Alfa Romeo is Satisfaction Guaranteed

27/05/2011

Alfa Romeo’s sustained UK sales success is now being reflected in the latest results from the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS), which places the Italian car manufacturer among the industry top 10.

Alfa Romeo, which did not appear in the top 27 recorded manufacturer places in the 2010 report due to a small sample size, has steadily been working its way up the rankings to finish in joint tenth position (along with Toyota and Volkswagen) for the Overall Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Index, scoring 805 out of a maximum 1000 points, ahead of the industry average which sits at 794.

The J.D. Power report comprises four factors, and it was in the Vehicle Appeal Index category which carries the largest weight (37%) that Alfa Romeo recorded an outstanding seventh position, gathering 824 index points, five ahead of eighth placed Honda and one point behind sixth placed Audi. Lexus topped the chart with 857 points.

Alfa Romeo’s improvement in its customer satisfaction scores is a clear indicator that the latest additions to the range are proving successful with customers – from the stylish and sporty compact Alfa MiTo, with sales of over 12,000 cars since launch in early 2009, to the five door Alfa Giulietta hatchback with its class leading Euro NCAP safety credentials, award winning engine technology, coupe looks with five door practicality, and an unrivalled driver experience.

Head of Brand for Alfa Romeo UK, Damien Dally, says:

 “This is fantastic news for both Alfa Romeo and our dealer partners as we enter our second century. To be placed tenth in overall customer satisfaction performance is a great achievement and clearly demonstrates the improvements in customer service, ownership appeal and quality that are being made at Alfa Romeo.

“We are encouraged by these results and will strive to continue improving all areas of the customer experience journey.”

Alfa Romeo 4C Concept

02/03/2011

Performance, Italian style and technical excellence aimed at maximum driving pleasure in total safety: this is the essence of the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept.

These values are evident in the brand-new model, world-premiered at the Geneva Motor Show, which is set to reinforce Alfa Romeo's global growth plan.

The car is a classic mid-engined rear-wheel drive coupé with two bucket seats, a length of approximately 4 metres and a wheelbase of less than 2.4 metres: dimensions that emphasise the car's compact attributes while also accentuating its agility.

The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept incorporates technologies derived from current Alfa Romeo models: a 200 HP 1750 turbo petrol engine with direct injection, "Alfa TCT" twin dry clutch transmission and Alfa D.N.A. for dynamic control of the car.

The new concept car shares with the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and 8C Spider its rear-wheel drive and its design philosophy of combining maximum driving pleasure with Alfa Romeo’s legendary road holding.

The 4C Concept pursues this goal by weight containment achieved through the extensive use of carbon fibre, which also performs a structural function to guarantee exceptional agility and a weight/power ratio better than 4 kg/HP.

The chassis supports a body constructed completely from carbon fibre, inside which there is space for the driver and passenger, while the rear frame structure and the crash boxes use aluminium extensively. The final result is an impressive reduction in weight to less than 850 kg, as well as an optimised centre of gravity, giving the added advantage of increased agility and better handling on the most challenging roads.

The 4C Concept reflects the Brand's sporting traditions with a design that returns to Alfa’s origins, when agility and weight/power ratio were the keys to a successful racing car, and combines these glorious traditions with practical Alfa Romeo technology for every day driving.

The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept is unashamedly Alfa to the core, a supercar that delivers unique driving sensations on fast country roads, and even more so on the track, where speed and cornering ability really count.

MiTo MY 2011

29/03/2011

New exterior colours and brand-new interior fabrics. All the engines are Euro 5 compliant and with Start&Stop as standard. New options and innovative technology for maximum comfort and driving satisfaction. These, in brief, are the new features of the Alfa Romeo MiTo 2011 range.

In detail, the new range now offers two turbodiesels (95 HP 1.3 JTDM-2 and 120 HP 1.6 JTDM) and four petrol engines: 78 HP 1.4, 1.4 MultiAir  in three power levels - 105 HP aspirated, 135 HP Turbo petrol coupled with manual gearbox or Alfa TCT gearbox, and 170 HP Turbo petrol. The car comes in a choice of four equipment versions (Progression, Distinctive, Super and Quadrifoglio Verde). An exclusive Sport Pack is also available on Distinctive versions.

