Twetta what?

Another sexy Geneva concept car was unveiled yesterday, this time from Alfa Romeo. Dubbed the “2uettottanta” (two-etto-tanta, say it with me), the name is an homage to the storied Alfa Romeo Duetto, one of the all time classic roadsters. More pics after the jump.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Sedan

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has confirmed that Alfa Romeo will return to this side of the pond in 2012. Speaking at an industry gathering in Toronto, Marchionne expressed his confidence in Alfa’s product line and the North American demand for it.

The new Alfa Giulia sedan and wagon are likely to be the first models imported, followed by a North American model produced jointly with Chrysler.

Source: Left Lane News

I play a little game during night drives. I try to identify the make, model, and year of cars by the shape of their taillights or headlights alone. I’m pretty good. See, I have an Asperger’s-like obsession with cars and I’m rarely stumped. So when most of the cars at an auto museum absolutely confound me, I know it’s good. And thus, the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, Ca., is good.

The Blackhawk Museum is tucked in the foothills of Mt. Diablo, technically in Danville, just south of the upscale community of Blackhawk. It was built in ‘88 and has 70,000-square-feet of gallery space. The place may be small, but it’s crammed with a stunning, bizarro collection of contraptions. On average, it houses about 90 cars, most on loan to the museum from private collectors.

And it’s quite a collection, spanning automotive history from the early teens right up through the Malaise. But enough talk, let’s take a look at some of these rides.

I’m not much of a Harley guy, though I do have a strange attraction to their XR1200. I also like the look of a well done bobber, like the one you see above. Throw in the fact that it’s powered by a V6 from Alfa Romeo, and I’m in. All in.

Alfa motors (and Italian engines in general) are the sweetest sounding mechanical devices on God’s green earth. Seventy one virgins, simultaneously achieving orgasmic bliss, could not rival the sound of a properly tuned Alfa Duetto. Throw in two more cylinders, and I’m sure it only gets better.

The words “affordable” and “Italian” generally don’t play well in the same sandbox. Italian sports cars as a whole bring up thoughts of big dollars, big repair bills and big ego’s, that is, until now. I recently had the opportunity to view one of these rare Italian beasties in person and was pleasantly surprised by what I found out, that being, that most anyone whose employed can own one.

What you see here is a 1960 Alfa Romeo 2000 and it is a beauty. Think of it as the Mazda Miata’s illegitimate great grandfather. These cars, although rare are actually quite affordable with the price spectrum ranging from about 20k-40k which really isn’t that bad when you consider this car was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro… never heard of him? Well, he’s the guy who also designed the Ferrari 250 Berlinetta Bertone, De Tomaso Mangusta, Iso Grifo and Maserati Ghibli, so in short… he’s got mad skills.

Performance wise the little Alfa is no pavement shredder. It’s little four cylinder cast iron mill churns out about 105 HP @ 5300 RPM and sounds glorious, not to bad for a car that weighs less than 2300 lbs. Although, if you want to get really crazy the later 2600 models did have an 2.3L inline-6 that produced 145 HP… BOOYA!! Make no mistake, these little Alfa’s are all Italian, all sports car and everything you’d need to fit in to any car show anywhere in the world. So before you go out and spend that 30k on some new pasta rocket or strudel wagon, take a look around and think outside the box, because if you do, you may just be amazed at what you’ll find.

Launched by TARDEC (U.S. Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center) in 2008, the FED’s (Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator) primary objective has been to prepare the armed forces for the 21st century by staying ahead of alternatively-powered military vehicles. Taking their first serious step towards achieving that goal, the FED announced today the contracting of technology and engineering firm, Ricardo Inc., to spearhead the development of new light tactical vehicles. While perhaps news to civilian ears, the agreement actually represents phase two of Ricardo’s collaborative effort with TARDEC that is expected to materialize their conceptual visions of fuel-efficient combat machines.

“The FED project leverages Ricardo’s experience and success in supporting the development of a broad range of military vehicles over several years,” explained Paul Luskin, Ricardo’s chief program engineer for FED and vehicle engineering manager. “In particular, TARDEC has recognized Ricardo’s role on the Future Tactical Truck System (FTTS), in which we successfully implemented advanced technology into an innovative vehicle architecture.”

The exact timetable for availability of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, or any number of other foreign makers finally making their way back into the U.S. market changes based upon who you talk to; but if anything, the anticipation of their arrival certainly highlights the blandness with which we have grown accustomed to here in the States. Whether with their economical MiTo, or exhilerating 8C Competizione, Alfa Romeo could certainly not be accused of a sterility in style. With the latter example, the Italian automaker also demands to be recognized as more than just a pretty face.

Importing a grey market vehicle is a long, arduous, expensive task, which is generally why only those people employed by government-bankrolled investment firms or the Columbian cartel can afford to do it. Plebes like us are forced to make do with whatever the dealer has in stock or, more likely, whatever we can find on Craigslist for under 5 grand. If you have an “in” with the U.S. Department of Commerce and unlimited funds, however, there are 10 cars that are totally worth trying to smuggle through customs.

1. Ford Focus RS

This is not the same Focus that you see parked 10 abreast and 30 deep at the community college, this is the Ford Focus RS. Tagged a Lancer Evo-fighter without a trace of facetiousness, the Focus RS is a mean little machine thanks entirely to the low-pressure turbo genius of Volvo. Equipped with a 2.5L turbocharged inline 5, the Focus RS churns out a staggering 305-horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. Ordinarily, that much power coupled with a FWD layout is a recipe for one ugly, habitual understeer, but amazingly the Focus RS cuts corners on the track with razor-edge precision. The real deal-clincher? All of this can be had for around £25k (not including any relevant bribes, of course).

Now that the calendar reads ‘2009′ and summer is upon us, we can already begin shutting the book on the first decade of the new millenia. All the cars that will be produced have either made it to dealerships or have half a dozen reviews already printed in some magazine collecting dust on your shelf.

This decade closes much like the 1960s, in an atmosphere of uproar and protest, with rumors of war and peace and revolution at hand. The auto industry has experienced a second Golden Age, bigger and grander than the first, and has again sunk into crisis, darker and dimmer than the one Baby Boomers remember. And enthusiasts young and old fear that a similar fate awaits them in the coming years with news of outrageously stringent CAFE standards, and fear-mongering legislators fuel anxieties that we’ve already seen the best cars of the next thirty some odd years.

So it is that we turn back to this decade already a bit nostalgic. Here lie the future legends, the autos of myth and lore. With the future unclear, we ask ourselves which cars made the glorious 2000’s the decade we will all miss more than we know?

Fiat 500 Abarth Edition

Documents obtained by Edmunds that detail testimony by Thomas W. LaSorda, president of Chrysler, confirm some of RideLust’s own speculation as to which of Fiat’s models are coming stateside.