Alfa GT on Sale Now
Expensive ornament or classy tourer?
Alfa's new GT is now on sale in Blighty. The pretty coupe offers four proper seats, a decent amount of luggage space and more character than Mr Benn on a shopping trip.
The car was designed by Bertone, in collaboration with Alfa Romeo Centro Stile at Arese, in Milan. The styling harps back to the classic Alfas of yesteryear from the 1900 SS to the Giulietta Sprint and Giulia Sprint GT created by Bertone in 1963.
Three engine options are available from the off. A 1.9 diesel with 150bhp and an impressive 225 lb-ft of torque is available for £20,995. Having driven one on track recently, it didn't cause any quickening of the heart rate - despite the impressive torque figures - and the looks alone won't justify that price tag.
The petrol engine available is the two litre motor with optional paddle shift. Power is 165bhp, with about 150 lb-ft of torque. Although it's a good engine, it wasn't enough to bring the car alive in my hands.
Front wheel drive shatters the dream that the GT might be a real driver's car and the brief time I had in these cars left me disappointed. The only hope for redemption is the fantastic 3.2 24 valve V6 that's also available at £26,695. That model I haven't sampled and I really hope it turns the GT into something other than a wannabe sporting coupe.
The 3.2 litre V6 develops 240 bhp at 6200 rpm, with a maximum torque of 213 lb.ft at 4800 rpm. These figures are complemented by a very flat torque curve that offers high output at low speeds.
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It's a great looking car, but the person who decided the rear seats were real was either 4'6" or a hunchback! Leg room's okay, but head room is non existent. Not that it's a real problem, but I wouldn't want to be sat in the back for long periods.
The FWD thing puts me off too. Seems strange that the car is being launched now on the FWD 156 (or is it the 147?) platform when in little more than a couple of years the saloon will switch to a RWD/4WD base much more suited to a coupe taking on BMWs forthcoming 4 series. But if usual model life is to apply to the GT it'll be a long time before it can take advantage of the dynamics offered by the switch in drivetrain.
One thing I did notice was that the engine is most definately forward of the front axle. Wonder what that will do for the handling of the car when the weightier V6 is up front?
LexSport said:
The FWD thing puts me off too. Seems strange that the car is being launched now on the FWD 156 (or is it the 147?) platform when in little more than a couple of years the saloon will switch to a RWD/4WD base much more suited to a coupe taking on BMWs forthcoming 4 series. But if usual model life is to apply to the GT it'll be a long time before it can take advantage of the dynamics offered by the switch in drivetrain.
Having just read a bit about the 157 in today's Autocar, I just found out I was pretty much completely wrong.
The new Premium platform underpinning the 157 (and new GTV/Spider and possibly 167) will be front or 4 wheel drive, not RWD. 
It's also due out in summer 2005, so just over 1 year. D'oh!
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