Group-owned design house Italdesign Giugiaro has revealed its GEA concept car at the Geneva motor show, an Audi-style autonomous electric luxury saloon of the future.

The four-wheel-drive GEA is 5370mm long, which makes it some 235mm longer than an Audi A8, and is powered by four electric motors (two at the front and two at the rear) with a combined power output of 764bhp. Top speed is 155mph.

The concept has been designed by Italdesign’s styling chief Wolfgang Egger, who moved to the design house from Audi last year. The firm describes the GEA as having the look of a “stylish saloon with a sporty twist”.

Notable exterior design features on the GEA, which is made from lightweight materials including aluminium, carbonfibre and magnesium for a kerb weight of just over 2000kg, include its 60-spoke, 26in alloys, each milled from a solid block, and slim light clusters which feature Audi laserlight and LED technology. The lights glow white when the GEA is being driven by the driver, and blue when it is driving itself in autonomous mode.

Access to the cabin is through rear-hinged doors; the GEA does without conventional B-pillars to further boost access. The focal part of the cabin is the rear, where an integrated smartphone controls major vehicle functions and allows one of three interior modes to be selected: Business, Wellness or Dream.

In Business mode, the GEA turns into a travelling office, where two 19in transparent LED screens come down from the roof. The front passenger seat can be swivelled 180 degrees, or folded down, where it can be used as a work top.

In Wellness mode, the GEA becomes a mini gym. Aluminium handles in the rear seats can be used for upper body exercises, and boards come out of the floor for leg exercises. There is also a fridge between the two rear seats to store drinks. Instructional videos produced by fitness firm Technogym can be played on the screens.

In Dream mode, the GEA becomes a relaxing environment, with blue LED lighting and the ability for one of the rear seats to fully recline and link up with a front seat to become a bed, similar to that of a first class seat in an airliner.

Premium, natural materials are used throughout the cabin, and the driver gets all driving information via a 12in screen. Three buttons on the control stick-style steering wheel control the driving of the car, and whether it is in autonomous mode or being operated by the driver.

© Autocar

It is just a yellow PF Sergio...

So will it slot below the Conti, right?

It's not easy to understand the real sizes of the car... It LOOKS like a Aston Martin rival, but it is a two-seater, so it can be quite smaller.

carscoops

Press Release:

Cita

[h=1]EXP 10 SPEED 6 - A VISION OF BENTLEY DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE[/h][h=2]MAR 2, 2015[/h]

• Concept for sector-defining two-seater sportscar
• Futuristic Bentley design, a statement in modern British luxury
• Potential future model line

(Crewe / Geneva, 2nd March 2015) Bentley Motors is showing the future direction of luxury and performance with the EXP 10 Speed 6 at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show. The concept is a British interpretation of a high performance two seater sportscar using modern automotive design, highly skilled handcrafting, the finest materials and advanced performance technology.

From the racing success of the company’s early years to the international motorsport success of today, ‘speed’ is part of Bentley’s DNA. This inspiration is expressed throughout the EXP 10 Speed 6, where iconic Bentley design cues are fused with progressive craftsmanship techniques and modern technologies.

Copper elements are used as accents to both exterior and interior features to highlight the performance hybrid potential of the concept’s advanced new powertrain. Performance goals including top speed are set to challenge competitors and define a new segment benchmark.

Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, comments:

“EXP 10 Speed 6 is one vision for Bentley’s future – a powerful, exquisite and individual concept. The showcar has the potential to be the new pinnacle luxury two-seat sports car. It offers thrilling, driver-oriented performance, complete with trademark modern Bentley luxury and effortlessness.

It could be a future model line, alongside the Continental GT and redefining the pinnacle of another market sector, and the styling of the EXP 10 Speed 6 could influence the expansion of the Bentley family. This is not just a new sports car concept – but the potential Bentley sports car – a bold vision for a brand with a bold future.”

Contemporary Design, Yet Unmistakably Bentley

The exterior design of EXP 10 Speed 6 is an expression of muscular, athletic surfaces inspired by the aerodynamic shapes of aircraft fuselages and wings. The ethos of the design was to develop contemporary interpretations of Bentley styling cues, which have been brought together with beauty and precision. The result is a coupe of clean, modern surfaces whilst remaining unmistakably Bentley.

