Harald Wester, new Alfa Romeo Giulietta will be RWD

[psntomaz]

Alfa Romeo boss, Harald Wester, speaks of the rear-wheel drive and says: "If others have thought, better for us: I really like the idea of ??being the only ones to offer a C segment sedan rear-wheel drive" . Thus confirming that the new Giulietta will have rear-wheel drive. The reference to "other" refers to the German premium brands, who have or are converting to the front-wheel drive for the cars segment C. "I remain convinced that the path we have chosen (for all rear wheel drive) is determinanta for the product that we in mind: drive that convey emotions, in which the driver feels an integral part of the car. Something different, in fact, than the German: cold in their "technocracy", maybe impeccable but without the ability to convey emotions. "

Even the Alfa will have hybrid technology: "I've said talking about the future of Maserati" confirms Wester "given the rules on carbon dioxide emissions and consumption, in Europe as in America, there is no alternative: I think after 2020, a good 40% of the cars will be high-end, power game, with hybrid ".

http://passioneautoitaliane.blogspot.it/2015/03/harald-wester-conferma-che-anche-la.html#more

 

[Legro]

I'm surprised the current Giulietta is getting a successor at all. Sounds great though, I really hope it'll be good.

 

[psntomaz]

I'm surprised the current Giulietta is getting a successor at all. Sounds great though, I really hope it'll be good.

The Giulietta is a great Compact Sports hatch, just outdated. basically any car that shows its face in Many video games such as Forza, NFS ect.. it has made a statement in the car world....

 

[Legro]

The Giulietta is a great Compact Sports hatch, just outdated. basically any car that shows its face in Many video games such as Forza, NFS ect.. it has made a statement in the car world....

But Alfa Romeo is a company, they're trying to sell cars not trying to get in as much video games as it's possible.

 

[psntomaz]

But Alfa Romeo is a company, they're trying to sell cars not trying to get in as much video games as it's possible.

But the exposure is there

 

[FT-1]

But Alfa Romeo is a company, they're trying to sell cars not trying to get in as much video games as it's possible.

This:

But the exposure is there

Nowadays video games can be used as a form of marketing. If gamers see a particular car in video games frequently, they would feel more inclined to purchase it in real life, especially if they are good performers. Explains why cars like the GT-R and Corvette have such a huge following on the internet.

 

[psntomaz]

who knows... Maybe when Lexus start trying to get Developers to get the GS on games again, IT can be taken seriously lol.

 

[Legro]

But the exposure is there

The exposure hasn't made them sell many Giuliettas yet, so it doesn't help that much.

 

[TheCracker]

I wonder if a video game has ever directly influenced the buying of any brand new car?

 

[FT-1]

I wonder if a video game has ever directly influenced the buying of any brand new car?

Sorry for the OT but this is a good read about the influence racing games could have on purchasing a new car (TL;DR - look at the last two paragraphs.)

 

[bremics]

Isn't the Dodge Dart based on it?

#hopewithouthope

 

[analog]

Can't wait for regular RWD Alfa's again.

 

[Grandea GTR]

Isn't the Dodge Dart based on it?

#hopewithouthope

The current one, yes.

I wonder if a video game has ever directly influenced the buying of any brand new car?

I know that the Subaru WRX STI and Lancer Evolution series came to the states thanks to Gran Turismo.

 

[homeforsummer]

Nowadays video games can be used as a form of marketing. If gamers see a particular car in video games frequently, they would feel more inclined to purchase it in real life

Yup, all those 13-year olds playing Gran Turismo will be rushing out to buy new cars...

I wonder if a video game has ever directly influenced the buying of any brand new car?

I suspect it has for some, if only because a whole generation of people have now grown up playing videogames with real vehicles in, and formed affinities for certain brands based on their appearance in games.

However, in relation to total vehicle sales I suspect it's infinitesimally small. Probably a little higher for used vehicles though - the first MX-5 I bought was more than a little influenced by having first become properly aware of them in GT games. There are several other cars I've considered in the past for the same reason, too - FTOs, Del Sols etc.

 

[FT-1]

Yup, all those 13-year olds playing Gran Turismo will be rushing out to buy new cars...

It doesn't have to be an instant purchase, what matters is that the brand of the car they like sticks in their mind for when they eventually decide to buy one.

