On paper, it would appear that Arsenal Football Club and the Italian car industry have nothing in common. At all. But, both have a star studded lineup and, behind the badges, both flatter to deceive, as well.
Sport has established a powerful place in society for humans. As a topic of conversation though – if you have zero interest, or curiosity – sport can be a source of social isolation. In no sport are these two factors more vivid and evident, than in football. I’m aware of this caveat, so I’ll keep my monologue on the subject brief. As a fan, you’re the alliance to your team. You form the foundations and fundamental lifeblood of your football club. Both to play and watch, football gives fans an identity, and unifies supporters in a common, collective purpose, in the most profound of ways.
At this point, I’ll admit that I’m a member of the football fan community. Specifically speaking, I’m an ardent, avid and rabid fan of Arsenal Football Club, which, for a list of convoluted reasons, is a bag of mixed emotions. Arsenal are one of the top six elite clubs in the English Premier League, yet the Gunners – the clubs nickname – haven’t won the EPL title since the Invincibles season in 2004. That’s when Arsenal went an entire Premier League campaign unbeaten. They remain the only team to have that accolade to their name.
There are myriad reasons why Arsenal have failed to challenge and compete for the EPL since, too many to name here. But a critical component in the armoury of any title assault, is a strong squad. In this department, Arsenal have struggled to recruit and assemble the player ability needed to win the Premier League. It stems from the lack of financial investment in world class players that are high in demand, but in short supply. That increases prices for the strongest and best players.
The current squad still reflects that reality. It lacks breadth and depth, and is bereft of the quality and consistency needed to win the Premier League. There are star players at Arsenal, that shine a shaft of light in the dark doldrums. But the rest of the squad merely make up the numbers, and resemble deadwood that needs clearing out. As an Arsenal fan, it’s just not good enough. You can’t win titles with half a team.
"Audi – by proxy for the VW Group – saved Lamborghini from extinction. The brands profile has skyrocketed ever since"
Football triggers the human expression of two feelings most associated with the Italian car industry, passion and emotion. There are also similar parallels that can be drawn between Arsenal’s current squad status, and patterns that are prevalent in much of the Italian car industry. But one carmaker that’s publicly perceived as part of the Italian car industry squad, is much more like a carmaker on loan.
That carmaker is Lamborghini. The ostentatious brand had, in the past, endured difficult financial and sales realities that dented the marques ability to progress. In 1997, Lamborghini posted just a €3.876 million operating profit. Indonesian company Megatech held a 60% controlling stake in Lambo, and had been attempting to secure new investment to fund a new product range. But they struggled to do so. Until approaching one carmaker, who offered Lamborghini a lifeline.
That carmaker was Audi, subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. Initial conversations consisted of Audi becoming supplier of engines and other components. But talks quickly escalated beyond that, and Megatech decided to ditch the black hole the Italian brand had become. It emerged in June 1998 that Audi had signed a letter of agreement to purchase Lamborghini. Under restructuring, the VW Group put Lamborghini under Audi’s control. The price? It’s estimated Audi paid between just £30 million and £70 million.
Audi set about transforming Lamborghini, beyond recognition. The flamboyant carmaker was restructured into a holding company, Lamborghini then become a subsidiary of that. The infrastructure to extract the capability of the exotic carmaker was established. It became the blueprint, the formula enabling Lamborghini to fulfil its potential. And it was set up by the VW Group.
Close collaboration between Audi and Lamborghini ensued. A lot of Audi interior switch-gear is adopted in the Italian marques revived range, whilst the 5.2 litre V10 engine was a joint project. Lambo started its development, but that evolved under Audi’s expertise. It’s built to such a good standard, that it still features in the current Huracan and R8 V10 Plus.
From the evidence, it’s hard to dispute that Audi are the instigators and protagonists of Lamborghini’s resurrection. The brands profile has skyrocketed ever since. Audi – by proxy for the VW Group – saved Lamborghini from extinction. In a benevolent sense, it’s accurate to consider Lamborghini as a global brand, a sophisticated fusion of two distinctive marques.
But no matter how publicly and passionately Italians pride Lamborghini's Italian heritage, privately, in the background, it’s obvious that Audi, subsidiary of the VW Group, did the hard graft, by putting in place the resources. Subsequently in the context of my strongest car industry in the world criteria checklist, it’s hard to consider Lamborghini as exclusively part of the Italian car industry.
