It appears Alfa Romeo has cut the reborn 8C, GTV sports cars
Both the legendary GTV nameplate and a new 8C were due in 2022, but the outlook looks dim at best.
This one will be left to the shadows, it seems.
No, Alfa Romeo is hardly the most popular luxury brand sold in America, but they sure know how to design lovely looking things. It's why everyone jumped for joy when the Italian marque announced it would resurrect the legendary GTV model and had a high-performance, next-generation 8C sports car in the works.
Well, that has certainly changed a year later. During Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' earnings call, CEO Michael Manley dumped a bucket of cold water on both the GTV and 8C, and didn't shy away from his feelings surrounding Alfa Romeo in general. He noted he hasn't been happy with the brand's performance before stating, "in the near term, the new portfolio for the brand is significantly scaled back" and there's been a reduction in capital spending for Alfa.
Manley hardly outright delivered the next GTV and 8C's death sentences, but an accompanying slide from FCA's third-quarter financial results also left both models off. Just last year, both halo cars were listed as "Specialty" models forthcoming. That category is gone altogether in the updated slideshow.
An Alfa Romeo representative told Roadshow it does not speculate about future product, and when asked about Manley's comments about a reduction in capital spending, the representative added, "Mr. Manley's comments stand on their own."
We hardly knew you, 8C.
Speaking to Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, he underscored the picture Manley painted.
"All of the information I have shows the 8C and GTV have been cancelled," he said. " FCA is tightening the purse strings for the brand as it develops more slowly than originally planned."
This, fans of sports cars and beautiful designs, is a sad day, then. The GTV was to be a four-seater sports coupe with at least 600 horsepower on hand and an electric turbocharger. All-wheel drive and torque vectoring were to help put all of the power to pavement in a tidy fashion.
The 8C, meanwhile, was going to reach for the stars with a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis and a mid-mounted twin-turbo engine. The engine was going to handle powering the rear axle, while electric motors motivated the front axle to create a hybrid sports car with around 700 hp.
Alas, it appears these plans have been scrapped. Instead, we'll have a smaller crossover based on the Tonale concept coming, and eventually, a larger crossover to compliment the Stelvio. The small SUV will feature an electrified powertrain and the larger model will offer a purely electric version. Meanwhile, refreshes to the Giulia and Stelvio are still planned.
