Whilst South Africa gears up for the annual SA AutoWeek, sponsored by Naamsa and Wesbank, elsewhere in the world, the 2026 Paris Motor Show is hosting all brands as they gather to showcase new models and concepts for the future. One highlight so far has to be the reveal of the Cuorerosso at the Italian Alfa Romeo stand.
Think of the Alfa Romeo Cuore Rosso as the brand's practical promise to one : a promise to keep internal combustion engines alive while other brands lean heavily on EV adoption. Alfa is saying, " Yes, we will join the wave, but we will keep producing what our customers love, too." Meanwhile, the second point is that this concept model is also the brand teasing what is to come in terms of a new design language themed Bellezza Necessaria, and possibly a look at how the next Giulia will appear. Since the concept's debut, its sleek four-door fastback lines heavily hint at the styling and dimensions we will see on the upcoming replacements for the aging Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV.
The name Cuorerosso means "Red Heart," which the brand says is a combination of two concepts : the red being a universal symbol of emotions and expression, while the heart stands for sportiness embodied. According to Alfa Romeo's design team and executives, the name encapsulates the core pillars of the historic brand's identity, and in some words, Cuorerosso is officially described as a "design manifesto" rather than a blueprint for a specific production car.
One thing you could never argue about is the fact that Alfa Romeo rarely ever misses when they release a concept car. When you look back, for instance, the 8C first debuted as a concept car in 2003 and entered limited production around 2007-2010 with a V8 engine inspired by its historic 1930s/40s race cars. The car went on to become a legendary vehicle that inspired many more performance vehicles within the Italian stable, and it is quite refreshing to see that Alfa is still carrying on the same legacy with the Cuorerosso.
Great news! There will be no lithium ion setup taking center stage, well kind of..The Clover leaf brand ensures that the concept will be brought to life by a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine (codenamed 690T), paired with a full-hybrid system and Q4 all-wheel drive. Before we discuss the engine details first we must divulge on the exterior features of the vehicle.
The exterior design
The exterior of the Cuorerosso is a typical sports car theme build and shape that has short overhangs, a low slung position, flair wheel arches and aggressive bulging body lines. For the design of this car, Alfa were guided by a new Bellezza Necessaria philosophy which supports a aerodynamic low-slung 2+2 grand touring coupé silhouette that achieves a low drag coefficient of 0.28.
The front of the vehicle features the brands unmissable iconic triangular front grille, only here it gains a slight adaption of illumination of the brand's historic Cross and Biscione (serpent) symbols. Finished in a one of a kind red body color that uses a fine aluminium base and a transparent colour layer, this is contrasted by big 22-inch bronze forged alloy wheels that pay homage to Alfa's classic telephone-dial styling using six circular openings arranged on a special three-spoke scheme.
The side is as expressive and sculpted too, judging by the images shared online. To support the theme of Bellezza Necessaria, the Italian stable simply felt that normal doors would not do the concept any justice, so they decided to include suicide doors in the mix. There is no sight of door handles either, because those are replaced by flush touch controls located on the roof.
At the rear of the vehicle, this concept continues to take inspo from the Alfa racing cars of old as this part of the vehicle adorns a Coda Tronca, a flat tail housing two circular taillights and a distinct Scudetto-shaped rear window.
As far as dimensions go this car measures at 4,700 mm long, 1,980 mm wide and just 1,331 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,930 mm and a weight of 1,750 kg, the new Alfa Romeo concept car is an authentic manifesto of sportiness, fully expressed in the proportions and tension of the surfaces.
A pure driver's car has always been a theme that Alfa Romeo embodies, so they have ditched the big-screen craze and too-cool-for-anything trends by focusing on producing a driver-centric space in the interior of the vehicle. In here, the driver has just two or one dial to look at under the brand's Cannocchiale Vivente philosophy, which is a patented, movable "dynamic telescope" cluster. Depending on the chosen driving mode, the twin binnacle displays physically shift and merge into one.
A new steer-by-wire sculptured yolk steering wheel debuts for the driver to hold on to. Beside it is a new design lower center console stack that houses a new primary infotainment system embedded into the center console itself. The cabin space is then wrapped in the fanciest materials that all of Italy has to offer, in the form of Poltrona Frau nubuck leather made from 60% post-industrial waste, blended with a high-performance monofilament fabric developed with the Luna Rossa sailing team.
Bucket seating in individual arrangements is made up of a carbon-fiber monocoque shell architecture inspired by 1960s sports cars like those found in the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The mood is further enhanced by the presence of an interior designed to pulse along with the driver's heart rate, dimming automatically into hidden cross patterns when maximum driver concentration is required.
Although it is largely a concept, there seems to be a lot of work put in under the body of the vehicle to ensure that it performs as well as it looks. The first highlight in the suspension has to be the adaptation of a fully pneumatic (air) suspension system that replaces the traditional coil-over suspension setup. The new system provides intelligent vehicle ride height adjustment and damping stiffness according to the active driving mode, keeping the car level and minimizing body roll.
All four wheels will receive power courtesy of the brand's Q4 All-Wheel Drive, paired with a Torque-Converter Automatic. This transmission is also an upgrade from dual-clutch setups, as it provides a much smoother and more progressive shift style and sensation, also helping to achieve a seamless transition between the petrol engine and electric motor. To save weight and maximize throttle response, power is sent rearward via an ultra-lightweight carbon-fiber prop shaft.