Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA Teasers Emerge Ahead of Geneva Debut

Bit by bit information regarding the Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA is sipping out of the high-security corridors of Milan. The newest bit is this engine cover teaser image with the letters GTA on it. GTA is to Alfa Romeo what M is to BMW and what AMG is to Mercedes-Benz. Only the most powerful, top-of-the-range Alfas in their range get to wear the GTA badge.

The MiTo GTA is expected to be the first Alfa representative in the high-performance mini luxury car segment. It will go head to head with the MINI Cooper S and the upcoming Audi S1 but Alfa says it will be the most powerful car in its segment. That means it needs to cover at least 212hp (156kW) to beat the Cooper S JCW's power figure. Previous reports say it will surpass this by serving up 230hp (169kW) from a 1.8-litre petrol turbo engine. No information is yet forthcoming on a GTA Cabriolet version but this segment seems to take well to the idea of drop-tops.

A concept version of the MiTo GTA is planned for a Geneva International Motor Show introduction in early March. Although it's called a concept the production version will not be far off just like it has happened with the Abarth range.