BMW and Fiat will be teaming up on a new front-wheel-drive, small car platform that will underpin the next MINI and future Fiats and Alfa Romeos. Now comes word from Automotive News that the partnership will also include the two automakers collaborating on Alfa Romeo's return to the States in 2010 and the introduction of a new model, code-named "project 940."

See this link for more info. This caught me off guard!

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/08/m...os-in-the-u-s/

Guess the "TRIUMPH" come back thru the Mini dealerships is dead.

 

Like our dealers are not already pressed to the limit when it comes to servicing, now they are gonna toss another Marque at them.

This should be interesting.

 

Anything to have the opportunity to drive and buy an Alfa. For anybody who hasn't driven an Alfa it's a truly wonderful experience.

 

TOO COOL!
Italian cars look so good sitting on the driveway
or yard! I might order two, let one sit, use another
for a flower planter! wahoo!

If you missed the sarchasm - they come new, from the
factory, BROKEN, and even with warrenty the dealer
doesn't fix them.

(maybe the business model has changed over the years)
(yeah, right)

What was that?
FIX IT AGAIN TONY!
(And again and again and again)

 

but THE NEW FIAT 500 looks so nice

 

Uhm.... as opposed to British cars?

The current crop of Alfas is a blast to drive, and they are all gorgeous cars. I for one can't wait to have an opportunity to own one in a few years.

 

Had to do something since Oxford is at capacity. Anything built elsewhere just isn't MINI, so why not introduce another small car to try to help cash in on the current influx of customers moving that direction?

I say good on em, the less SUVs on the road, the better.

 

The MG I pulled from behind a house and towed
home with a rope ran better after a week than
did the new FIAT that we had and the new FIAT
our neighbors had.

Lemme check.....
yup, just what I thought.
I pulled up websters and it says
JUNK, syn. FIAT, and has a picture.

Although I'm not argueing with you on the idea
they look good, sound good, drive good, for those
3-5 days a year you can actually DRIVE THEM.

Although maybe I have the wrong expectations.
It could be all me I'll think about it. I get a car, I'm
hoping to drive it. Not just admire it sitting there.
Maybe take my friends for a spin, not just tell them
how good it drives.

HA HA
Man, I could really catch the Rage Virus thinking about FIATs
I'll tell you that!

If you've got to have one of these things maybe you don't have
enough projects already, or you're looking for a 3rd car or something,
don't get it new, just wait a couple of years, you'll be able to
trade a weedeater for one, tow it home with a rope.

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
hAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

 

And the other dude is right - the already jammed packed
mini service department, is now going to be SWAMPED
with angry rage virus infected FIAT owners.

BMW will be cancelling that roadside assistance thing, too.

And forget the already almost zero chance of a loaner.

Then, they're losing so much money on the FIAT services,
they start cutting corners on YOUR SERVICE to make up for it.

I see nothing but disaster looming.

 

HA HA
I just thought of something.

They should add the word project to
every brochure and advertisement and
description.

Like on ebay when you're looking at JUNK at it says project
is what I mean.

Like, in the dealership they have a brochure for the
FIAT 500 or whatever.

But the brochure says
FIAT 500 PROJECT CAR

Maybe this is just more funny here in person.
Or I didn't explain it well.
I'm rolling around hysterically.

WAHOOO


HA HA
Maybe rebadge them with the BMW logo and
call it the P-series.
P IS FOR PROJECT CAR

AHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAH
AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

 

condor, did a FIAT sleep with your wife or something?

 

It sure would seem like it

 

HA HA
Everytime that car broke and the dealer wouldn't fix it
we all took a beat down from my step dad.

I'm kinda having flashbacks......

I've not even raged 1/1000000th of what I really would
like to rage.

Hey I just thought of something funny.

What's the difference between a FIAT and a dead opossum?

YOU DONT HAVE TO HAVE A DEAD OPOSSUM TOWED AWAY

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Why don't we have a middle finger smiley?

