The Toyota GT 86/Subaru BRZ: The RWD coupe Alfa should be building

By now the hype regarding the new RWD bargain exotic co-developed between Toyota and Subaru is all over the internet. In particular, the most recent Chris Harris video (below) makes it clear that this car will really be something special for all those who love RWD sports cars with soul.

Watching Harris powerslide the GT 86 through the corners of Jarama grinning ear to ear, I couldn't help but ask myself why the hell Alfa isn't making a car like this anymore. Sure there is the 8C, but it's a limited edition toy for the few, not a volume fun machine for the many, as the GTV6 and Giulia Sprint/GTV were.  Instead, Alfa is planning the inexplicable mid-engined 4C to be their entry-level sports car. And I just have to ask why they can't just go back to a winning formula of making great-sounding, great handling RWD cars that look sensational, at prices that compete with Infiniti rather than Aston Martin.  As an Alfista, I feel this new Japanese offering is the closest thing to what an Alfa is supposed to be like, but it lacks two crucial components: The sound and the looks.  My quick 15 minute photoshop job up top is not meant as a suggestion of what the car should look like, (it's still pretty ugly) but rather how much I long to see the Alfa Grille on anything approaching an affordable front-engine, RWD sports coupe again. I do hope the production 4C will exceed my expectations, but until then, I will keep dreaming of the day when Alfa finally gets back to the cuore sportivo.

Comments

[syed]

OMG i nearly spit out my coffee when i saw the photo!

i 100% agree...Alfa (and Lancia for that matter) should be building cars like this........Isn't it amazing that once upon a time japanese carmakers copied the americans and europeans endlessly, and now we YEARN for the italians to build more cars like Toyota?

[Mario Carneiro Neto]

Alfa should have made the GT RWD... It would have been such a better car, and it was so pretty....

[F1 Tommy]

Give it time. Alfa will be back with some great Alfa/FIATS, and its still owned by Italians. The FIAT DNA is still a hell of alot better than anything from toyota.How many F1 races did Toyota win again after spending millions?? If you want the real thing buy european. If you want a copy buy Japanese.

Tom Tanner/Ferrari Expo 2012-Chicago March 17th 2012

[syed]

so F1 Tommy....surely you must be celebrating the Chrysler-tastic crap that is currently known as Alfancia. If VW doesn't buy Alfa Romeo; Alfa Romeo will die a slow, painful, bleeding death a few years following the central stab wound which deteriorates Lancia into a sloppy mess of automotive nothingness. Fiat has ruined those 2 marques.

[Automobiliac]

And yet, Tom, the GT 86 is not a copy of anything. It's just a fantastic drivers car (though not a pretty one). If a soul-less company like Toyota can do it, why can't Alfa, which still has more soul than any automaker on earth (in my opinion). And yes Syed, it would be great to Lancia make a performance coupe again that could pick up the mantle of the Delta HF.

[GTV6er]

Every product plan for Alfa I've seen has placed the 4C as a halo car with the spider as a separate model. If they make the 2uettottanta concept a reality I will buy one in an instant. As another fellow Alfisto, I really do hope Alfa gets back into the swing of things.

[Automobiliac]

I doubt the will make the 2uettotanta into a production car, even though I wish they would...

[GTV6er]

Yeah, I know. I hope they make something in the same spirit though. I'm hoping they don't make the new spider a chop-top 4C as the carbon tub would probably price it out of the base coupe niche.

[Mario Carneiro Neto]

Remember when Lancia actually had the idea to do something right?

http://www.carfani.com/wp-content/pictures/2003-Lancia-Fulvia-front-angle.jpg

[F1 Tommy]

I was a little hard on toyota, but I don't like the fact that they fill our streets with boring as hell sheet metal. On Alfa, they are planning a spider that will most likely be based on the 2uettottanta according to recent press releases. I only hope they do some more work on the 4C before it is put in production.

You will have to rethink your opinion on new Alfa's in a few years. They are planning big things for the N.A. market, although I don't like everything they are doing. I am hoping I can get a tour of the factory when they start producing the Giulia at Belvidere in 2014. Also the leak that a new 6C is also being planned for Alfa is another good sign. I know Maserati is also developing a smaller sedan that will use the same 6C engine.

Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2012-Chicago March 17th 2012

[GTV6er]

I love that Maserati and Alfa are being ballsy and making a slew of new models. If/when they succeed I'd love to see Lancia make a resurgance. The C-Evo platform that underpins the Giulietta is compatable with AWD which would make an excellent basis for a new Delta and Delta Integrale. A spider based Fulvia and a 4C based Beta Montecarlo/new stratos. Of course, this is all wishful thinking. I should really hope Alfa succeeds first.

[F1 Tommy]

I would also like to see Lancia back, but that may be begging for to much right now. To be honest FIAT did an even worse job on Lancia than they did on Alfa since they took over.
Atleast the Alfa's still look sporty. I was looking at an old Lancia B20 and B24 from the 1950's and cannot believe how much the V6 alloy engine block looks like the busso Alfa V6 block. Before the takover from FIAT Lancia was a very special company, although even stranger than Alfa in alot of ways. The B20 and B24 were made when Lancia Corsa was in full swing, so the race department sent ideas directly to the production department. To bad they scrapped all the B20 da Corsa's( sort of a Alfa GTA done by Lancia in 1952). The B20 da Corsa did murder the special lightweight Alfa Touring 1900's in almost every race they met at in anger including the Mille Miglia.

Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2012-Chicago March 17th 2012

[Bradley Price]

Lancia was basically castrated both financially and image-wise by FIAT to become a "women's brand" in Italy. Meanwhile their "luxury sedans" were pretty abysmal as well. Lancia reminds me of one those brands like Aston Martin before Ford reviatlized it, languishing in poverty and mismanagement. Lancia has such a rich history and could be so strong, so compelling with the right amount of capital and the right people in charge. It's a travesty, really. But that's a whole other post topic!

[TomSR]

It's indeed a shame that today's Alfa's are nothing like what they should be. Their current line-up of the Mito & Giulietta is nothing near sporty or sexy, both actually look a bit bulky for their size and don't drive that great. They still handle above average, but feel too compromised.

In the meantime others are showing how it could/should be done, with cars such as the Toyota/Subaru twins, BMW's 1-series and off course the MX5. Although not all are pretty cars, they offer driving fun in a reasonably affordable package. Even the Americans seem to be getting the right idea, as they demonstrated with the Chevrolet Code 130R concept...

[Automobiliac]

Oh yes, the 130R was totally what an Alfa Giulia re-issue should be. If only!