"Effectively, what Abarth has done, is turned the cute and cuddly Fiat 500, into an angry and aggressive road-roaming animal"
Fiat though, are very much a fully patriated member of the Italian car industry. They’re also, of course, one of four Italian brands clubbed together forming part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. But more on that in a bit. First, the Fiat marque, which is rather good at making small, stylish cars.
The brand is famed for one little city car in particular, the 500. The original references something of an icon. And the reimagined version has done well to imbed much of what made the original so likeable. It has a cool style, a sort of positive skip in its drive. It's a chilled little car, the sort that gives you a feel-good factor. The 500 soaks up the limelight in the Fiat range, from my perspective, it's the strongest and best car the brand has. Internal combustion will be ditched in the third generation too, the 500 will switch and be powered by an all-electric powertrain.
But there’s a tuned variant of the 500, that turns the friendly, light-hearted Fiat into a hardened street fighter, with attitude. Abarth is the name, aggressive is its nature. The model injected with the biggest dose of testosterone is the 695. Squeezed under the diddy bonnet is a 1.4 litre turbocharged engine, which kicks out 180bhp. That packs a fair punch in a car the size of a toaster.
It means that performance is brisk, so much so that, at first, the somewhat unsuspecting 695 catches other motoring commuters driving premium branded cars slightly off guard. It’s part of the package that comes with driving a pocket rocket like the Abarth 695, it’s a cheeky and plucky car. With 0-62mph nailed in 6.9 seconds, it’ll hammer all the way to a 140mph top speed. Not bad for a modified toaster.
Effectively, what Abarth has done, is turned the cute and cuddly Fiat 500, into an angry and aggressive road-roaming animal. You can see the appeal. As cars continue to grow, suddenly the Fiat 500 and tuned Abarth 695 become rare, and something of a novelty. They both buck the growing trend of larger cars, and on balance, the 500 and 695 work in doing so. The latter does come at a cost, £23,880, which is a lot of money considering the cars you could get instead.
The 500 soaks up the limelight in the Fiat range, but hidden in its shadow is a small car equally as endearing, if in a slightly less heart-warming and alluring way. The Panda’s not as fashionable contrasted to the 500, it’s a more back to basics and functional form of motoring. It’s not particularly fast, the 0.9 Turbo four-wheel drive variant will crank itself to 62mph in 12 seconds, and get up to giddy 104mph top speed.
But speed isn’t its forte, the Panda’s not a hot rod. For simple, fuss free commuting, the little Panda excels, especially so in urban settings. That said, its age is starting to show, it’s a dated product from a different generation of car. The knock-on effect of this is that the Panda’s purpose is dimmed, and is slowly fading into irrelevance.
And that’s what the rest of the Fiat range sadly is – irrelevant. The 500X is a crossover that lacks verve and vigour. It’s missed the swell and surge of a wave in such a way that rivals have been riding the crest of that wave. There feels like a lack of imagination put into the 500X, it’s basically an inflated 500. That bloated styling does make you grit your teeth slightly, in grimacing despondence. Everything about it is a bit bland, it lacks the Italian flair the little 500 has. The 500X has “plug a gap in the market” written all over it.
"Alfa knows how to tantalise and tease better than most, they know how to add extra appeal, taking an already cool Alfa, and making it even cooler"
Then there is the Tipo hatchback, which is rather tragic, really. Again, it’s missing some passion and emotion, there’s no real spark of excitement. It’s a little bit dull and boring. When the you consider the 500 is such a solid package, the banal and lame Tipo is a bit of let down from Fiat. And it's not fast either, the most powerful model is a 1.4 Turbo, with a measly 118bhp. That’s enough for a rather middling 0-62mph of 9.8 seconds, and a middle-of-the-road 124mph top speed. There’s nothing that captures you or stands out, apart from exactly that. It’s just meh.
One Italian carmaker in particular though, is immune from meh. Instead, the cars drip with passion and desire. The effect mixes and shakes the human pool of emotions. That carmaker, of course, is Alfa Romeo. The current range is slimmed down, but the effortlessly seductive marque still sits as a jewel in the crown of the Italian car industry. And unsurprisingly, the Alfa with the golden glow is the beguiling Giulia. It firmly reinstates Alfa as a challenger in the ferociously feisty small saloon category, particularly in the performance segment. The Quadrifoglio is testament to that.
