Carlson H5650 Brake Hardware Kit, Front on 2040-parts.com

Alfa Romeo to launch 8 new cars in next 4 years – Alfa MiTo to be dropped

The Alfa Romeo Gloria (pictured) could point to a new Giulia Alfa Romeo has been stuck in the doldrums for quite a while, and is now in the sorry state of having just two cars on sale – the Alfa MiTo and Alfa Giulietta – both compact cars and both with front wheel drive. Not really Alfas, although they’re better than you might expect. But in a brave plan to turn Alfa Romeo in to a proper force again – a plan we reported was on the cards a year ago – Sergio Marchionne has revealed that Alfa is planning to launch eight new cars in the next four years and concentrate on proper RWD cars with proper driver appeal.

BMW X3 sDrive18d: First RWD X3 launches

BMW has launched the BMW X3 sDrive18d, the first rear wheel drive X3 and the new entry point in to the X3 range. If Land Rover can offer a 2WD Evoque, then there’s no reason why BMW shouldn’t offer a 2WD X3. So we get the BMW X3 sDrive18d as the new entry-level X3 and the first rear wheel drive X3.

New Maserati Ghibli could get 4.0 litre V8 Diesel

The V8 diesel is not exactly the most common engine on offer, but it is an engine Ford makes and is probably best known as the engine of choice in the new Range Rover and the new 2014 Range Rover Sport (finally). We’ve also been championing its credentials as a perfect V8 diesel engine for Jaguar’s XJ, but Jaguar don’t seem to be listening. But it’s not just Land Rover who’ve got a big V8 diesel in an appealing road car, Porsche also has the new Cayenne diesel S complete with a V8 diesel with oodles of torque, the promise of great headline economy when you’re poodling and a 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds.