By Paul Rachwal
Thursday, Jul 12th, 2012 @ 3:01 pm
 
The upcoming Alfa Romeo roadster that may be a rebadged next-gen Mazda MX-5 may be called the Duetto and use a turbocharged and direct-injected 1.75-liter inline-four. The engine is used elsewhere in the Fiat group's cars and can make as much 250 horsepower.

The same engine will also be used in the limited-production Alfa Romeo 4C. The unofficial information comes from Car and Driver, which also reported that the engine will be paired with a standard six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The latter would come from Alfa's parts bin, though Mazda isn't reportedly yet sold on this as it remains committed to its own Skyactiv-branded automatic transmissions.

In an effort to keep weight down, suspension component will be made of aluminum as well, while ultra-high tensile steel will be used in the chassis. These should help the cars tip the scales at about 2,300lbs.

The next-generation Miata isn't likely to use Alfa's engine, however. It should arrive in 2014, while Alfa's Duetto may arrive as much as one year later. The Alfa is expected to have styling based on the 2uettottanta concept (pictured) unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.