Alfa MiTo GTA Might Be Launched After All

Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA is one of the hottest news topics these days as everybody is curious to find out whether this high-performance version of the MiTo will indeed enter production or remain in history as a concept that never hit the streets. Well, recent media reports said the GTA has been canned so there's no chance to see it in production, with sources close to the matter citing the current difficult economic environment as the main reason.

“The MiTo GTA has been put on hold. It’s hard to justify building such as high performance car at this present time as the financial crisis means that its not economically viable. And, sadly, it may never be,” a spokesman for Alfa Romeo was quoted as saying by imotormag.com.

Well, it appears that the GTA might after all enter production and Alfa Romeo only wants to delay it for an unspecified period of time. But autocar.co.uk writes that the Italian manufacturer hasn't made any decision on the car's future.

“There are question marks about the project but there is an unashamed keenness to get the green light," an Alfa Romeo spokesman was quoted as saying by the aforementioned source.

The MiTo GTA was initially projected to enter production this summer and compete against MINI John Cooper Works. The concept was powered by a 1.8-liter turbocharged engine featuring direct injection and variable valve timing that would generate around 240 bhp. The powertrain has been developed to interact with the Alfa D.N.A. system which allows the driver to choose the most suitable driving mode and thereby modify the operating parameters of the various vehicle systems.