Older news but none the less interesting is that the 2012 Fiat collaboration with Mazda is still going ahead. The development of the MX5 ( Miata ) platform, rumor mill had placed as an Alfa Romeo is now looking likely to result in a Fiat or Abarth Roadster rather than an Alfa Romeo Spyder/roadster. For you guys in North America it seems counter intuitive, the sporty 500 models are making some good inroads (profit ) so putting a car reminiscent of the Barchetta on the showroom floor that eats into those sales is odd. But then again Sergio said he was committed to expanding the product lines in the US.
Like your market the MX5 ( Miata ) has a loyal following Downunder and as many will be jumping into the 2015 Miata in the U.S. roadster fans here are just going to rush into the MX-5... Leaving the probably more expensive similarly engineered Fiat behind? An Alfa however... is an Alfa. It's just different, the ones I have had did have a soul. The Mazda has quite a cult following and its really a great car, but there will always be the folks that want something different and the Thurston Howell the 3rd crowd that can't be seen in just a plain old Mazda will flock to an Alfa.
Fiats Abarth cache would help, and considering the proposed Alfa version was rumored to use the 1.4-litre MultiAir engine from the 500 Abarth, it seems obvious. At a motor show interview Sergio Marchionne had stated that
the project was now dropped from the Alfa Romeo brand, as the plan is for that brand to only have models built in Italy. So perhaps a rear wheel drive to take the place of the Mk1 Punto FWD based Barchetta that died in 2005 ( the successor to Fiat's '60s and '70s Spiders ). I kind of like that as "Barchetta" in Italian means 'little boat'. So the Autobianchi Runabout designed by Marcello Gandini of Bertone and shown at the 1969 Turin Motor that became the prototype code X1/9 project carries on that nautical theme, albeit without the 'sail'.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/alfa-romeo-mx-5-future-2014-03-20