In this way everyone can find the best MiTo for their tastes and needs. The options also include: three different seat trims plus upholstery in top-quality “Pelle Frau” in three different colours; three interior environment colours with a “Sprint” dashboard on the Progression; and two interior environment colours with a “Competizione” dashboard on the Distinctive. Seven different alloy wheels are also available (16”, 17’’ and 18”), as well as 11 different body shades that reflect every facet of the new Alfa Romeo's sporty nature. These are combined with a multitude of tail-light and headlight frame colours and finishes: chrome plated, satin, glossy or matte, in titanium grey or body coloured.

To emphasise the model’s innate elegance, the 2011 range is introducing the new "metal bronze" metal-flake colour (aluminium and mica together) and a two-tone interior produced with brand new material for the dashboard insert and door panels. A new high-tech fabric has been added for the seats, consisting of a smooth, compact mesh that is as fine and glossy as silk.

In short, the Alfa Romeo MiTo MY 2011 has a revamped high-tech image while retaining its position as a sporty compact car capable of winning over customers who care for details and maximum driving comfort.

It is no coincidence that the versions in the 2011 range that are powered by high-performance engines (135 HP and 170 HP 1.4 Multiair Turbopetrol and 120 HP 1.6 JTDM-2) feature brand new variable response shock absorbers with by-pass valves to improve comfort over rough road surfaces without compromising the car’s dynamic control and driving satisfaction – unrivalled by any other car in the class.

In the field of infotainment, the MiTo MY 2011 also offers a new USB and AUX-in socket allowing you to connect your MP3 player directly to the Blue&Me system. As an option, customers can also order a “Blue&Me-TomTom” portable navigation device fully integrated in the dashboard. This incorporates “IQ route” technology, to find the best route on the basis of the date and time of travel, calculated through a database that contains traffic information on a statistical basis. Thanks to the TomTom Home web application customised for Alfa Romeo, further features will also become available. These include the on-line updating of maps and "MapShare”, the large internet community with over 5 million registered users sharing information on maps in real time.

Alfa Romeo's UKA Athletes Complete Tae-Kwon-Do Masterclass

24/08/2011

Alfa Romeo, official car supplier to UK Athletics (UKA), gave three of their top athletes an introduction to Tae-Kwon-Do, the national sport of South Korea, before they headed off to the World Championships in Daegu (27 August – 04 September).

Alfa Romeo ambassadors Andy Turner (110m hurdles), Chris Tomlinson (Long Jump) and Tom Parsons (High Jump) took part in the masterclass that was led by Team GB’s Tae-Kwon-Do World Champion Sarah Stevenson and National Champion, Andy Deer.

European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion Andy Turner said: “It was fun. I used to go to Tae-Kwon-Do classes when I was about six years old and it was great to have another go with the professionals. It was a shame I couldn’t get involved fully but the World Championships are my priority. I’m looking forward to the competition and hope to take care of business in South Korea.”

UK long jump record holder Chris Tomlinson commented: “It was a fantastic experience and I really got into the Tae-Kwon-Do masterclass. UK Athletics and GB Tae-Kwon-Do will both become part of Team GB next year so it’s great to spend time with some of our country’s leading athletes from other sports before 2012.

I’m in good form at the moment and I’m looking forward to the World Championships.” Sarah Stevenson, who became Tae-Kwon-Do World Champion in South Korea earlier this year, said: “I really enjoyed the day; it was fun to pass on my experience to elite athletes from another sport. I was also able to give them some advice about the food in Korea; it’s great and very healthy but not to everyone’s taste, so they need to make sure that they take some treats with them from home. I wish them good luck in Daegu and will be looking out to see how they get on.”

Damien Dally, Head of Brand, Alfa Romeo UK said: “Alfa Romeo has a long successful sporting heritage and we’re proud to be the official car supplier to UK Athletics. Along with the Alfa Cloverleaf gifts we’ve given the guys – which have helped bring success to high performance Alfas of the past – we’d like to wish all the athletes the best of luck at the World Championships, and hopefully the Tae-Kwon-Do masterclass has given them a little taster of South Korea before they head off there later this month.”

