ALFA ROMEO - Beauty is not enough.

Alfa Romeo will be revealing its 'cuore sportivo' at the 28th Bologna Motor Show, with a stand where standard models and racing cars alternate to underline, yet again, the brand's vocation and the great character of all its cars. 'Beauty is not enough' is the concept behind the new Alfa Romeo communications strategy and it underlines the importance of substance over and above form.  

Pride of place goes to the latest arrival: the Alfa GT. Developed with Bertone, this model proposes original styling and exciting performance, and represents a brand new concept of sportiness, in which comfort and elegance converge. Four cars are on display: two are equipped with the powerful 3.2 24v engine, and two with the brilliant 150 bhp 1.9 M-Jet.

The spotlight in Bologna is also on the two concept cars that were such a success at recent international motor shows: the 8c Competizione and the Kamal. The former has its Italian preview in Bologna and was designed and built by the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre. It is a real icon for the brand, recalling Alfa's great racing tradition in its name. 

The second prototype is also a reference to the racing world. Designed by the Styling Centre in Arese, the Kamal embodies the concept of 'sporty elegance', which has always been a distinguishing feature of Alfa, in a completely new form that is unique in its way. And it does so with a refined interplay of illusions: on the one hand it recalls Alfa's glorious racing tradition, and on the other it proposes fascinating solutions that look to the future and to the evolution of the SUV and MPV segments in particular.

Another focal point of the stand are the racing cars. 'Alfa Romeo and racing' is of course an inseparable equation, as the Alfa 156 GTA and Alfa 147 GTA Cup exhibited at Bologna show demonstrate. The former won the 2003 FIA European Touring Car Championship with Gabriele Tarquini (Drivers' title), a result that confirms Alfa's unquestioned supremacy for the last six years: four consecutive titles won in the Euro STC championship and two Italian titles won previously. The Alfa 147 GTA Cup will be competing in the next edition of the single brand Trophy for racing customers.

An Alfa 147 GTA, the fastest and most powerful car in its segment (250 bhp - 184 kW) equipped with the Selespeed sequential gearbox will also be on the stand. 

Alongside these novelties and racing cars, Alfa Romeo also presents the new 166, the Alfa Romeo flagship, which expresses harmony of form and content, combining the elegance of a large saloon with the sporty flair of a coupé. Winning features to which the model adds visually striking styling details inside and out, and beautiful, refined cloth and colour combinations.  The car exhibited in Bologna features the TI (Turismo Internazionale) sports outfit. 

And the same sporty personality distinguishes a 140 bhp Alfa 147 1.9 M-Jet and the new Alfa 156 and Sportwagon (both powered by the powerful 175 bhp 2.4 M-Jet) which can be seen in Bologna. These are beautiful cars that incorporate innovative ideas and technological solutions. Redrawn by Giorgetto Giugiaro's prestigious pencil, the two models represent the perfect blend of sportiness and elegance, performance and balanced forms. In other words, Alfa's distinctive qualities.

There is also room on the stand for the new Alfa Spider and GTV which are proposed with a new look, new outfits and new engines. But the appeal of these models remains the same, evoking the pleasure of travelling, expressed with sportiness and elegance. The car exhibited features the most lavish outfit, and the powerful 240 bhp 3.2 V6 24v engine.

It is a young stand, with a spectacular effect created by special 'cells' made of aluminium and glass, large containers-cum-rooms with a curvaceous design and high tech image where various activities are performed. One hosts Radio Montecarlo, for live interviews with celebrities; in another, the public can try the new GT4 Sony Playstation® 2 game (for the first time in Italy), and finally there is a driving simulator from De Adamich's Safe Driving Centre, which lets visitors try their hand in interactive races with the Alfa GT Selespeed. Without mentioning that all the advantages of the new Alfa Top Care and Alfa Top Care Plus service packages can be examined on the stand.

The 250 bhp 3.2 V6 24v and 165 bhp 2.0 JTS engines are exhibited in glass showcases at the centre of the stand. Next to them are the two powerful Multijet multivalve turbodiesel engines: the 140 bhp 1.9 16v and the 175 bhp 2.4 20v. And in the last case, visitors can admire the sophisticated high double wishbone suspension that is adopted on the GTA versions, and on the 156 and 147.