But Alfa knows how to tantalise and tease better than most, they know how to add extra appeal, taking an already cool Alfa, and making it even cooler still. Proving that point is the recently revealed, harder and faster Giulia variant, the GTA. The initialism stands for “Gran Turismo Alleggerita” – the last word means “lightened” in Italian. And its lightness that underpins the philosophy of the GTA. Beneath the toned exterior is a car honed with strong performance; it’s a serious force for rivals to reckon with.
The 2.9 litre Bi-Turbo V6 engine has been modified, ratcheting power up to 540bhp. Performance has improved, 0-62mph now takes 3.6 seconds. Enhanced aerodynamic efficiency has increased downforce, thanks to an active front splitter, revised side skirts and tweaked rear spoiler. A new titanium Akrapovi central exhaust system – that’s lighter, and likely louder – is integrated with the carbon fibre rear diffuser. The track width has been stretched 50mm at the front and back to add stability, reinforced by new springs, shock absorbers and suspension system.
Still not extreme enough? No problem, Alfa’s got it sorted. Turning the dial up to eleven is the Giulia GTAm. An even larger front splitter and rear wing are fitted, with the purpose of balancing load at high speeds. Both happen to make the Alfa look cooler too. And with the rear seats removed, replaced instead by a roll bar, alcantara is used even more extensively on the interior of the GTAm. With tech derived from the Alfas motorsport links, Lexan has been used in the side and rear window frames – it’s a polycarbonate resin. The result? A 100kg weight reduction over the Quadrifoglio.
Trouble is, only 500 Alfa GTA’s will be made. Which is a bit tricky, really. However, there’s no such capping on production of the Stelvio, Alfas first SUV. Based on the Giulia, it shares much of its core DNA, so it’s rather good. The Quadrifoglio version amplifies every aspect in typical Alfa style.
Unsurprisingly, style and stature are not in short supply at Maserati. The brand has layers of coolness that entices attention and interest. Yet this desirable brand appeal deflects away from some handling foibles that, to a minor extent, undermines part of the present-day Maserati package. The slight lack of sporty suppleness is evident in the current model range. Despite these little limitations, it doesn’t dilute the fact that Maserati has a respectable clan of cars.
The Ghibli is the smallest saloon in Maserati’s playbook. It has the Italian marques classic Maserati look: it’s sleek and sheik, but exudes elegance. But it’s not all show and no go, it has performance to match. A point emphasised most pertinently in the Ghibli S, with a 3.0 litre V6 engine that pushes out 430bhp, there’s plenty of pace to put a smile on your face. The race to 62mph is done in 4.9 seconds, whilst the Ghibli S will leave you eating its dust, as it cruises to a 178mph top speed. So, the Ghibli is on point with straight line performance, but misses it a bit when it comes to dynamic handling.
"You want a quick Maserati, forget the two saloons. Get the Levante Trofeo GTS, the sporty SUV. It's frickin' fast"
Maserati’s most marvelled model in recent times though has been the Quattroporte – it still is. With a similarly styled exterior to the Ghibli’s, the Quattroporte dons a stretched silhouette that has prestige and cachet, it’s difficult to dislike and resist. Effectively, the Quattroporte is just a bigger Ghibli, which does dim the excitement levels a tad, robbing the Quattroporte of its own unique identity. The family resemblance continues under the skin too, the engine's the same as the Ghibli’s, it has a 3.0 litre V6. The power output correlates to the same amount as the Ghibli, it has 430bhp.
That means performance is virtually identical to the Ghibli too, 0-62mph takes 5 seconds, the top speed is 179mph. In this department, the Quattroporte lags behind stronger and better rivals. You get the impression that the Quattroporte has been deliberately reigned in to intentionally underperform. It feels like it wasn’t developed to its potential. But it makes up for it with an effortless coolness, that on first glances, sends a shudder of insecurity and inferiority down the chassis of most cars. If you choose style over performance and driving dynamism, the Quattroporte’s your car.
If you want pulverising performance though, somewhat surprisingly, the Maserati to satisfy that need in the current range is the Levante SUV. Or more specifically, the Trofeo GTS variant. With a 3.8 litre V8, the engine is bigger than in either saloon. That means power output is bigger too, it makes 580bhp. In turn, lots of pace is on standby, ready to be deployed in an instant. And when it is, the Trofeo rips up the 0-62mph dash in 4.1 seconds, and will keep on going to a 186mph top speed. You want a quick Maserati, forget the two saloons. Get the Levante Trofeo GTS, the sporty SUV. It's frickin' fast.
