Alfa Romeo hopes to compete with German luxury by going RWD only

good idea, maybe rear drive and 4- wheel drive, I would not spent money on front drive luxury car the front wheels handle so much pressure turning and handling the drivetrain, while the back wheels do nothing.

The only reason the industry went front drive is to save money in the manufacturing process as all they have to do with FWD is drop the engine/transmission module into the engine bay in one shot. I'll take RWD with LSD any time. FWD also saves a bit of weight but it's not worth it because then you get torque steer and you have to keep an eye on the boots that protect the CV joints.
Furthermore, with FWD cars with AWD need for a right-angle coupling because FWD vehicles have transversely mounted engines. I hate transversely mounted V6 engines as the rear spark plugs are difficult to get at.

My last paragraph above should read:

Furthermore, FWD cars with AWD need a right-angle coupling because FWD vehicles have transversely mounted engines. I hate transversely mounted V6 engines as the rear spark plugs are difficult to get at.

EnnNorak, not all fwd cars have transverse engines. The base Audi fwd models, for example.

Also, all other things being equal, a mid-engine car is as cheap to manufacture as a front-engine, fwd car. It also is lighter than rwd car, has better inherent balance, and lower polar moment of intertia for better handling, and allows a much roomier interior without a driveshaft impinging through the cabin.

It comes down to customer ignorance and industrial inertia. When the entire supply chain of the industry and customer expecation is for a front-engine vehicle, then that's all we will have, with rare exceptions. But it would be exciting to see Alfa offer a direct competitor to the Cayman.

Yes if Alfa is to be a player in the luxury or near luxury market they need to go RWD.

this should be interesting if they do decide to go rwd, and 4wd. i love the way the new alfas look this just makes them even more desirable

I agree, stupidity and idiocy and crappiness should be left out of Alfa's design goals. That's a good idea. But since your adolescent babble has nothing to do with the engineering of automobiles, I will recommend that Alfa continue to refine its products to best fit the needs of its customers, who very much enjoy RWD, FWD, and AWD.

Perhaps you don't realize it, but driving in northern Italy in the winter is best done in an AWD vehicle, which is why Alfa currently offers it. And some people who can't afford or don't need AWD still prefer FWD. Sorry, not everyone needs his car to be RWD.

If Alfa really wants to sell more cars, it needs to improve its service network and provide better customer support throughout the life of the vehicle (which should also be increased!). There's no doubt Alfa can produce stunning vehicles of any configuration and drivetrain, the question is whether they will be a global player again. I hope so.