What's the difference between a FIAT and a broken weedeater?

YOU DONT HAVE TO HAVE A BROKEN WEEDEATER TOWED AWAY

HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

MAN I SLAY ME!

ps i think i'm having a breakdown..........

 

WOW.

 

Right...

 

Man, I think I had some kinda flashback on those beatdowns.

Like today I don't really care if BMW jams it parking lots full
of project cars.

It's of no consequence to me. By the time my mini breaks
I'll have my honda back to pristine factory condition.

After that by the time I need another car, we won't have cars.

Inconsequential to me.

 

I'm driving an AR 159 right now as a rental for a few days before leaving Italy. Right now I'd say its "OK." Better than driving a Forester, but not better than driving a MINI. Perhaps I'll change my tune when I take it on the Autostrada on TUE.

 

Maybe when you're done ranting and clogging up this thread you can reread the OP: Fiat is not coming to the US via Mini dealers, so calm down.

 

I enjoyed the Alfa Romeo 147 jtdm I rented in Switzerland last year. While it's no MINI, I wouldn't mind having one (turbo diesel, 6spd) to use as a commuter vehicle. I'm not so sure about the long-term reliability, but wow - they're very sexy cars.

 

While I am now very loyal to the MINI, I would be worried about sales being stolen by the other brands.

I don't know about anybody else, but the two other small vehicles that I am really interested in, and could possibly cheat on my MINI with are the Alfa Romeo MiTo, and the Fiat 500...

Seems a bit dangerous to me!

-Chase

 

This is pretty interesting. As far as i understood it, Alfa was/is putting alot of its hope in the Alfa "MiTo" which is supposed to be a direct competitor with the MINI cooper/S. Interesting that BMW will allow them to be sold in the same showroom no less.

This is the car im talking about. Pretty nice looking hatch, if i may say so.

 

Has it been reported anywhere that Alfa would sell any small cars here? My understanding is they would be re-entering the US market as a high end marquee only, selling the 8C and maybe some similar new models. $100k super cars don't really interfere with Mini's.

 

I'm pretty sure that the 8C and other high end vehicles are supposed to be shown at Maserati Dealerships, one in particular mentions in the same breath the development of architectures and components, and the sale of Alfa Romeos in MINI dealerships.

Honestly, do you really think that BMW, let alone Fiat/Alfa Romeo would place 100,000+ vehicles in the same showroom as MINI? Selling a 100,000+ vehicle requires a special finesse and a certain image that is definately not met with a MINI showroom and Sales team, hence the use of Maserati Dealerships for the High-Dollar vehicles.

-Chase

 

So you're suggesting Alfa will sell some cars via Maserati and others via Mini dealers? I'm not buying that. There's no reason to think Alfa's being sold at a Mini dealer would be sold by Mini employees. They are hoping to share Mini's infrastructure, they would most likely expand those Mini dealers to provide additional space.

Different marquees sharing retail space is nothing new.

 

I am not suggesting, I am repeating what has already been decided...

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...zione_car_news

Of course it is not odd to see different marquees sharing retail space, however, you do not see Volkswagen and Porsche sharing showrooms. Heck, even the Mercedes customers around here scoff at Smart's shared showroom.

Frankly, I wouldn't buy the fact that Alfa wouldn't split up its upper tier vehicles and its lower tier vehicles. It is like most MINI/BMW dealers building completely seperate showrooms for each brand. Also, where is the sales staff for alfa supposed to come from initially? It sure as hell won't be shipping over people from Europe to sell the vehicles. It will be depending on the dealerships that opt to carry the Alfa product to send sales staff to where they deem fit. It has been sounding like alfa will utilize several differen't brand's showrooms to launch as much of the line as it possibly can until it gets its own dealer network set up.

Why wouldn't Alfa Be Utilizing the BMW showrooms/infrastructure if they are going to be selling upper-level product?

I guess we will only be able to see what exactly will happen when Alfa finally does come into the market...

-Chase