Of course, Maserati are part of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Group, along with Fiat, Abarth and Alfa Romeo. Included in this consortium are several American carmakers. During 2019, FCA sold just over 4.36 million cars. This total maintained the 5.1% global market share, despite a 3.8% contraction of cars sold in comparison to 2018. It puts the Group eighth in the table. It’s clear that FCA has a stable and consistent customer base, and with Italian carmakers especially, there's potential to expand and grow.
One Italian carmaker operating in the purple patch zone, is Ferrari. The famous brand currently functions on such a finely balanced counterpoise between creative design and extreme engineering. It means the present supercar range is the most sophisticated and advanced than at any point in the marque’s history. This harmonious equilibrium enables Ferrari to consistently raise the standard of new supercars developed at Maranello, that reach uncharted realms of capability.
Ferrari’s paddock of prancing ponies each alter and differ depending on purpose and orientation. But the name alone of the current range frontman, wins Ferrari the inaugural "Stating the Obvious" award. It's called the Ferrari 812 Superfast. No shit. But as ironically amusing though it is, the adjective "superfast" succinctly summarises the nature of Ferrari 812, to a T. Cause it’s not just superfast, it’s bloody superfast.
The source of the brute force is a 6.5 litre V12 engine. Its natural aspiration makes it a dying breed, it’s likely to be the last time it will feature in a Ferrari. But it’s sure to go out with a bang. With 789bhp in the 812’s armoury, it feels like a stick of dynamite has been placed into each engine cylinder. This overwhelming power consumes your senses, it’s like a force of nature that’s able to tear a hole into the upside down.
It equates to performance equally intoxicating; the 812 has pulverising pace that devours distances, and track times. With the 0-62mph sprint taking 2.9 seconds, the 812 will go on to effortlessly ease past 124mph in just 7.9 seconds. It’s like the Ferrari’s power unit has the swell and surge as unforgiving as the waves of a stormy sea. The 812 utterly crushes almost everything in its path on the way to its 211mph top speed. Wielding such an immense and intense set of numbers, Ferrari should have inserted the adjective "batshit" between 812 and Superfast, IMO. Safe to say that, the Ferrari 812 Superfast, certainly isn’t superslow.
"Ferrari is more than just a carmaker. Ferrari is hope. Even if, in Formula 1, Ferrari have become more like specialists in false hope. And failure"
Ferrari has mythical and symbolic significance in the Italian car industry, it’s like a spiritual entity. The brand is liked and loved so much, that the most loyal and hardcore fans form a tribal faction of devotees. Staunch supporters of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team are referred to as the Tifosi, that’s tantamount to a cult or religion.
The Ferrari brand is like the vessel of life, where hopes and dreams are placed. People invest so much passion and emotion in Ferrari; it's a heavy burden for the brand to bear. Ferrari means something deeper, more personal and purposeful to the Tifosi and Italians. Ferrari is more than just a carmaker. Ferrari is hope. Even if, in Formula 1, Ferrari have become more like specialists in false hope. And failure.
But Ferrari perhaps, aren't the most exotic or extreme. There’s another carmaker with a bolder repute. That carmaker is Pagani. As a brand famed for extravagance and excitement, attention to detail and radical performance, Pagani cars drip with desirability and coolness. First with the Zonda, and now with the Huayra, its patent that Pagani has no perception struggles.
The current autarch of Pagani, is the Huayra BC. Named after Benny Caiola, the first Pagani customer and friend of founder Horacio Pagani, the Huayra draws inspiration from its track focused predecessors, the Zonda R and Zonda Cinque. With the Huayra BC, Pagani opened the Pandora box of possibilities, and dabbled with new designs. But in one specific domain, Pagani has had a helping hand.
Since the Italian marque’s inception, Pagani has worked in close collaboration with one brand in particular. That brand, is Mercedes-AMG. Spanning twenty years, the German carmaker has developed bespoke high-performance power units for Pagani, that are designed and manufactured at Mercedes’ AMG Affalterbach factory, in Germany. For the Huayra BC, a brand-new custom-built Mercedes-AMG 6.0 litre twin-turbocharged engine is fitted. Hurrah. Or rather, Huayra.
