ALFA AIMS TO WOW GENEVA WITH REAR-DRIVE COUPE

Alfa Romeo is hoping to unveil an all-new coupe concept at the Geneva show in March that should please the Alfisti no end - because it's going to be rear-wheel drive.

The concept is set to prefigure a Cayman-rivalling mid-engined coupe and, according to motor industry publication, Automotive News, will go on sale as the 4C GTA for 40,000 euros (about £35k in the Queen's Sterling).

The mid-engined rear-drive coupe will be the first affordable rear-drive Alfa (only the mildly insane would call the 8C Competizione affordable) since the original Alfa Spider died in 1993.

According to AN, Alfa plans to build between 4000 and 5000 4Cs per year.

Motive power for the 4C will come from a massaged version of the 1.8-litre turbocharged direct-injection engine currently found in the top-end versions of the Giulietta hatch, with a power figure 'in excess of 250bhp' expected.

That should make the new Alfa a pretty quick motor car, since the company is targeting a kerb weight of just 850kg, courtesy of a clever carbon-fibre and aluminium 'honeycomb' construction.

The technology for the chassis development comes from race car constructor Dallara and is a development of the KTm X-Bow - which was itself developed by Dallara.

But while Dallara will be responsible for the underpinnings, the styling for the Geneva show car (provided it's ready - there have apparently been delays with the concept car's build process) is the work of Alfa Romeo's own Centro Stile.