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Zamani wrote:Alfa build a new engine???

So it will skip belts, and snap belts, leak oil and have premature valve guide wear?

hardalfa wrote:Jeremy Clarkson is full of shit. I saw that same test he did on the 8c and he seemed for and against at the same time. Personally i'm still stuck in the 80 's as far as alfas go until alfa reverts back to something rear wheel or four wheel drive.

PietereQ wrote:

lucass81 wrote: The best thing we can hope for the future is getting RWD Alfas using GMs Cadillac or new Camaro platforms.

Actually alfa is rumored to use BMW RWD platform, in exchange bmw getting the fiat "small diesel technology".

Wikipedia wrote:Sergio Marchionne, a fan of component sharing, entered talks with Daimler in October 2007. Daimler wanted a partner who specialised in small cars to develop a new platform that would be used as a base for the next generation of Mercedes-Benz and Smart small cars. In return, Fiat would gain access to Mercedes' rear wheel drive platforms. For a while it looked almost certain that a deal was going to go through, with the 169 to be based on the next gen Mercedes E-class. However in December 2007, after almost two months of negotiations, the talks broke down. Daimler stated 'differences of opinion' as the main reason for the failure to come to an agreement.

Almost as soon as those talks ended yet another platform sharing rumour was started. Tata, India's largest manufacturer, had emerged as the lead bidder for the purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford. Tata and Fiat have had an agreement in place to produce cars together in India since 2006, while Ratan Tata is a member of the Fiat Group board. The rumour was that in return for advising Tata on how to run a premium car company (something that Tata has never done before), Alfa Romeo would gain access to the excellent Jaguar XF platform. In March 2008 Tata officially gained ownership of Jaguar and Land Rover with Sergio Marchionne starting talks with Tata about the possible usage of the platform. Little news concerning the usage of the XF platform has come to light since then, but it seems as if this is still an option under consideration. Most recently there has been a hint that Alfa Romeo will indeed develop its own rear wheel drive platform. The replacement for the 159, rumoured to be launched at the end of 2011, will be rear wheel drive, while recent news concerning the new Alfa Romeo 149 indicates a move away from platform sharing by Alfa Romeo. Comments made by Luca De Meo in June 2008 confirmed that Alfa Romeo had ruled out using the Maserati Quattroporte's chassis. He said that Alfa 'were still looking at sharing with other manufacturers' however the announcement of development being put back a yeat does suggest that a new platorm will be developed.