New Alfa Romeo MINI Killer En Route

After acquiring plans and sketches for a new MINI Cooper killer AutoWeek magazine in the Netherlands published these artist's renderings of the future model. The Alfa Romeo Junior will be unveiled to the public at the next Geneva autoshow.

Alfa Romeo is expected to produce 75,000 of the model per year, putting it in direct competition with the Audi A1 and the MINI Cooper.

Priced in the 20,000 Euro range - quite a bit more than its competition - the Alfa Romeo Junior should get a 1.4 liter engine with an optional turbo charger, producing between 104 and 178 horsepower, according to the magazine.  A 1.8 liter turbo maxing out at 227 horespower shuould see production come up as well as a 1.6 liter JTD diesel engine banging out anywhere from 118 to 148 ponies.  We had hoped this car would have rear wheel drive, but that is likely not the case.

The three-door Junior should be in the area of four meters long, making it 22.3 centimeters shorter than the Alfa Romeo 147.  As the magazine points out, the renderings also show some styling touches from the 145, with tail lights originating on the 8C Competizione.

The car is expected to hit production in Spring 2008, and land on Italian showroom floors in June.  Other European countries should be able to take deliveries in the fall.  Rumor has it a convertible Alfa Junior may be on the way as well.

Mirjam Meijer contributed to this report.