Yesterday, images of a red Alfa Romeo 159 began flying around the web attached to claims that they were leaked photos of the new 2009 car that would debut in Geneva. A quick check on Alfa's press site, revealed the photos to bear the tag "MY 2008," though it appears now that the images are in fact of a refreshed car for the new model year. The images have since been removed from Alfa's Website.
Alfa fans know that the 159 debuted in production form at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show and has been on sale in Europe since then. If they were reading our WOT news yesterday, they also know that Chrysler has revealed that the 159 will likely come to the U.S. as the Alfa Romeo Giulia when/if the Chrysler/Fiat merger goes through.
While this particular 159 doesn't appear to be much updated cosmetically from the current car, the big news, according to reports, is that its 1.8L gas engine has been turbocharged and direct-injected and now makes 200 hp, up from just 138 hp in naturally aspirated form. It will reportedly be mated to a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic FWD gearbox with an electronic limited-slip differential.The question is: is this the "new" 159? If it is, it is a very mild refresh, which isn't surprising given that the car has only been on the road a few years and that Alfa doesn't always stick to the traditional three-year product cycle. If the rumors are correct, we'll find out all the details on this slightly-updated 159 in Geneva next month.
Also leaking to the Web today is the reported first picture of the Alfa Romeo Mi.To GTA. This picture is not on Alfa's Website and the car shown is significantly altered. The Mi.To GTA, you may recall, also uses a turbocharged 1.8L engine, only it makes 237 hp. This car is also expected to debut at Geneva and possibly later in the U.S.