How many sports cars can one automotive group offer? Just ask the people at Volkswagen, whose various divisions – Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, Audi – churn them out like you and I would write Christmas cards. (Or Hannukah cards, anyway.) And the Fiat group is right behind their German counterparts, with Ferrari and Maserati keeping the upper crust of the market satisfied, and now Alfa Romeo and Abarth filling a more accessible – but potentially no less exciting – niche.

Recently we brought you a progress update on the Alfa Romeo 4C, a concept mid-engine sports car thats now apparently been green-lit for production. In the ruminations of its potential roadworthiness, there was speculation that Abarth could get a version of its own. But those rumors have existed for longer than the 4C concept, and will now appear to outlast it as well.

According to the latest reports, Abarth is pitching a project that would see it develop its own sports car. But while the 4C would be priced similarly to a Porsche Boxster or Nissan 370Z, the Abarth would be positioned lower – maybe at the Mazda MX-5 or the new Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S/Toyota GT-86. It would also likely be front-drive, with between 200 and 250 horsepower, and draw its inspiration from the 1968 Abarth Scorpione pictured at right.

Whether it comes to fruition or not remains to be seen – not to mention its potential arrival in North America – but the prospect of another Italian sportscar isnt something wed turn down.

Short Description
The 2009 Alfa Romeo 159 has arrived in Australian showrooms with a wealth of improvements that enhance refinement, comfort and convenience, along with a new engine for the best selling version, the 2.4 JTD Turbo Diesel, but despite the improvements Alfa Romeo is maintaining inclusive driveaway pricing that means savings of up to A$7500.

“Normally these changes would be called a facelift, but as the 159 is such as stunning car that has been acclaimed for its beautiful design, there are no styling changes,” explains Edward Butler, General Manager of Alfa Romeo in Australia. “All the changes are under the skin and they are aimed at making owning an Alfa 159 an even more fulfilling, enjoyable experience, something that is further enhanced by the absence of any on road costs for a limited time.”

The 2.4 litre 147 kW JTD Turbo Diesel version of the Alfa Romeo 159 has been consistently the most popular version of the Alfa Romeo 159, with its blend of effortless performance and outstanding fuel economy. For the 2009 model year, the existing engine is replaced by the new JTDm version. In figures, most significant change is the lift in power from 147 to 154 kW, but the primary change has been to improve the driving characteristics of the engine, with more low end performance. Additionally, new software has been developed to improve the communication between the new engine and the optional Q-Tronic six speed automatic gearbox for smoother operation, better gear selection and more responsive down shifts.