“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.
Let's make an idea on what we missed, should this outcome be true. The MiTo GTA, as presented at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, was powered by a 1.8l engine, designed to have similar performances to a 3.0l unit: a whooping 240 horsepower output.
The powerplant uses direct injection, dual variable valve timing, turbocharging and advanced electronic management systems and is designed to be part of Alfa DNA, a system that allows the driver to select the mode best suited for the operating parameters of the various vehicle systems.
From the visual standpoint, even if its looks are a matter of interpretation (read "we think its ugly"), the MiTo GTA received the "Auto Europa 2009 Tuner" prize, awarded by l'Unione Italiana Giornalisti dell'Automobile (UIGA) on the first of April.
There's a reason though behind its design. The GTA combines (or combined) an improvement in the CX drag coefficient to increase maximum speed and reduce consumption, a substantial increase in downforce to ensure maximum stability and safety at high speeds and efficient management of airflow at the front end to cool the engine compartment.
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