What happened about these developments suggested in the article ??
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=41226 (http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=41226)
indeed, it's a pity the 159GTA's development seems to have died in the @rse, presumably due to costs and GFC.
in all honesty, i couldn't see it coming in at a 'reasonable' retail price. the 156GTA was what, around $90K? given the price of the 159 Q4, i personally think a reasonable premium price for a GTA version might be around $120K. but maybe the sums didn't add up, and it can't be done for anywhere near that cheaply. just a guess, of course.
if overall sales pick up, by the time that occurs, it will probably be too late to complete the project before the replacement car arrives.
but at least it seems the MiTo GTA has come off the back burner again, and is due to roll out in Europe early next year.
:)