Alfa Romeo's UKA Athletes raise money for Heart Research UK

30/08/2011

Alfa Romeo, official car supplier to UK Athletics (UKA), has joined forces with four top athletes and leading portrait photographer, Fergus Greer, to raise money and awareness for Heart Research UK.

Ahead of the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace this weekend (5-6 August) Alfa Romeo ambassadors Kelly Sotherton (400m), Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (100m), Lisa Dobriskey (1500m) and Iwan Thomas MBE (former European and Commonwealth 400m champion) stepped off the track and into the studio alongside an Alfa MiTo Sprint.

The plan was to help create an exclusive series of power and beauty themed photographs entitled ‘Without heart we would be mere machines’ - Alfa Romeo’s brand strap line. In a number of the images the athletes are pictured with the new Alfa MiTo Sprint – a name that both encapsulates Alfa Romeo’s continued support of UK Athletics, and also an iconic name that has been given to sporting Alfas of the past. Along with sporty credentials and supercar looks, the Alfa MiTo Sprint is filled with technology; featuring Alfa Romeo’s unique D.N.A vehicle dynamic control system and Windows Blue&Me Bluetooth hands-free system.

In addition the Alfa MiTo also has the maximum crash safety Euro NCAP rating of five stars, and features award winning engine technology. To celebrate the climax of both the domestic and international athletics season, Alfa Romeo will donate £100 to Heart Research UK for every new red Alfa MiTo sold in the month of August.

Former Olympic Heptathlon bronze medallist and current 400m runner Kelly Sotherton said: “When the opportunity came up to help raise funds for Heart Research UK with Alfa Romeo I didn’t hesitate to get involved. I was obviously a little nervous about being naked, but I’m proud of the pictures and they’ll be something I will be able to show the grandkids one day’

100m sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey said: “I’ve actually been in a few photo shoots before, but nothing to this degree. This is the most revealing I’ve been for a shoot and it really was exciting to do. I hope the photos help raise awareness of Heart Research UK and raise some serious money.”

Damien Dally, Head of Brand, Alfa Romeo UK said: “Alfa Romeo is a passionate brand that has ruled people’s hearts for over a century, as our strap line suggests, so it made perfect sense to support such a worthwhile cause as Heart Research UK. As the photography shows, the athletes’ bodies have become ‘designed’ for high performance sports, through extensive training and discipline. It’s through similar methods such as our sporting heritage and dedication to design that the Alfa MiTo shares traits that can be comparable. We’d also like to wish the athletes good luck for the World Championships in August, and for the Big One next year.”

Barbara Harpham, National Director, Heart Research UK said: “We’re delighted to be working with Alfa Romeo which has shown a whole lot of heart in developing this eye-catching campaign. Heart Research UK helps keep hearts healthy and what better examples are there than our outstanding, talented British athletes? They’re very brave to bare all and I’m sure they’ll get hearts racing. They and Alfa Romeo are certain to do us proud and help people live healthier, happier, longer lives.”

Well renowned photographer Fergus Greer has captured a variety of personalities including David Bowie, Bill Gates, David Cameron and Princes William and Harry during his career, featuring twice at the National Portrait Gallery.

Renowned artist paints the perfect picture with Alfa Romeo

15/07/2011

An exclusive work of art commissioned by Alfa Romeo has been unveiled to celebrate the launch of the new eco-friendly Alfa MiTo 1.3 JTDM-2 85 bhp Sprint in a partnership between the Italian marque and Castle Galleries.

Renowned artist Louise Dear was approached for the bespoke piece due to her typically young and exciting style, which combine classic beauty with unique design; characteristics shared with Alfa Romeo’s sporty compact MiTo model.

Using a complex method of layered paint onto aluminium, Louise modelled the flamboyant art, entitled ‘Because I Can’, on her 17 year old daughter and introduced unmistakable influences from the Alfa MiTo into the work. The inspiration behind the art derives from Alfa Romeo’s new congestion charge free Alfa MiTo, which has only 95g/km of CO2 emissions, and is interpreted in the subject through a vibrant floral backdrop and mix of bold colours.

The painting also incorporates elements of the iconic Alfa Romeo logo, and legendary Cloverleaf symbol which is synonymous with the brand. Louise said: “I really wanted to capture Alfa Romeo's heritage and elegance within my creation, while bringing out the stylish and fashionable aspects of the Alfa MiTo. “The Alfa MiTo is targeted at a young, stylish audience who have a positive attitude to life, and are focussed on being successful, and within my painting I have tried to bring this across using a combination of designs that convey powerful imagery mixed with elegance and beauty.”

