This war of words will just never go away. After Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech publicly made his desire to own Alfa Romeo, Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne quickly issued a rebuttal stating that the famous brand will never be sold under his watch. He also suggested for Piech to focus on rebuilding Seat first, instead of trying to buy brands that aren't for sale. Unfortunately for Fiat, their finances aren't exactly the best to keep a struggling brand such as Alfa afloat for much longer.

Fiat is hoping a return to the North American market will be a positive turn of event for Alfa Romeo. However, a new report coming out of Germany is claiming that not only is Volkswagen's interest in Alfa still very much alive, but they're apparently making plans to use a new four-cylinder boxer engine designed for Porsche for future Alfas. In other words, Volkswagen is well aware of Fiat's financial issues and they're making clear that Alfa Romeo would be healthier under their ownership. Another rumor is that Piech and Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn have already met with Italian government officials for unknown reasons.