Alfa Romeo in Bologna

 

	8C Competizione
	156 ( restyling )
	166 ( restyling )
	GT Coupe
	TI makes a comeback

Following it's successful display at Frankfurt and Tokyo, the stunning 8C Competizione Concept Car will make it's Italian debut.

Pride of place shall go to the latest addition within the Alfa Romeo stable - the stunning Betrone-designed GT Coupe.

The Kamal Concept Car shall also be displayed following it's enthusiastic reception at Geneva in March.

The Nuova Alfa 166 with optional TI sports pack shall be presented.

Two 2.4 20V M-Jet (175 bhp) Alfa 156's shall be on display.

Both the GTV and Spider shall be represented at the show with the legendary 3.2 24V V6 (240 bhp). 

Recently voted 'Car of the Year 2004' and 'European Car 2004', the new Fiat Panda is set to draw the crowds at Bologna.

The Panda 4x4.

The Idea B-MPV shows Fiats determination to play a leading role in the compact MPV market segment.

FIAT - The Summer is Back.

Music, sea and sand: the Summer comes six months early on the attractive Fiat stand at the Bologna Motor Show. 'The Summer is back' is the leitmotiv that runs through an exhibition area full of enveloping sound and warm colours, where Italian design creates a really unique setting.

Fiat has chosen to show off its entire range, starting with the latest arrivals: the new Panda and the Fiat Idea. All eyes will obviously be on the first, the supermini which was recently voted 'Car of the Year 2004' and 'European Car 2004'. And next to the queen of the stand is the Idea. This is an important model with which Fiat shows its determination to play a leading role in a new and constantly growing subsegment, that of the compact MPV.

First of all, the new Panda, the most advanced offering in the city car segment; it is a compact car that is both comfortable and spacious, perfect for town traffic, but quite capable of tackling even much longer journeys. The public in Bologna can admire five versions, all 'dressed' in brilliant, youthful colours. Three of these stand out for their originality and styling: a new 4x4, a sporty version, and finally, an extrovert SUV. They are the best example of how the Panda family will develop in future.

There is also room for the new Punto. A car with a strong personality, innovative equipment, and unique engines and gearboxes. The cars displayed are all three-door models: one equipped with the 1.4 16v engine and Sporting outfit, the second with the 100 bhp 1.9 Multijet engine, and the third with the 1.8 16v engine. And the stand also hosts the Punto Abarth Rally, which Paolo Andreucci took to victory in the Italian Super 1600 Rally Championship.

Another area of the Fiat stand is dedicated to racing, with a Stilo Abarth that competed in the Trophy of the same name, and a 170 bhp Stilo Abarth 2.4 20v with a five speed manual gearbox (the alternative to the same version equipped with the Selespeed gearbox until now) and a very distinctive outfit. And for extra effect, another Abarth 'races' along a 'road' of illuminated LEDs on a side wall of the stand.

At the Motor Show, Fiat also presents the latest results of its ongoing commitment to respond to all motorists' needs. A commitment which translates into the offer of numerous new products, whether new models or variations and improvements to the existing range. It is a vibrant context, reflected in the two production models present on the stand.

The first is the new Fiat Barchetta, in a special 'Prima Classe' outfit by Alviero Martini, a designer famous for leather goods and cases, and the second is a Fiat Doblò 1.9 JTD Malibù, a captivating, non-conformist version that is very popular with the public.

The Fiat stand has a fresh, youthful environment, a stage setting of bright colours, modern furnishings and shiny metal. It also includes a number of customer points set up with Bacardi, where visitors can receive gadgets and informative material, and which reflect the bubbly spirit and Italian design of the whole stand.

There are also large LED screens, showing films that highlight the dynamic spirit of the various models. And there are computers where visitors can play with the Microsoft XBox platform, while other Internet points access the new Fiat-Link site, the innovative computer system currently dedicated to the Fiat Network, which will soon be extended to the Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Light commercial vehicles networks.

Visitors can also simulate a purchasing quote on the same computers, using the 'Fiat for you' program, a new package of services that accompanies the customer for five years.