This unique Mercedes-AMG engine has been calibrated to put Pagani into the epicentre of dog fights within the hypercar realm. Equipped with 789bhp and 774 ib-ft of torque, the Huayra BC is armed with serious performance to outmanoeuvre rivals. It takes just 2.5 seconds for the Huayra BC Coupe to hurtle to 62mph; there’s no official time for the Roadster version, but it’s unlikely to be far behind. With an estimated top speed of 230mph, the Huayra BC is like a whirling vortex of preoccupying power. Hallelujah! Or rather, Huayra.
There’s so much more to the Huayra BC, like the pioneering use of composite technologies, and aerodynamic capability for dynamic driving. And that it has a dry weight of just 1250kg. There’s too much to mention in detail here. The Huayra BC is not just a high performance hypercar, but a piece of artwork. It’s a special car, with a special engine. I like it, a lot.
The Italian car industry then has lots to like about it. But, as a car enthusiast and football fan, themes and trends can be compared and contrasted between the Italian car industry, and weaknesses in the current Arsenal squad. Looking under the surface, the resemblances are stark. And the patterns, problematic.
"Since the Italian marque’s inception, Pagani has worked in close collaboration with one brand in particular. That brand, is Mercedes-AMG"
Fiat is Italy’s mass market carmaker, yet it reminds me of Arsenal’s defensive frailties. There’s only a handful of top-quality players in Arsenal’s defensive ranks that can be relied on to perform at a consistent level. And that’s not good enough to paper over the bigger defensive deficiencies Arsenal are inhibited with. It means the Gunners still concede too many goals.
It’s the same with Fiat. The disparity in quality compromises the structure of Fiat in such a way that, it makes me feel nervous and uncertain about the Italian marque. The two small cars are a hoot, but the other two just aren’t good enough. The 500X and Tipo just make up the numbers in a small Fiat range. And that’s it. The Fiat range just cuts itself off. It ends there, it just stops. Fiat’s portfolio is just not competitive enough to usurp stronger and better rivals.
Alfa Romeo and Maserati are carmakers with premium status, yet they both remind me of Arsenal’s midfield imbalance. Arsenal have a good collection of players to select from in each position, but the squad has always lacked an assured defensive midfielder. It leaves the defence vulnerable. And while Arsenal have creative players in attacking midfield, there’s not a talisman to pin your colours to. There’s no midfield magician.
Alfa make two very capable cars, but the range just stops. It just end, cutting itself off. It lacks the complete and consistent portfolio to realistically challenge the strongest and best premium carmakers in their category. Maserati have a respectable range, but they don’t possess the dynamic driving prowess of stronger and better rivals. The Maserati badge flatters to deceive the prevalent, and underlying defects.
The strongest sector in the Italian car industry is performance cars; it’s a carbon copy that's reflected in Arsenal’s squad with attacking players. The strike force is potent and lethal, it can overload teams, ripping them apart. The strikers in Arsenal’s armoury are capable of matching the strongest and best squads in the Premier League. But for all Arsenal’s offensive artillery, the squad, as a unit, cannot always rely and depend on the strikers to outscore the opposition, and cover up the teams limitations.
Ferrari tick all the boxes. Any discernible chinks in the armour that exist are minor. Those that do exist, are scarcely exposed or revealed. Pagani are operating on a stratospheric level in the hypercar realm; the exotic extravagance that attracts and appeals to people is reminiscent of a peacock displaying its feathers. And, in partnership with Mercedes-AMG, Pagani are elevated to one of the poster carmakers for your bedroom wall. But Ferrari and Pagani alone can’t make up for the significant shortcomings that exist in the Italian car industry.
Arsenal Football Club and the Italian car industry are alike. Both have holes that need filling. And both carry deadwood, that needs offloading. Like the superelite football clubs, the strongest and best teams have squad depth and breadth to compete across the season in multiple competitions. Arsenal just don’t have the squad of that calibre. So, the Gunners can’t compete in multiple competitions simultaneously. Only investment in the squad, recruiting better and stronger players, will elevate Arsenal’s profile.
It’s the same with the Italian car industry. Like the superelite car industries, the strongest and best countries have breadth and depth in brand ranges; that enables carmakers to compete in every car category, on a consistent level. Italy doesn’t have a car industry of that calibre. To amend that, investment is needed to expand Italian carmaker ranges. But in reality, it’s hard to see that happening. With a depleted car industry, Italy can’t quite compete. But it's not a million miles away.
Italian Car Industry: Third Place
Photos: Lamborghini, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Ferrari, Pagani
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