Is that another deviation from the product plan crafted by FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne, this time concerning the roadster co-developed with Mazda? Guess we shouldn’t be surprised by now…
According to CarAdvice, Marchionne told the media at the Detroit Motor Show that the switch in the fourth-gen MX-5-based roadster from Alfa Romeo to Fiat has delayed the project.
“Yes, it did have an effect”, he conceded. “We had to go back and change some parts on the Mazda vehicle, adding three or four months to the release date.”
He defended his last-minute change of heart by commenting that this roadster would not have worked as an Alfa Romeo: “I think it would have been unfair if we had done that car as an Alfa. Given the direction we have taken Alfa, it would have been very unfair.”
It would be fair to point out that, at this stage, we are a bit confused by the direction Alfa Romeo has taken, what with all the changes in strategy, product planning and launch dates.
Even so, the MX-5-based roadster is going to happen and, from where we stand, it would make much more sense wearing an Abarth logo than a Fiat one. After all, the former is the sporting one – and only a few people remember the Fiat Barchetta anyway.
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