And finally, outside the exhibition area there will be numerous hours of entertainment, enjoyment and of course competition, as you would expect at a celebration of engines which the Bologna Motor Show traditionally is. There is an 'off-road' circuit for the Panda 4x4, with different road surfaces and obstacles typical of this type of race. This special track was created with the Italian Off-road Federation, to allow people to discover the car's off-road qualities. The cars used for this exciting display are two Panda 4x4 Multijets, driven by expert test drivers.

The second attraction is held at the 'Bettega memorial' track, where the public can watch a display by two Stilo Abarth GT 2.4 20V's or experience the same emotions themselves beside a driver.

Fiat in Bologna

A stand of appealing design and architecture. An exhibition area of more than 1100 m2 that draws in and entertains the public. Here people can mingle with production cars, show car and unique editions to appreciate the entire Lancia range and also experience the emotions that Lancia has made its own. This is the essence of Lancia at the 28th Bologna Motor Show.

The exhibition area is organised into two main areas. Part is reserved for the exclusive world of the new Ypsilon that offers four special two-tone versions this year and a 1.3 Multijet Platino equipped with the sophisticated D.FN gearbox. Another part features the show car Fulvia Coupé (Italian premier) and three prestigious ambassadors of the Lancia range: the Thesis, Phedra and Lybra.

The second area features a stylish floor in Calacatta marble with one very remarkable occupant: la Fulvia Coupé show car. This extraordinary car stands in the centre of a small artificial lake, almost hanging over a pool of water fed continuously from a chute inside the prototype. This unique specimen is an explicit reference to the characteristic flavour of the Seventies. A period of history that was extraordinarily intense and fizzing with new ideas from the viewpoint of fashion, glamour and creativity. And now this magic returns to Bologna.

In the background you can see the Lancia building. This houses an area reserved for offices and the press room on the ground floor while an exclusive private saloon on the mezzanine floor is alternatively occupied by a DJ and a VJ. The VJ mixes music and images on a large screen (40 square metres) on the wall of the 'club' and also on 3 columns covered with leds in the centre of the stand. The final effect is an attractive play of colour, sound and graphics that is reminiscent of the Seventies but with an up-to-date twist. The first floor of the building is given over to the Martini terrace, a large lounge where you can enjoy a privileged view of the stand.

This is also inspired by the Seventies. Some small showcases embedded on the wall of the Lancia building display lights, sunglasses, televisions and many other items typical of those years that have played a role in the development of Italian industrial design. Against this backdrop of creative ferment, Italian car design was making its name in the world for its elegance and innovation. Many of the four-wheeled artworks from that period bear the name of Lancia: from the Flavia to the Fulvia, the Stratos to the Beta HPE. Now the same will to try something new has returned with redoubled vigour to the Lancia Style Centre designers, who have taken up the gauntlet with new enthusiasm. The original concept cars Granturismo and Stilnovo - introduced at the Geneva and Barcelona motor shows respectively - are now joined by the Fulvia Coupé enjoying its Italian premier here at the Bologna motor show.

This one-off car is flanked by a Lancia Phedra 3.0 V6 (204 bhp) CAE; a Lancia Thesis equipped with a powerful 3.2 V6 (230 bhp); and a Lancia Lybra SW equipped with the scintillating 2.4 JTD (150 bhp). All three models are shown in the prestigious Emblema specification and with the same body colour: the brand new Rossini Grey that will be available in 2004. Inside, the three cars offer leather upholstery: beige for the flagship and the MPV, tobacco for the Lybra SW. The latter is the ideal version for people who wish to complement the style of the model with a touch of originality and class, plus retro details reminiscent of great cars of the past: that unmistakable two-tone body, those seats in soft tobacco leather. Not to mention the fact that the range has been revised and now offers even more opulent equipment and colours, all at prices that are more or less the same as at present.

Visitors to the stand can also use some Internet stations to simulate a purchase using the exclusive Parure Lancia.

Lancia in Bologna

The Fulvia Concept Car shall make it's Italian debut and shall be accompanied by the Granturismo and Stilnovo prototypes.

The Lybra range has been updated for the 2004 model year, including a more comprehensive specifiaction.