The artwork was revealed in an exclusive evening at Artica Galleries, Covent Garden (part of the Castle Galleries group) on July 14, attended by a host of VIPs and will now tour galleries across the UK.

Brand Communications Manager for Alfa Romeo UK, Naz Jamil, said: “Within this project we worked closely with Castle Galleries and Louise Dear to create a work of art which brings out the key message behind the congestion charge friendly Alfa MiTo. The floral based design and vibrant colour selection conveys the car’s fun and even greener credentials, whilst fully incorporating the young and stylish image of the Alfa MiTo.”

The Giulietta Cloverleaf enters the MPG Marathon

19/10/2011

Looking at the next issue of Alfa Magazine, which will be published later this month, it would be easy to think we spend all our time driving on breathtaking mountain passes or some of the UK’s greatest racetracks. But last week we went to an event with a somewhat more sedate pace, the ALD Automotive/Shell FuelSave MPG Marathon. Now in its 11th year, the annual two-day event attracts a number of manufacturers, a variety of cars – everything from 1-litre superminis to hybrids and V8 super saloons – and keen eco drivers all aiming to smash the official combined fuel consumption figures and prove that by thinking about the way you drive, it’s not that hard to save some serious money at the fuel pumps. Cars contested two categories: overall fuel consumption and highest percentage improvement.

The Alfa Romeo UK two-man team consisted of Alfa Magazine staff writer, Peter Adams, and Alfa Romeo UK product manager, Oliver Lowe, and their chosen car was the new Alfa Giulietta 1750 TBi Cloverleaf. With 235bhp on tap, they weren’t going to challenge for overall honours but with an official average of 37.2mpg, there was every chance the boys could beat this and shoot to the top of the percentage improvement class.

So what’s the trick to hyper-miling? Well, over to you, Peter: ‘As soon as we arrived at the hotel at the start of the event, we knew it was a serious affair. Drivers were talking about pushing their cars in and out of parking spaces and slowing down to 45mph on the motorway – one team even boasted that they were going to turn off the engine every time they went downhill. The scrutineering was tight too: each car was examined to make sure it had original (or same-spec) parts, and the refuelling was carried out by a heavily marshalled AA fuel truck and the filler cap sealed to prevent any surreptitious en-route detours. Each car was also fitted with a TomTom tracking device to log everything from top speed and driving time, to route misdemeanors such as shortcuts and heavy acceleration.

‘Although our tactics weren’t quite so extreme, we tried really hard to be as efficient as possible. We concentrated on shifting into as high a gear as possible as soon as possible, ignoring the radio, turning off the climate control (and the fan), keeping the windows closed and maintaining speed through roundabouts and corners.’

By the end, the Alfa Romeo UK team posted an average of 44.82mpg, which is a commendable 20.48 per cent (or 7.62mpg) improvement. The class winners were Andrew Duerden and Chris Mooney in their Vauxhall VXR8 who finished with an average of 32.14mpg, which was a 53 per cent improvement over the manufacturer’s official figure of 21.0mpg. The overall winners were Mick Linford and his co-driver Ella Flynn, who recorded an average of 99.24mpg in their Smart ForTwo CDI.

FS2012 and Alfa Romeo launch a second helping of the Young Designer Award

18/10/2011

Following the success of last year’s competition Alfa Romeo and the St Andrews Charity Fashion Show 2012 (FS2012) have announced that applications are now open for designers to enter the Alfa Romeo Young Designer Award.

Now in its second year, the Award serves as a platform for young designers to showcase their talent, as well as an opportunity to see their creations on the catwalk of Britain’s largest student-run fashion show, FS2012.

Last year’s Award saw five finalists design a collection of clothes that featured on the catwalk alongside designing houses such as Nicole Farhi. A winner was picked after a vigorous judging process by an expert panel that included PPQ’s Amy Molyneux and Britain’s Next Top Model winner, Alex Evans.

This year’s Award will follow a similar trajectory, with the Award’s winner receiving £1000 prize money, as well as the opportunity to design a line for FS 2012’s chosen charity, The Muir Maxwell Trust.

