Following the relaunch of Alfa Romeo in North America with the 4C, the Italian carmaker will introduce five more new rear-drive models by 2018. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Links open in new windows
+ Ford Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields says Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine should not harm the company’s business in the region. More at The Detroit News.
+ The Justice Department is investigating a charge that General Motors concealed an ignition switch defect when the company filed for bankruptcy in 2009. More at Reuters.
+ India-based parts supplier Sakhiti Automotive now employs 140 workers in the former ArvinMentor plant on Fort St. in Southwest Detroit. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ Volkswagen AG will invest $1.11 billion in a new plant in Wrzensnia, Poland to assemble Crafter commerical vans. More at Bloomberg.com.
+ Penske Racing is considering an expansion into the Australian V8 Supercars series, with Marcos Ambrose named as a potential driver. More at Racer.
+ Relatives of the Malaysian Flight 370 passengers were forced from their hotel in Kuala Lumpur by F1 team members arriving for the Malaysian Grand Prix. More at NBC News.
+ Fiat Chrysler Automobile will introduce five new Alfa Romeo models by 2018, all of them rear-drive. More at Motor Trend.
+ Johnson Controls will collaborate with Fraunhofer Gesellschaft on Lithium-ion 48-volt hybrid battery technology. More at Automotive Business Review.
+ Along with other changes, NASCAR is studying a reduction in power for Sprint Cup engines in 2015, from 860-900 hp to less than 800 hp. More at Fox Sports.
For the previous Executive Briefing from March 21, click here.
Let’s hope Alfa’s re-entry into the US market is more successful than Fiat’s. Even if it’s not, let’s hope their commercials are just as entertaining.
I don’t think they can content up a Miata enough to get Alfa prices for it. It also goes against the Miata’s philosophy of being a simple sports car without gadgetry and unusable horsepower. They should make it a Fiat. And the Miata damn well better not have been ruined in order to cater to Fiat’s whims. I also think that Alfa-Romeo SUVs spit in the face of the marque’s history, but I said the same about Porsche and Cadillac too. I guess you gotta go where the money is.
Penske should slow down and enjoy his remaining years. If he has the spare time to oversee a V8 Supercar team then he should devote it to his job as director of General Motors. They certainly could use someone with a clear head over there.