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New RWD Alfa Romeo Spider Based on Next-Gen Mazda MX-5

Great news! Mazda and Fiat have officially signed a deal for the development and manufacturing of a new Alfa Romeo roaster, which will be based on the rear-wheel drive platform of the future Mazda MX-5. Yes, you heard right, the Japanese and Italians are teaming up to create light-weight front-engined rear-wheel drive sports cars - they just need to know who will do the styling and who will take care of the mechanicals.
Alfa Romeo Spider 1993 1 photo
Photo: trialx.com
This is awesome news for Alfa Romeo fans who have been waiting for a rear-wheel drive car for ages, but to no avail. The deal implies that Mazda and Fiat will develop very light and handling-focused sports cars, based on the same mechanical layout, but with different engines and different, brand-specific styling. The Italian car may get a variation of the 1.8-liter TBi engine used on the now-defunct 159.

Of the two, the new MX-5 will come first, in 2013, being followed by the Alfa in 2014-2015. According to Fiat’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, “This agreement clearly demonstrates our commitment to Alfa Romeo and the determination to grow it into a truly global brand. By partnering with Mazda, we will be co-operating with the recognized leader in compact rear-drive vehicle architectures in order to deliver an exciting and stylish roadster in the Alfa Romeo tradition”, with Mazda CEO adding “Establishing technology and product development alliances is one of Mazda’s corporate objectives and this announcement with Fiat is an important first step in that direction.”

This is honestly the single-most exciting piece of automotive news we’ve heard in a while, especially regarding Alfa Romeo, who have been awfully quiet lately. We hope the deal is finalized and we’ll have a (possibly 2uettottanta inspired) Alfa Romeo Roadster in a few years time - the wait had better be worth it, as all Alfa fans have been waiting for a drop-top RWD car since the demise of the old Spider, in 1993. We also think that the next MX-5 could benefit from the Fiat/Alfa Partnership, in the styling department, as the Mazda has (honestly) never been much of a looker.
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