R2c Cold Air Intake System Infiniti M45 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.

Weird Chevrolet pickup roadster hot rod probably inspired the SSR

Here's a thought: If you've ever wanted to be buried in what you're driving, it's a boon if your car is already shaped like a coffin. Behold this "cute little roadster," which resembles the unholy union of a Ford T-Bucket and a mechanical pencil lead dispenser and probably will make its way into a Jimmy Buffet video. (Click here if the ad goes down or if one of the Autoweek editors snaps it up first.) A 1972 Chevrolet pickup truck is scattered in there, somewhere after the bowtie-shaped everything.

Mercedes A45 AMG (2013) first pictures of new hot hatch

This is the Mercedes A45 AMG: the first time Merc’s in-house tuning arm has tried its hand at building a hot hatch. Packing 355bhp, all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch paddleshift transmission, the A45 AMG will outpace a Porsche 911, but cost less than £40,000. It’s on UK sale from July 2013, but if you can’t wait that long, Merc’s baby barnstormer is appearing at the Geneva motor show from 5 March 2013.