Alfa Romeo is a special breed to many car enthusiasts; automotive objects of desire with Italian flare and great driving attributes.

For those loyalists on American soil, the brand’s hiatus from the U.S market has finally come to an end with the arrival of the brand’s fantastic little two-seater 4C sports car.

Nonetheless, some may find the 4C and little on the cramped side, so what if Alfa were to build something slightly bigger?

Well let me introduce you to this proposal: a reimagining of the classic GTV coupe. Addressing the size constraints of the smaller 4C, this could serve as a larger, more mature offering to battle against BMW’s 4-Series and Audi’s A5 coupe.

For this design study, the brief was for a design that captured the essence of Alfa’s past. The biggest inspiration came from the GTV coupe of the mid 1990’s – remember those strong side creases running to the rear of that car? Well here, those visual talking points make an comeback – albeit in an fluid and feather-like form.

Think 4C with an dash of Ferrari in the front-end – those teardrop headlights in particular make for an mature look over the bug-eye units found in Alfa’s latest small coupe.

The satin grille sits flush with the leading edge of the hood for a more geometric and horizontally linear appearance. From here, two creases sweep back towards the windshield in a V-shaped format. Further back, the cabin takes on an more evolutionary approach – again similar to GT coupes of old. Here it’s pushed back as far as possible to enhance those classic sports car proportions.

As much as I’ve loved Alfa Romeo interiors in the past, they’ve unfortunately been let-down by somewhat questionable build and/or perceived quality. In recent years, the Italians have improved on this; however, they still haven’t quite reached that Germanic level.

To remedy this, a dose of refinement into the cabin would be hugely appreciated – sans any sober Germanic styling of course. Think 4C mixed with Giulietta; cue 2+2 seating wrapped around by leather surfacing, real aluminum and carbon fibre.

Out of the cabin and under the hood, the GTV powertrain options could come in two different formats. First is a turbocharged 1.75-liter, direct injection four-cylinder unit. Second is a high-tech 3.0-liter petrol V6 for those with a penchant for aural symphony.

Both units would be mated to either six-speed manuals or Alfa Romeo’s current twin clutch (TCT) automatic transmission. Most importantly, power would be fed to the rear wheels underneath a chassis with perfect 50/50 weight distribution and a class-leading power to weight ratio.

Any re-emergence of the GTV will battle against some strong opposition; BMW’s 4-Series currently sits as pack leader along with competition from the likes of Audi’s A5 and TT, and the Lexus RC coupe.

Where Alfa Romeo could have the upper-hand is in its determination to emphasize the brand’s core values; this means great performance, handling and distinct, groundbreaking Italian design.

So come on Alfa Romeo, expand those long-term product plans and re-introduce the GTV to stick it to the Germans!

By Josh Byrnes 

Photo Renderings Copyright Carscoops / Josh Byrnes

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