Naz Jamil, Brand Communications Manager at Alfa Romeo UK said: “Alfa Romeo is a brand synonymous with style and design, making it a perfect partnership to work with the St Andrews Charity Fashion Show once again. We are looking for a designer who is able to perfectly encompass our historic brand, while also being innovative and forward thinking, something we constantly strive to achieve.”

Lowest CO2 emitting c-segment petrol engine car joins Alfa Romeo range

17/10/2011

Offering improved performance, efficiency and lower fuel consumption, the innovative twin dry clutch semi-automatic transmission ALFA TCT is now available to order on the five-door Alfa Giulietta hatchback.

Equipped with the next-generation ALFA TCT semi-automatic transmission and optional shift paddles behind the steering wheel, the latest Alfa Giulietta offers a benchmark in its class in terms of performance, fuel consumption and emissions. Available with either the 1.4 TB MultiAir 170 bhp petrol (International Engine of Year Award ‘Best New Engine 2010’) or the 2.0 JTDM-2 170 bhp diesel engine, the ALFA TCT range increases the Giulietta’s appeal in both the fleet and consumer sectors.

The sporty credentials of the 1.4 TB MultiAir 170 bhp Giulietta with ALFA TCT transmission result in a car capable of a top speed of 135 mph and 0 to 62 mph time of 7.7 seconds. Even with this excellent performance, the fuel consumption and emissions are extraordinary low; 54.3 mpg over a combined cycle and 121 g/km of CO2 – values that make the Giulietta lowest CO2 emitting car of any petrol engine in the C segment* – and with a BIK rate of only 15%.

The values recorded in combination with the 2.0 JTDM-2 170 HP diesel engine are also outstanding: in fact, compared to the same version with manual gearbox, acceleration from 0 to 62 mph drops from 8.0 seconds to 7.9 seconds, fuel consumption (combined cycle) decreases from 60.1 mpg to 62.8 mpg, while CO2 emissions are just 119 g/km (124 g/km with manual gearbox), resulting in a BIK rate of just 13%.

In terms of all-round consumer appeal, the Alfa Giulietta offers drivers the complete package; class-leading five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, competitive finance offers, three years unlimited mileage manufacturer warranty, three years AA cover and up to five years or 50,000 miles complimentary servicing. This focused consumer offering has helped the marque finish in the Top Ten of the independently conducted J.D. Power and Associates 2011 UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS), and seen Alfa Romeo UK record the industry’s largest year-to-date market share increase of 55.26% in September.

Available to order now at Alfa Romeo dealerships – alongside the sporty compact Alfa MiTo 1.4 TB MultiAir 135 bhp ALFA TCT which was launched earlier this year – the Alfa Giulietta 1.4 TB MultiAir 170 bhp ALFA TCT and the 2.0 JTDM-2170 bhp ALFA TCT are available in Lusso and Veloce trim levels, with prices starting from £21,855 OTR.

About ALFA TCT transmission

The operation of the ALFA TCT transmission is distinguished by maximum interaction with the vehicle's systems. To achieve the best performance on the road depending on driving conditions and on the driver's requests, the semi-automatic transmission interacts with the braking, engine control, Alfa D.N.A. vehicle dynamic control switch, Start&Stop, steering and vehicle stability control systems.

Thanks to the speed with which the parameters are processed, the transmission can modify the speed of gear shift, manage the torque delivery on low grip roads, and it can operate completely automatically or as a manual sequential gearbox, manually managing the up and down positions of the gear lever with precise and ergonomic movements, which can be combined with optional shift paddles behind the steering wheel.

Developed by FPT - Fiat Powertrain Technologies, in conceptual terms the new ALFA TCT transmission consists of two gearboxes in parallel, each with its own clutch, which allows the selection and engagement of the subsequent gear while the previous one is still engaged. The gear is therefore changed with a simple gradual switch of the corresponding clutches, guaranteeing continuous torque delivery and therefore traction.

The result is a driving comfort and sporty feeling far superior to those offered by conventional automatic transmissions (with torque converter), as proven by greater speed of gear shift, the possibility of selecting between manual or automatic mode, and a near-zero power loss during the gear change. In addition, the purchasing, servicing and running costs are low, while fuel consumption is reduced, thanks also to the implementation of the Start&Stop system, by up to 10% compared with a traditional automatic hydraulic transmission with torque converter.

