Why new Alfa direction is debacle (Veritum dies aperit)

[Volken]

We use to look in the rear mirror to spot German boys family member.

Is this A3,A4,A6,A8?

Ah, it is smaller must be A3, no, look at the body size, it is A8, but could be A6?

Is this 3,5,7?

Well, 7 is most questionable design Bangle made for Bmw, but, at least it looks different from 3 and 5.

Or is it? , I wonder when new 3 updates visage with exact 5/7 look?

Mercedes?

Is this C or S?

This things make usual display of observing German boys, but, now sadly, also Alfa joins that group.

Alfa never since 80's and what we might called modern production made habit of all model look the same. 156 is success from any angle. Brought stability for what might otherwise be a dangerous demise of Alfa. Then 147 came, superb retro union of old and fresh new design of 6C 2500 Villa d' Este (1949.)

165 came and although many spoke of unsettling nature of somewhat small lights, I challenge them from design aspects otherwise. Large design of large cars should never compromise visual simplicity with over dimension of added expressive parts.

So from point of design innovation, this time Alfa Romeo was rare bread to have every model of completely different shape, yet every one with delicate presence that continued in best of Italian tradition, communicating emotion of passion. That is a rare quality among German brand and many others for that matter.

So what Alfa does (Thank you GM again), It chooses sterile direction with no boldness, wanting every model to look exactly the same.

So now we have 3 models in gamma each larger version of 147.

I've looked without prejudice both new GTV,156 and 166.

Something is very bad here.

If you have chance to observe in more detailed manner, please observe from the very profile of the face.

If you look closely from profile you will see that this added 147 to nose of 156/166/GTV looks as perforation hole, like an empty hole !

If combined with aberration of more light, metal parts are invisible and it looks literary like hole, as if you have sliced the very nose of this car.

Pity about this fast GM-money-making decisions. Alfa is the last company I ever expected to path this road of common trickery

Many will think otherwise, but from point of design it is very sad display indeed.

And what about new GT?

What really is this GT?

Nothing that same 156 coupe wouldn't offer with more complete visual presence.

Entire body really is 156 with pronounced end that looks like a canister without one credible Italian line,GM turbo look!

Veritum dies aperit.

[993cc Man]

I can't say I agree with you in all points but I will 100% agree with this: the Gt Coupe is not a beautiful car like everyone says. It seems everyone has fallen in love with this car! I don't get it. I think people especially today that we see alot of weird cars being presented (Bangle, Detroit prototypes, SUVs MAVs etc etc) WANT to see a traditionally beautiful 2-door Alfa Romeo. But I don't see how this GT is it! As you say the back end is the exact opposite of what a sportcoupe should look like (look at the back of a GTV to see how it's done correctly). From the side the part behind the door is just like a previous generation Hyundai Coupe (even THEY learned their lesson and the new one is correct - even if they had to copy the Ferrari 456 to succeed..). There's just too much space between the upper part of the wheel arch and the bottom edge of the back window. The best part is the front which is just like any other 156. I never seen before a company managing to produce a sports coupe derived from a saloon and make it look worse - cause the 156 is almost a perfect design (except the latest facelift).

Now... if you want to look at a genuinely beautiful Alfa traditional design look at the 8C Competizione. Now that looks trully stunning! I hope they don't change anything for production cause it's just perfect.

[Volken]

Originally Posted by 993cc Man

I will 100% agree with this: the Gt Coupe is not a beautiful car like everyone says.Now... if you want to look at a genuinely beautiful Alfa traditional design look at the 8C Competizione. Now that looks trully stunning! I hope they don't change anything for production cause it's just perfect.

Centauro,Fioravanti Vola, Nuvola, Progetto Cinque , Proteo, Scighera, Dardo, Corsa, Eva, Xapher, Giugiaro Brera just to name a few from 90's.

I wont even go to 80's or earlier times.

Alfa has tradition almost like of Atari company had for future announcements that never came to production, and only entertained general public as image products.

8C Competizione indeed is made of landmark presence.

Simply beautiful, simple but ravishing design that is unbelievably respectful to heritage while perfectly fit in present times, deserves nothing but admiration.

I have seen at German show on small paper remark that this might go into production,but this is not first time Alfa made announce of supercar in its program that was production ready, yet those cars remained as one piece only.

Latest 2.0 JTD is prime candidate for ultra clean engines to come from Alfa and they can't afford this not to be equally clean (Euro IV) engine in 8C Competizione as well.

But whatever they claim, we have to see the real production announce date.

You have to understand how market operates.

It is not just like that to make new model, making is easy.

Marketing the same is hard.

They have to make market for this car, Alfa for decades didn't have this caliber of offer in its program.

This is always risky for new model. Production estimations must cover sale results otherwise they are losing money. Other thing, this car would obviously sale better in US, I think if they make it, it will be more oriented for US market, because Alfa with Saab's help plans to enter back in US, but it is not certain when because of many dangerous factors.

As for GT Coupe

De Silva prior of his departure from Alfa left full made design of 156 coupe.

But too many new people came at design desk (sadly for present results) and little by little 156 coupe thanks to GM desire for more aggressive now looks as GT coupe.

De Silva left extraordinary design of 156, but without him they are and will little by little destroy that design if they continue in this direction.

If you look in my previous history of posts reflecting 156 you will see pictures of proposed new generation of 156 and it is very scary because it looks very similar with this GT Coupe.

[redmarquis]

man are you gonna flip when you see the new Brera/Spider/159 corporate face on every alfa romeo from here on out

[Volken]

Originally Posted by redmarquis

man are you gonna flip when you see the new Brera/Spider/159 corporate face on every alfa romeo from here on out

Sadly I have.

My friend drives 159 and I see them everyday on the road. More affordable then German boys. Besides, many 156 owners felt update to 159 is necessary.

Makes me sad, that with all this technical possibilities I was never more disappointed with direction of car design. Everywhere I look…the same aggressive faces. Ego, vanity, "buy me, buy me, be different, be special" , some sort of foreplay to buyers. For me, they all look generic and boring.

Do you know that most of the poison snakes have almost closed eyes compared to ones that are not?

No, serious. Look at the present car front faces, and you will see the exact look. Snake look.

Give me classic lines, give me proper design that is communicating passion and not raw primitive demonstration of power.

Could anyone here tell me that this isn't more elegant, more profound then any 159?





This goes for every other maker as well. New face of Audi makes me sick, and Saab, the last place I excepted disappointment… also found new aggressive trendy direction of the new face look.

How do we even pronounce this direction? Cubic, vector or simply Bangle influenza?

Interior of 159 is special story. That steering wheel is probably made by truck driver (no offense to truck drivers) the mask looks so cold, prosaic… design that is not sure what it wants to be? Technical or Italian. I think I should stop here, because it makes me so sad.