The latest manufacturer to announce an unveiling at next week’s Geneva show is Alfa Romeo. The sporty Italian marque will be displaying a high-performance concept version of its recently launched MiTo.

The MiTo GTA Concept relies largely on weight reduction to produce the best possible power-to-weight ratio – which is all in the best traditions of ‘GTA’, or ‘Gran Turismo Alleggerito’ branding (alleggerito is Italian for lightened).

There’s also been much work done to lower the car’s centre of gravity. Hence the tailgate spoiler, as well as the roof and mirror fairings, are in carbonfibre, while aluminium is used extensively in the braking system, suspension and some parts of the chassis.

Under the bonnet, the compact new petrol engine exploits Alfa’s experience in developing its Twin Spark and V6 road and race engines, with direct injection, dual variable valve timing, state-of-the-art turbocharging and advanced electronic management systems. The combined effect of these technologies is a highly impressive 240bhp from just 1742cc. In this way, Alfa is following the current trend towards high power and efficiency from a smaller, lighter power unit.

The MiTo GTA Concept is 20mm lower than the standard MiTo, with new geometry for the front suspension, while the revised chassis has an ‘active’ suspension system to counteract weight transfer under acceleration, stiffening the rear and maximising traction. Meanwhile, a ‘Sky-Hook’ function aims to give high levels of passenger comfort, despite the sporting aspirations of this desirable Italian hot-hatch.

Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: Alfa Romeo