Other notable features of the new ALFA TCT are its flexibility of application, thanks to the compact size of its components, and the fact that it is a dry twin clutch (the type of clutch that guarantees the highest degree of efficiency in terms of fuel consumption among all automatic transmissions).

If we compare dry clutches with oil bath (wet) clutches, we can safely say that the former dissipate energy only during the actual slipping phase of the gear change and on pick-up, whereas wet clutches, which always operate in an oil bath, introduce losses due to viscous friction such as those of conventional automatic transmissions, even when they are not in operation. They also require forced cooling with oil, and therefore continuous energy expenditure to drive the dedicated oil pump (absent in the case of dry clutches).

A ‘wet’ automatic transmission also requires approximately 4.8 litres more gearbox oil than the dry version, again for reasons of clutch cooling (in this way, weight is added and losses due to splashing increase). When all these effects are added together, a dry transmission is found to be approximately 6% more efficient than the corresponding wet one in terms of consumption.

Aquabatics Challenge: Bursting onto the scene

02/12/2011

During the last 101 years, Alfa Romeo has been at the forefront of automotive style, innovation and performance. It was with these key values in mind that the marque created its biggest and most adventurous social media campaign to date – The MiTo Aquabatic Challenge – which saw the latest hot hatch Alfa MiTo become a world record holder.

To celebrate the launch of the new Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde - a 170 bhp MultiAir engined, ultra-sporty hatchback, fitted with carbon fibre backed Alcantara® Sabelt® bucket seats - Alfa Romeo constructed its iconic serpent and cross logo using over 2500 balloons for a unique social media competition.

In a test of the car’s handling, and the skill of its professional stunt driver - Terry Grant, the range-topping model smashed spectacularly through the iconic badge to set a brand new world record for the most amount of water balloons burst by a car.

The feat, which now stands at 2,738 balloons, is also the 20th record held by seasoned record breaker and Alfa Romeo driver Terry Grant.

Captured using the latest pre-production Red Epic slow-mo camera, the stunt can be viewed in all its glory at www.youtube.com/alfaromeouk as the final instalment in the Aquabatic Challenge digital campaign.

Fans of Alfa Romeo UK Facebook page were invited to take control of one of the grid positions, in the hope that one of the four surviving balloons would end up in their possession and they would win an exclusive track day at Goodwood Motor Circuit.

Damien Dally, Head of Brand, Alfa Romeo UK says: “Engaging with our diverse fan base and bringing in a new generation of Alfisti through interactive campaigns like this is a key ingredient to our continued growth.

“Above all, we’ve been able to creatively demonstrate the nimbleness and performance ability of the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde…and, have great fun doing so.”

The Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde is the latest and most sporty model to join the Alfa MiTo range, topping the selection on offer with its Alfa pedigree which guarantees speed, agility and power; all for £18,755 OTR.

To ‘like’ Alfa Romeo on Facebook visit www.facebook.com/alfaromeouk.

Previous post: 01/12/2011

Aquabatics Challenge – Are you a winner?

After four exciting weeks of the Aquabatics competition the winners have been announced.

Four lucky Alfa Romeo fans have won the prize of a lifetime:  an Alfa Romeo driving experience at Goodwood, home of the famous Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival race meeting.

Are you a winner? Find out on Facebook now!

Previous post: 17/11/2011

Aquabatics Challenge

For the filming of our Aquabatics competition video we used the new Red Epic camera, which shoots at an amazing 300 frames a second and allowed us to capture some beautiful slow motion shots. Watch the video for a little taster. Head over to the Aquabatics tab on the Alfa Romeo UK Facebook page and enter our competition. You might win an Alfa Romeo track day!

 Previous post: 28/10/2011

Aquabatics Challenge

Alfa Romeo is preparing not only to break records with its new campaign for the range topping MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde but burst them, as it takes take the ultra-sporty hatchback to the track.

Using professional stunt driver Terry Grant, Alfa Romeo will construct its iconic brand logo with thousands of balloons and then mercilessly destroy them by using the power and precision of the 170 bhp MiTo, leaving just four lonely balloons at the end.

