If you think about it, one of the few marques in Europe that has the dynamics, the name and history to truly compete against the dominant premium carmakers from Germany such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, in all categories and on a global scale, is Alfa Romeo. Which is probably why the VW Group has showed such an interest in the firm. Too bad the Fiat Group never really allocated the sources or the time to rebuild and refocus the famed Italian brand as a real premium automaker. In fact, last we heard, Sergio Marchionne has kicked the can down the road (again…) postponing Alfa Romeo's re-entry to the U.S. market and delaying many of its planned models like the 159 replacement. But we're dragging away from our main story that is a design study from an old acquaintance of CarScoop, Italian designer Marco Procaccini, who sent us these renderings and a video of his newest project. As with Procaccini's previous Alfa Romeo studies, the four-door coupe is named after a historical figure of the brand. In this case, it's Orazio Satta Puliga (1910-1974), a respected designer who oversaw the development of several models including the classic 158, 159 and 1900, before he became central director (1951) and general vice president (1969–73). Procaccini tells us that he imagined the Alfa Rome Orazio Satta as the Italian brand's answer to the Audi A7 Sportback, BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLS. The sleek looking study with the swoopy profile lines measures 4,950mm (194.9 inches) long, 1,900mm (74.8 inches) wide and 1,430mm (56.3 inches) tall, riding on a 2,950mm (116.2 inches) wheelbase, and could potentially share its platform and running gear with Maserati's upcoming mid-size sports sedan designed to slot under the Quattroporte. You can have a closer look at the car's design in the pictures and video that follow below. Photo Credits / Copyright: Marco Procaccini, Source: Carscoop
