Pininfarina's 2uettottanta Concept. Image: Pininfarina
Finally, there’s a bit of good news on the horizon for Mazda: the Japanese automaker, best known for building cars with an undeniable fun-to-drive factor, has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a convertible sports car for the Alfa Romeo brand.
What that means, in theory at least, is that Mazda will develop the platform for a new Alfa Romeo Spider, based off the platform of the upcoming Mazda MX-5 Miata. The Alfa will use a different drivetrain, but will retain the MX-5’s front-engine, rear-drive layout. It will wear unique bodywork, too, hopefully along the lines of the drool-worth 2uettottanta concept shown by Pininfarina in 2010.
If all goes as planned, the new Alfa Spider will hit production in 2015, built in the same Hiroshima, Japan, factory that cranks out the Mazda MX-5. That gives Mazda a jump on the market of some 14 months, but that won’t matter to the Alfa Romeo faithful, who will likely be putting down deposits on a new Spider in the coming weeks.
Details of the relationship between Mazda and Fiat are still being hashed out, but a successful joint venture on the next Alfa Spider could presumably lead to more cooperation between Mazda and Fiat in the future.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
