OFFICIAL: Alfa Romeo Mi.To First Images Released

One More Italian Mini Killer

by Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
March 14, 2008 9:30 PM
Filed Under: Alfa Romeo, European

If “Everybody Hates Chris”, as the TV series own name states, Mini would suffer from the same problem if it was a character, but in different terms: “Every Compact Car Hates Mini”. All competitors aim to beat it somehow and Alfa Romeo is no exception. Its little contender has been called many (good) names, such as Junior, Furiosa (furious) and, lately, MiTo, an acronym for Milano (Milan), Alfa’s headquarter and the place where the little car has been designed, and Torino (Turin), Fiat’s headquarters, where the car will be built. And this is the name chosen for the new car, only with a dot in the middle (Mi.To), with the meaning we have already told you. It could also stand for “Mini Torturer”, but Alfa would elegantly not admit it (only wish for it). It will rather say Mi.To could also be understood as Myth (Mito, in Italian). And this is also something Alfa wishes the new car to become.

With its official presentation for the international press members scheduled for June, and sales little after it, in July, the Mi.To is based on the Fiat Grande Punto’s platform (hence Turin as its manufacturing site) and is 4.06 m long, 1.72 m wide and 1.44 m high. Wheelbase has not been informed, but it will quite likely be the same one that its Fiat counterpart holds: 2.52 m.

Engines offers will be initially limited to four options and will range from 90 cv to up to 155 cv. As in Lancia Delta, all of the, petrol and diesel, will use turbo. Alfa Romeo has not said how many are oil burners, but we would bet on a fair division of two petrol options and two other diesel ones.

Besides this, Alfa also marks that Mi.To is the first car released since the 8C Competizione. Considering this supercar is the new pattern the company intends to follow, it is natural that the cheapest Alfa also gets some styling cues from its bigger brother, such as the unframed side windows, the front bumper, the shape of the headlights and the LED taillights. It will also be natural to expect this car to be sold in the USA. Too small? Check on the new Fiesta and think again.

In order to assure great handling, Alfa has given Mi.To the DNA system, a holistic equipment that guides “engine, brakes, steering, suspension and gearbox”, very likely the dual-clutch gearbox that Fiat names DDC, for faster changes and more sportive feel. There are three modes to be used, Dynamic, for high performance, Normal, for city driving, and All Weather, for difficult weather conditions.

Source: Alfa Romeo
Press Release (Click to expand)

14/03/2008

Alfa Mi.To: World Premiere

With the Mi.To, Alfa Romeo wishes to offer a new generation of Alfa aficionados the most compact sports car ever.

An up-to-date and innovative car, a name redolent of history. The name Mi.To has great evocative resonance for Alfa Romeo, since it was chosen as a sign of a deep-seated link between the past and future of the brand: between Milan, the city of design that brought the car’s style into being, and Turin, which will be responsible for its industrial production. A decision that highlights the brand’s strong desire to consolidate its Milanese roots.

The Mi.To is the first car to be built since the 8C Competizione, Alfa Romeo’s icon of style and technology, from which it borrows certain characteristic traits: the particular shape of the unframed side windows, the three-lobed motif that distinguishes the front bumper, the shape of the headlights and the LED tail lights. The headlights and tail lights represent a distinctive personalised feature: a frame featuring different forms of material processing and colours to create an ultra-stylish eye-liner effect that underscores the car’s style and aggression.

The highly personal dashboard and seats ensure that the interior represents the ultimate expression of Italian style, welcoming yet sporty, with top-quality materials and the closest attention to detail.

The greatest thought has also gone into defining the dimensions, which add up to a compact and dynamic shape: the Mi.To is 4.06 metres long, 1.44 metres high and 1.72 metres wide.

Style, design, and more: performance and technology must always be top-of-the-range in an Alfa Romeo. As all the brand’s models, the Mi.To is able to appeal to the most demanding customers with its exciting driveability, determined partly to the Alfa DNA system. This control acts on the engine, brakes, steering, suspension and gearbox, allowing three different vehicle behaviour modes based on the driving style best suited to the situation or the customer’s wishes: supersporting (Dynamic), town driving (Normal), maximum safety even in difficult grip conditions (All-Weather). Mi.To is the first car in its segment to offer such innovative technological content.

Great performances are guaranteed by a range of 4 engines, all Turbo (petrol and diesel), that currently range from 90 hp up to 155 hp, with the range due to be extended by even higher power ratings.

Performance and handling have been developed and optimised to offer maximum driving satisfaction in complete safety. The Mi.To offers true Alfa Romeo sporting ride, featuring contractive suspensions – standard on all specifications and engines – that considerably reduce roll and maximum active, passive and preventive safety: VDC stability system as standard and a vehicle structure that is already designed to obtain the top EuroNCAP rating in the future.

The Alfa Mi.To will be introduced to the international press during June and will then be gradually introduced from July in all the major markets.

Turin, 14 March 2008

Press Release

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