Creating exciting contemporary ideas from classic starting points is evident across the car, from the new interpretation of the iconic Bentley matrix grille and four-round headlamps to the paint colour – a deeper, richer and heavily metallic version of British Racing Green. The principles of established Bentley luxury have been applied in new and invigorating ways that use the latest technologies and techniques.

The shapes and lines of EXP 10 Speed 6 represent a dynamic sculpture, creating harmony between sharp lines and flowing surfaces and using twisted surfaces to imply speed. Combined with muscular proportions and an athletic stance through the use of a short front overhang, long bonnet, low grille and wide rear shape with a long C-post, the exterior styling hints at high speed potential of the car.

Every exterior material and each individual detail is designed to modern Bentley style. Cutting-edge 3D metal printing technology has allowed the grille mesh, exhausts, door handles and side vents to be delivered with micro-scale design detail precision. The iconic Bentley mesh grille, for example, is no longer a flat plane of latticework but includes varying depth with a complex 3D geometry only visible when viewed at an angle. Bentley’s renowned quilted leather has inspired three dimensional texture to the precision glass of the headlamps.

These exterior elements come together to present a Bentley for the next generation – lean, toned and exquisitely precise, designed around new evolutions of the design elements that unite all Bentleys – past, present and future.

Bentley’s Most Performance-Orientated Luxury Cabin

The inspiration for the interior comes from the continuous line that runs around the cabin, driving through the console and into two symmetrical wings before flowing into the door and looping back into the console armrest. Two elegant quilted sports seats are positioned either side of the narrow centre console which houses exquisite driver controls and a highly intuitive 12” touch screen. These features combine futuristic technology seamlessly with progressive Bentley craftsmanship.

Each detail has taken core Bentley interior DNA principles and moved them forwards. For example, the classic and purposeful Bentley knurled surface is a feature throughout the controls of the car, but now created using steel and copper together to create a two-metal 3D texture.

Continuing the fusion of traditional materials and contemporary design statements, the doors of EXP 10 Speed 6 feature 3D quilting, milled directly in to solid straight-grain cherry wood. Each resulting diamond is finished with a copper centre.

The centre console integrates digital information with tactile controls via a curved touch screen housed in an aluminium frame. The fascia instruments deploy from a flat position into the drivers view as the car is started using the floating “B” button integrated in to a non-symmetrical gear lever finished in aluminium, copper and cherry wood. A mechanical rev counter and digital display combine to provide the perfect balance of modern driver information and analogue beauty.

The rear interior space is divided into two compartments designed to house a specifically designed four-piece luggage set. Like the rest of the interior, the rear has been trimmed by the master craftsmen at Bentley in the highest quality Poltrona Frau leather.

– ENDS –

Bentley

http://www.autopareri.com/forums/topic/62819-bentley-exp-12-speed-6e-ev-concept-2017/

two more pictures was added... who said Rapid?)

Fiat Bravo 2016: le prime foto spia

Fiat Bravo 2016: le prime foto spia

Do you know that GAC-Fiat launch race-inspired Ottimo Mefisto on last year Guangzhou Autoshow? I was really surprised)

It was so boring to wait till monday...

Japanese designer Ken Okuyama has placed his name on a pair of Alfa Romeo Giulietta special editions made exclusively for Japan.

The man who led the design team for the original Honda / Acura NSX and also designed or supervised a number of Pininfarina projects such as the Ferrari Enzo and P4/5, collaborated with Alfa's Japanese arm creating the Giulietta Ken Okuyama Speciale Bianca and Rossa editions.

Both cars get dedicated body stripes, Ken Okuyama Design alloy wheels and special stainless steel emblems, with the Bianca model finished in white and the Rossa in red.

The two hatchbacks are powered by Alfa's 170PS 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and are each priced at 3,952,000 Yen, which comes to around US$33,300 or €28,200.

carscoops ©

Both cars was presented today at Tokyo Auto Salon 2015.

Ken Okuyama Speciale Bianca (wear the same livery as kode9 concept)

Ken Okuyama Speciale Rossa (wear the same livery as kode7 Clubman)

Unfortunately I can't show you final images till it would be released... (it can be released in one hour or in the day of NAIAS, I really don't know)

But how about some kind of teaser?)