Auto Avio Costruzioni Tunes Second Alfa 159, Battle with Ferrari Continues

If you are a frequent Carscoop reader, you may recall a story that we wrote in October about Laurent Muller, the man who bought the rights to the Auto Avio Costruzioni trademark in 2004.

Muller’s original goal was to build a supercar based on the Ferrari 430, but with a V12 engine instead of the production version’s eight-cylinder unit.

However, as soon as he announced his plans in 2008, Ferrari filed a lawsuit against him claiming that it still owned the rights to the Auto Avio Costruzioni name, as it was used by Enzo Ferrari for a short period after leaving Alfa Romeo and before founding the car company that carries his name.

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Oops! They Did it Again: Alfa Romeo’s Return to the US Delayed Until 2013

It’s 2003, 2004, 2006 – you get the idea- happening all over again; Alfa Romeo’s return to the US market has been delayed and will not happen in 2012 as was the most recent plan. Instead, Fiat Group and Chrysler LLC CEO, Sergio Marchionne, has pushed the Italian brand’s arrival back for another year, or so until he announces another delay. Read more »

Alfa Romeo UK Introduces 2011MY 159 with New 2.0 JTDM and Revised Features

After its introduction at last year’s Paris Motor Show, Alfa Romeo is finally launching its 2011 model year 159 saloon and Sportwagon range onto the UK market. The updated 159 lineup is enhanced with a new 136 bhp 2.0 JTDM diesel engine, as well as with new interior trim and equipment.

The 2.0-liter JTDM is a Euro-5 diesel unit equipped with a variable geometry turbocharger delivering 136 bhp at 4,000 rpm and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of peak torque at 1,750 rpm. Linked to a 6-speed manual gearbox, it allows the sedan to complete the 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint in 9.9 seconds (SW: 10.1 sec) and to reach a top speed of 126 mph (202km/h).

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Alfa Romeo Vittorio Jano Sport Wagon by Marco Procaccini

A few months back we showed you Marco Procaccini's Vittorio Jano design study for an Alfa Romeo 159 replacement (see here). The slinky fastback notably featured an aggressive front end treatment and a C-Column / rear glasshouse design somewhat reminiscent of the Lotus Evora.

Now Marco is back with a more practical Sport Wagon variant of the Vittorio Jano which -in theory- is 50 mm longer and 10 mm taller than its saloon sibling.

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Alfa Romeo at the Paris Show: New Engine Options for Giulietta and Pretty Much Nothing Else

Unless Alfa Romeo has a very big surprise up its sleeves (which we certainly hope so given that the brand is celebrating its 100th birthday this year...), the only new models capable of capturing our attention at the Milanese firm's Paris Motor Show booth will be the usual 'female fatales' standing alongside their automobiles.

According to the company's press release, "the stars" of the Alfa Romeo stand will be the brand-new 140 HP 2.0 JTDM and the 170 HP 1.4 MultiAir turbo petrol with "Alfa TCT" automatic transmission versions of the Giulietta.

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Alfa Romeo Vittorio Jano Design Study for a 159 Replacement

The Alfa Romeo Vittorio Jano concept sedan is the brainchild of independent Italian designer Marco Procaccini. Named after Vittorio Jano, an Italian race car designer of Hungarian descent that worked at Alfa Romeo from the 1920s through the 1930s, Procaccini's proposal is a sporty-looking saloon with a five-door fastback body style and seating for four.

Created as a direct replacement for Alfa Romeo's BMW 3-series-fighting 159 sedan, the Vittorio Jano measures 4,650mm in length, 1,830mm in width and 1,400mm in height. The designer said he plans to follow up the sedan with a Sport Wagon study. Gallery and video after the jump.

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Alfa Romeo 159

Alfa Romeo 159 wallpaper # 01

Alfa Romeo 159 SuperTourer

Alfa Romeo 159 Novitec

Geneva 2009: Alfa Romeo 159

Alpha Romeo 159 J4 2.2 C:

Autodelta Alfa Romeo 159 J4

Alfa Romeo 159

Alfa Romeo Debuts 2011MY 159 Sedan and Sportwagon

If the Fiat Group remains committed to its 2010-2014 product plan, then the successor to today's Alfa Romeo 159, the new Giulia, will make its appearance on both sides of the Atlantic in 2012. Until then, Alfa will keep tweaking the current 159 with incremental improvements to sustain sales in Europe.

Following the recent introduction of the new 200HP 1.75-liter turbocharged petrol and 170HP 2.0-liter JTDM diesel into the range, Alfa Romeo has now announced the release of a 2011MY 159 that will be marketed in most European countries beginning from next month.

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Iconic Alfa Romeo 158 F1 Racer Meets MiTo QV

Alfa Romeo appears to be on a celebration spree this year. Aside from the year-long festivities to commemorate the firm's 100th birthday, the Italian automaker is now celebrating the 60th anniversary of its historic 1-2-3 finish at the first ever F1 European Championship race, which was held at Silverstone motor racing circuit sixty years ago this week (13th May).

To celebrate, the company photographed one of the rare 158s which competed in this historic race alongside the latest Alfa to bear the motorsport inspired Cloverleaf badge, the MiTo QV sport hatch.

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Autodelta Premieres Alfa Romeo 159 J4 3.2 C with 352HP at MPH09 Show

Well known Alfa Romeo tuning specialist Autodelta used the MPH09 Prestige & Performance Car Show at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London (November 5-8) to launch its latest model based on the 159 sedan. The Autodelta J4 3.2 C packs a bevy of upgrades including a supercharged V6 engine, chassis tweaks and a slightly more aggressive styling thanks to the new aero parts.

The new 159-based J4 3.2 C is powered by a supercharged version of the car's 3.2-liter V6 petrol unit with a recalibrated ECU that delivers an output of 352 horsepower and 435 Nm or 331.9 lb-ft of peak torque. The UK tuning firm has not released any information on the new performance figures.

Along with the revised engine, the modded Alfa Romeo sedan features upgrades to the chassis, brakes, and suspension, with the adjustable coilovers sourced from the 220HP J4 2.2 C, but recalibrated to take into account the new weight of the V6 engine, its distribution and dynamic properties. The car also

PS: Yes, we too noticed that 159 J4 3.2 C featured in the photos had a scratch or two, or three....

Photo Galleria: Alfa Romeo's Turbocharged 159 1750 TBi

At the recent Geneva Salon, Alfa Romeo introduced a new 1.75-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine for its 159 sports saloon and Sportwagon models that adopt the same designation as one of the most well known sedans ever made by the Italian firm, the 1750 Berlina that was launched in the late 1960s. With the new engine that develops 200HP, the front-wheel drive 159 1750 TBi accelerates from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 7.7 while its top speed is 235km/h or 146mph. If you follow the jump, you can check out the new, wallpaper-sized gallery of the 159 1750 TBi as well as photos of its equally seductive 1960s predecessor, the 1750 Berlina.