Video: Alfa Romeo’s Designers Talk About the Mi.To

Continuing their aggressive media attack, Alfa Romeo has released a new video of the all-new Mi.To sport hatch. This time, Alfa Romeo invited an Italian guy named Enrico to its Centro Stile headquarters to meet the Mi.To’s head designers who explain the visual links between the sport hatch and the 8c Competizione. Although the tour is in Italian, Alfa Romeo kindly added English subtitles - on most of the video at least. –Video right after the jump

Alfa Romeo Mi.To: New Image Gallery

We've gathered a new set of images featuring Alfa Romeo’s highly anticipated Mi.To that give us additional views of the Italian 3-door sport hatch that'll compete head-on with the MINI Cooper once it goes on sale in Europe this summer. Just follow the jump to check out our image gallery or click here to get all the initial details on the Italian mini and here to see to the official video. -Continued

Alfa Romeo Mi.To Video – New Italian Sport Hatch Eyes the MINI

Alongside the first details and images (see here), Alfa Romeo also released a teaser video of its all-new Mi.To sport hatch that will be gradually introduced from July in all the major markets. With looks that are obviously inspired from Alfa’s 8C Competizione sports coupe, the Mi.To will be offered with a range of 4 engines, all Turbo (petrol and diesel), delivering between 90 hp up to 155 Hp.

Alfa Romeo Mi.To: Official Images & Details of the Junior

What most of you have become to know as the Junior but what Alfa Romeo decided to call “Mi.To”, was officially unveiled today following a late night leak yesterday (see here). Measuring in at 4.06 metres long, 1.44 metres high and 1.72 metres wide, the Mi.To is a direct hit to BMW’s highly successful MINI hatch that will be introduced in international markets (not the US though..) this July.

Based on the underpinnings of the Fiat Grande Punto, the Mi.To is the first new Alfa Romeo to be built since the 8C Competizione. The latter, clearly inspired the Mi.To’s designers with its rounded body and lights and aggressive lines. In all, the Mi.To is one sexy mini hatch that will definitely win buyers with its styling. We don’t have any images of the interior yet, but we’re pretty certain that Alfa won’t disappoint us.

Alfa Romeo’s initial press release is quite vague in terms of the mechanical details, as the Italians just note that the Mi.To will be powered by a turbocharged range of petrol and diesel engines spanning 90-155 Hp, with more higher powered versions following latter on. –More pics and details after the jump

PRESS RELEASE:

Alfa Mi.To: World Premiere

With the imminent arrival of its new Mi.To, Alfa Romeo will soon be offering a new generation of Alfa aficionados its most compact sporty car to date.

A contemporary and innovative design, with a name redolent of history, the choice of Mi.To has great evocative resonance for Alfa Romeo, since it was chosen as a sign of a deep-seated link between the past and future of the brand: between Milan, the city of design that brought the car’s style into being, and Turin, which will be responsible for its industrial production. This decision highlights the brand’s strong desire to consolidate its Milanese roots.

The Mi.To is the first new Alfa Romeo to be built since the 8C Competizione, Alfa Romeo’s icon of style and technology, from which it borrows certain characteristic traits: the particular shape of the frameless side windows, the distinctive frontal treatment, the shape of the headlights and the LED tail lights. The headlights and tail lights represent a distinctive personalised feature: the front and rear lighting surrounds exhibit different forms of material processing and colours, which will allow customers to create an ultra-stylish ‘eye-liner’ effect that underscores the car’s style and assertiveness.

The highly ‘personal’ dashboard and seats ensure that the interior represents the ultimate expression of Italian style: welcoming yet sporty, with top-quality materials and close attention to detail; all wrapped in a compact and dynamic shape – Mi.To is 4.06 metres long, 1.44 metres high and 1.72 metres wide.

Performance and technology must always be top-of-the-range in an Alfa Romeo. As with all the brand’s models, the Mi.To is able to appeal to the most demanding customers with its exciting driveability, a factor which is determined in part by Alfa’s new DNA system. This driver-operated system acts directly on the engine, brakes, steering, suspension and gearbox, allowing three different vehicle behaviour modes based on the driving style best suited to the situation or the customer’s wishes: sporting (Dynamic), town driving (Normal), maximum safety even in difficult grip conditions (All-Weather). Mi.To is the first car in its segment to offer such innovative technological content.

Strong performance is guaranteed by a turbocharged range of petrol and diesel engines spanning 90-155bhp, with the range due to be extended by higher powered versions.