 

[TheCracker]

Probably a little higher for used vehicles though - the first MX-5 I bought was more than a little influenced by having first become properly aware of them in GT games. There are several other cars I've considered in the past for the same reason, too - FTOs, Del Sols etc.

Yeah, exactly. Used car purchases may well be influenced by GT and the like. But manufacturers don't give a damn about used car sales, they make nothing from it. The demographic of people who play driving games and the demographic of people who can afford to buy a new car that features in a game, have a tiny cross over.

You might develop a brand loyalty from buying a used car. You may well develop brand loyalty from playing driving game. But you are probably much more likely to buy a car due to seeing them in the flesh, by reading about them in the press or just because they fit the requirements of what you need from a car.

 

[Grandea GTR]

I know how my brand loyalty is biased towards Mazda, it all started with the Savanna RX-7 in Gran Turismo 2, followed by the FD RX-7 onwards.

Anywho, anyone speculating on what the new Giuletta will look like?

 

[R5]

Anywho, anyone speculating on what the new Giuletta will look like?

Pretty similar. Maybe a few 4C hints in there.

 

[mustafur]

Yeah, exactly. Used car purchases may well be influenced by GT and the like. But manufacturers don't give a damn about used car sales, they make nothing from it. The demographic of people who play driving games and the demographic of people who can afford to buy a new car that features in a game, have a tiny cross over.

You might develop a brand loyalty from buying a used car. You may well develop brand loyalty from playing driving game. But you are probably much more likely to buy a car due to seeing them in the flesh, by reading about them in the press or just because they fit the requirements of what you need from a car.

Most people who play GT are over 20 though and are perfect demographic, too many people get caught up into the nonsence that only Young kids and Teenagers play games like this, fact is the people playing these games 10-15 years ago are still playing .

 

[TheCracker]

Most people who play GT are over 20 though and are perfect demographic, too many people get caught up into the nonsence that only Young kids and Teenagers play games like this, fact is the people playing these games 10-15 years ago are still playing .

Yet the average age of someone who buys a brand new car, in the US and Germany at least, is 52 years old.

Now i'm sure there are some 52 year olds, or others of that general demographic, who do still play Gran Turismo. And i'm sure there are some 20 year olds who are in the process of buying a brand new car that appears in Gran Turismo. But they are a tiny minority. A venn diagram of 'People who play GT' and 'People buying a brand new car that appears in GT' will surely have such a tiny intersection.

 

[mustafur]

Yet the average age of someone who buys a brand new car, in the US and Germany at least, is 52 years old.

Now i'm sure there are some 52 year olds, or others of that general demographic, who do still play Gran Turismo. And i'm sure there are some 20 year olds who are in the process of buying a brand new car that appears in Gran Turismo. But they are a tiny minority. A venn diagram of 'People who play GT' and 'People buying a brand new car that appears in GT' will surely have such a tiny intersection.

In Australia the Average ''Gamer'' is 32 years old: http://www.igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Digital-Australia-2014-Key-Findings.pdf

Hardly the kind of age that rarely buy new cars.

 

[TheCracker]

In Australia the Average ''Gamer'' is 32 years old: http://www.igea.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Digital-Australia-2014-Key-Findings.pdf

Hardly the kind of age that rarely buy new cars.

By the time you are 32 years old, your list of priorities for buying a new car are unlikely to feature 'because i liked it in Gran Turismo' very highly on the list.

 

[mustafur]

By the time you are 32 years old, your list of priorities for buying a new car are unlikely to feature 'because i liked it in Gran Turismo' very highly on the list.

Same could be said about ads, but they work and there is statistical proof.

 

[GTFireball]

Nice, the more RWD's the merrier.

 

[Hayden]

I think it's fair to say my purchase of a brand new Toyota 86 owes a lot to racing games. I learnt about the first concept through GT5 and kept tabs on how the development was going and when it'd be available. As it came closer to production, we got to see and drive the street spec car. I knew then I'd be test driving one in the real world before I bought another car.

Then one day, I decided that I needed a more economic car and had my mind set on a new VW Polo. When I got home after test driving it, I played GT5, saw the 86 and decided it couldn't hurt to test drive one for real.

It's not your typical cross-shop and the VW dealer was pretty surprised when I told him what I'd bought instead