“Alfa Romeo is 100 years old and we in Malta wanted to celebrate this important milestone too – and with style. Thanks to this event, we join Alfa Romeo in the rest of the world to celebrate this milestone – 100 years of constant building of a brand that is today a motoring icon in its own right,” Francesca Mamo, managing director of UCIM Co, said at the launch of the Alfa Romeo Centenary events held at the Hal Far Racing Track last weekend. The events were organised in direct collaboration with the Island Car Club.

They also served as an opportunity to launch Alfa Romeo’s latest model, the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde. “To show off the capabilities of this latest MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde, we asked Alex Fiorio, a world rally champion who certainly doesn’t need our introduction, nor question his capabilities at the wheel. The weekend’s events were dedicated to all our loyal clients and owners of Alfa Romeo models as well as all those who nurture a passion for this brand. An encouraging number of contestants signed up to experience the thrill of driving the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde in race-attack mode and in the company of Alex Fiorio. Alex is a prestigious international name in the world of motor sports and did an excellent job helping all participants witness first-hand the harmonic connection that can be established between a capable driver and an Alfa Romeo,” Ms Mamo added.

“When Alfa put the ‘Quadrifoglio Verde’ badge to a model, one immediately realised that this model version is the HOT version,” said Kenneth Rizzo Naudi, Sales & Marketing Manager for Alfa Romeo. “However, this time round the word Verde, has a double meaning to it, because it also signifies that the engine this car has, though being extremely potent for a 1.4 Turbo with 170bhp, is also ‘green’ being Euro 5 with only 139CO2 and an impressive 47mpg consumption albeit having that massive performance; all thanks to the state-of-art technology known as Multi Air. I therefore invite you to visit www.fptmultiair.com to understand better the engineering miracle that has been achieved by Fiat Powertrain Technologies with this MultiAir innovation that is said to be the most radical breakthrough since the petrol internal combustion engine was invented.”

Hold, agility, active safety and drivability are heightened by an engine with one of the highest specific power values in the world and a chassis with features hitherto unthinkable for a car in this class. In fact, the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde is the Alfa Romeo with the most powerful 170bhp MultiAir engine and innovative solutions that emphasise the existing qualities of the model; the highest value ever recorded for an Alfa car, affirming the excellent engineering heritage of the Alfa MiTo.

This engine’s best feature is its outstanding weight/power ratio, which has always been one of the key factors behind Alfa Romeo’s success on the road and the racetrack. This is particularly important because it proves the effectiveness of downsizing, aimed at producing high-tech engines to get better performance allied with sharp reductions in fuel consumption and emissions.

On the back of these exceptional power qualities and the unbeatable performance and consumption ratio thanks to integration of MultiAir and Stop&Start, Alfa Romeo decided to give a sporty and technological feel to this Quadrifoglio Verde version with high-quality finishes, attention to detail and a raft of features. One example is the 17″ satin titanium-finished wheels (based on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione supercar). The same colour is used for the headlight frames and the wing mirrors, while the dark finish of the headlight parabolas is achieved by a brand new metal sublimation technology.

The interior also has a refined sporty feel thanks to the all-black environment that ensures no reflections or distractions while driving. The sporty fabric used to upholster the seats, the modern dashboard and the white lighting on the instrument panel further enhances the technological aspect of this car.

The Alfa Romeo MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde features optional Dynamic Suspension, a system which actively and continuously controls the electronic shock absorbers and which was developed by combining Alfa Romeo road testing with the latest engineering techniques from Magneti Marelli.

The innovative Dynamic Suspension system is made up of four electronically controlled shock absorbers, five accelerometric sensors, a control unit and an interface with Alfa DNA for the different settings and with the other on-board electronic systems.

So, using experience gained on the racetrack, the system allows the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde to excel even further in terms of agility and handling, giving it exceptional drivability and unparalleled safety. The driver gets three benefits from the Dynamic Suspension system: comfort, safety and agility. Above all, the electronic shock absorbers adapt to the road conditions and control all the car’s movements. This guarantees maximum comfort and ensures that the unevenness of road surfaces is fully absorbed. In addition, the Dynamic Suspension system always ensures maximum grip and safety by actively responding to all road conditions. Finally, because roll and pitch are more restricted in all conditions, there is better stability and cornering that adds to the undoubted agility of the Alfa Romeo MiTo.

The technological qualities of the Alfa Romeo MiTo are further enhanced by the next-generation C635 gearbox. Developed by FPT and manufactured at the Verrone factory in Italy, this groundbreaking mechanical unit is the first result of a design philosophy aimed at improving drivability, consumption levels and production flexibility.

As far as drivability is concerned, the new gearbox ensures clean and swift changes with very short selection movements, uniform activation pressures, no noise and no vibrations. In addition, modern design and construction techniques help to significantly reduce consumption levels thanks to less friction and the best possible gear ratios that the car can suggest to the driver.

Its appearance in the Alfa MiTo 170 hp 1.4 MultiAir TBi marks the debut of a modern family of gearboxes adapted for a broad range of models.