Performance and handling have been developed and optimised to offer maximum driving satisfaction in complete safety. The Mi.To offers a true Alfa Romeo sporting set-up, featuring contractive suspensions – standard on all specifications and engines – that minimise roll and offer maximum active, passive and preventive safety. Alfa Romeo’s specially developed VDC stability system is fitted as standard, and the vehicle structure is already designed to obtain a top Euro ncap crash safety rating in the future.

The Alfa Mi.To will be introduced to the international press during June and will then be gradually introduced from July in all the major markets.

2009 Alfa Romeo Mi.To – Official Images?

One of our readers gave us a tip earlier today concerning a batch of pint-sized pictures allegedly featuring Alfa’s new compact mini hatch. While those images were too small to allow any secure assumptions, our research led us to three larger versions of the same pictures, which seem pretty official in our opinion. We also verified that the “Mi.To” nameplate you see in the car is indeed the name that Alfa Romeo chose for its MINI contender that was widely known as the “Junior”.

Apart from the fact that the “Mi.To” looks as sexy as you’d expect from a car bearing the Alfa Romeo badge, we also know that it is based on a modified version of the Fiat Grande Punto platform and that it will be available with a variety of engines, from an entry-level 95Hp unit (Fiat’s 1.4-liter 16v) to a 230Hp turbo version for the GTA. All models will be equipped with a standard 6-speed gearbox while an automatic transmission being offered optionally. We’ll have more on this developing story later on. -Thanks for the tip Miguel! - One more picture after the jump

Alfa Romeo Junior: First Official Teaser Shots?

In a couple of months, Alfa Romeo will take the veil off its all-new MINI contender that’s being unofficially called Junior after Alfa’s online naming fiasco -sorry, what we meant to say is, contest. We’ve seen spy shots of the Junior (see here) but up until now, Alfa Romeo has kept its minicar under cover. Today, an Italian blog called “Progretti955” released a series of teaser shots supporting that they are official. We have no way of verifying their claim, but even if we did, the shots don’t reveal anything at all as you see for yourselves after the jump. -Continued

Via: Autgoblog.nl , Source: Progetti955

Alfa Romeo Junior: First Spy Shots?

These spy pics of Alfa Romeo’s upcoming MINI contender popped up in several forums around the net but while that arse sure looks like something that came out of the Italian firm’s factory, one cannot come out and say that in a definitive way. The Junior (Alfa Romeo execs seem to have written off the Furiosa name from the recent online campaign -see here), will be revealed at the 2008 Geneva Show next March. Based on the Fiat Grande Punto platform, the Junior will be available with a wide range of naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines. -One more pic after the jump

Via: Autoblog.it

Alfa Romeo Junior “Baptized” Furiosa But The Name Might Not be Used…

Internet users from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain have chosen “Furiosa” out of 12 different names in Alfa Romeo’s naming contest for their new up-market mini car, code-named Junior. “Furiosa” managed to win the hearts of Italians and French users while voters from Japan and Spain preferred “Velvetta”. In Britain, the most popular name was “Fira” and in Germany, “Ventura”. Overall, “Furiosa” managed to receive the most votes.

Oh, we almost forgot; Alfa Romeo might not use the name after all… Or at least that’s what one Fiat Group source advised Brit car magazine, Autocar. “Furiosa doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it?” said the unnamed Fiat source. “It’s an interesting place to start the discussion about the car’s eventual name,” he went on, “but don’t be surprised if we call the thing something else altogether. No amount of public pressure will force Alfa to choose a name it isn’t totally happy with.” Something tells us that Alfa won’t be happy…

Via: Autocar

Alfa Junior Naming Contest: Finalists Announced

Alfa Romeo announced today that the first phase of the "Name the Junior" contest ended and the final 12 names for the Alfa’s forthcoming 2009 sport mini hatch have been selected. We remind you that the naming contest was open up for residents in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, England and Japan, with Alfa Romeo’s committee choosing two names from each country (see here). In the next phase (from Nov. 1 to 15), the residents of the participating countries will have to vote for the winning name.

From the 12 names that Alfa’s committee chose, we sort of like the "Nevo" and "Velvetta" but to be honest, we would’ve preferred “Junior” for the car that will compete against BMW's MINI. As for the "Enos", that’s definitely a no-no since we’re not so sure that in some languages it won’t be pronounced as "anus"...

Finalists: Agea, Enos, Everso, Fira, Furiosa, Milo, Mod, Nevo, Solea, Sparvo, Velvetta, Ventura