Combining with a Facebook campaign, the four entrants who are allocated the correct grid location of one of the four surviving balloons will win an unforgettable and exclusive Alfa Romeo track day at the famous Goodwood Motor Circuit.

 The stunt will also be put forward for a Guinness World Record, as never before have so many balloons been burst by one car alone. Alfa’s driver, Terry Grant, who has 19 world records to his name, has been entrusted to ensure the balloons stand no chance.

As November fast approaches for the big reveal of this exceptional video and campaign, get over to Alfa Romeo’s Facebook page now to join in the competition, get your grid reference and see if your balloon can withstand the might of the Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde.

Visit the Alfa Romeo UK Facebook page and you will find a brand new tab called Aquabatics. Only the first 2500 people to register will be entered in to the competition, so make sure you don’t miss out.

Alfa Romeo: The Official UK Magazine - Autumn 2011 iPad app now available

28/11/2011

The latest edition of the Alfa Romeo UK magazine is packed full of new stories, stunning photography, exclusive and original movies, and animated content. You’ll also discover an exciting section called ‘Database’, featuring technical data, standard equipment, wheel options, picture galleries and paint colours for each model in the Alfa Romeo range.

In this issue, you’ll find:

• Driving Britain’s steepest road in the new Alfa MiTo
• Latest news on the car of the moment – the incredible Alfa 4C Concept
• Tackling an mpg marathon in a Giulietta Cloverleaf
• Who wins: Man vs MiTo? Watch the video to find out
• Your guide to how the ALFA TCT twin-clutch gearbox works
• Exclusive photoshoot with the legendary Alfa 33 Stradale
• Back to basics with the UK’s best driving schools
• Enjoy a hot lap around Silverstone in a Giulietta Cloverleaf

Download the Alfa magazine iPad app.

PREVIOUS POST: 10/11/2011

Alfa Romeo UK launches iPad app for the Alfa Magazine

Alfa Romeo enthusiasts can now get digital and interactive with the revered Italian brand, thanks to the launch of Alfa Romeo UK's free iPad app version of the newly titled Alfa magazine, formerly known as Feel magazine.

The free iPad app, called Alfa Romeo: The Official UK Magazine, complements the traditional paper format version which is currently distributed to over 27,000 Alfa Romeo UK enthusiasts and customers. It is available to download from Apple's iTunes App Store, and is designed for use on WiFi networks.

Making full use of the iPad's ground breaking touch screen technology, the app brings to life the features and photography in the magazine, with a wealth of extra content, including high-definition videos of test drives, sound effects, interactive animations and extended picture galleries, giving users even more detail about Alfa cars, heritage, design and technology.

The app has been crafted for both landscape and portrait formats, and also features 360-degree spinning images of each model, as well as a unique and comprehensive database section, providing full technical specification, standard equipment lists, interior picture galleries, paint colours and wheel options for every model in the Alfa Romeo range - with a mechanism to direct prospects to their nearest dealer.

Damien Dally, head of brand for Alfa Romeo UK, says: "The new Alfa magazine iPad app is highly creative and interactive and is a key part of our integrated editorial content strategy.

"Our cars always feature the latest technologies, so to produce an app was a logical progression for our quarterly magazine, which is in its fifth year of publication. It now means our customers can catch up on the latest Alfa Romeo news and stories wherever they may be."

To view further information about the iPad app, click here to visit the Apple App store.

Alfa Romeo announces second Aquabatics competition

19/12/2011

Following the huge success of Alfa Romeo's recent Facebook competition, Aquabatics, we are very excited to announce a second opportunity for those who did not have the chance to enter (and those who did!).

This time around, the Alfa MiTo will be speeding around a track with rows of water balloons splitting the route into four sections. As the driver races the MiTo over each of these strips of balloons the Alfa Romeo UK Facebook app 'Aquabatics 2' featuring a carousel consisting of the profile pictures of Alfa fans that have entered will stop spinning to reveal a winner.

The four prizes on offer are an Apple iPad 2, stunt driving lessons from Terry Grant, tickets to one of his shows and a selection of Alfa Romeo goodies; but of course you have to get your face on the carousel to be in with a chance of winning.

To enter the Aquabatics 2 competition, head over to the Official Alfa Romeo Facebook page.