{"id":4785,"date":"2025-04-27T20:40:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T20:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/?p=4785"},"modified":"2025-04-29T11:58:29","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T11:58:29","slug":"this-forgotten-alfa-romeo-is-the-sexiest-way-to-break-your-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/04\/27\/this-forgotten-alfa-romeo-is-the-sexiest-way-to-break-your-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"This Forgotten Alfa Romeo Is The Sexiest Way To Break Your Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PROS \u203a\u203a <\/span> Timeless design, glorious V6 sound, sharp steering and great handling. <\/span>CONS \u203a\u203a <\/span> FWD blunts edge, no limited-slip differential, maintenance costs. <\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

There are moments in life when the stars seem to align just right, and sometimes, those moments involve a set of keys, a beautiful Italian backdrop, and a car with something to prove.<\/p>\n

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The year: 2002. The place: Palermo, Sicily. The car: Alfa Romeo\u2019s<\/a> 156 GTA. The mission: drive the new sports sedan on a section of the legendary Targa Florio, once the most demanding race held on Italy\u2019s public roads. As thrilling as it sounded, it also came with a healthy dose of fear, since there was practically no room for error on the narrow, twisting route.<\/p>\n

All those worries vanished the moment I saw the press cars in person, gleaming under the Sicilian sun, lined up and ready for journalists to take the wheel. This job definitely has its perks. Just a couple of years into my career, here I was, about to drive what was, at least on paper, Alfa\u2019s answer to BMW\u2019s all-conquering E46 M3. A tall order by any measure, and one I was more than eager to see the GTA attempt to fill.<\/p>\n

QUICK FACTS<\/h5>\n
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\u203a Model:<\/td>\n2002 Alfa Romeo 156 GTA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u203a Production<\/td>\n2002-2005<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u203a Dimensions:<\/td>\n4,430 mm (174.4 in) <\/p>\n

1,743 mm (68.6 in) Width<\/p>\n

1,415 mm (55.7 in) Height<\/p>\n

2,595 mm (102.2 in) Wheelbase<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u203a Layout<\/td>\nFront engine, front-wheel drive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u203a Gearbox:<\/td>\nSix-speed manual (optional robotized manual)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u203a Engine:<\/td>\n3.2-liter naturally aspirated V6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u203a Output:<\/td>\n250 PS (184 kW; 247 hp) <\/p>\n

300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u203a 0-62 MPH:<\/td>\n6.3 seconds (100km\/h)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u203a Top Speed:<\/td>\n155 mph (250 km\/h)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u203a Weight:<\/td>\n3,109 lbs (1,410 kg)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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SWIPE<\/span><\/p>\n

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A BMW M3 Rival With FWD And 100 HP Less?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I confess I didn\u2019t expect it to. The reason was that, based on specs alone, the Alfa didn\u2019t even come close to the vaunted Bimmer. The third-gen M3<\/a>, launched in 2000, sported a naturally aspirated inline-six tuned by the M Division to deliver 343 hp. It was, thus, nearly 100 hp more powerful than the GTA\u2019s V6 which boasted just 247 hp despite both having a 3.2-liter capacity.<\/p>\n

Review: 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Sports Italian Foibles And Breakneck Performance<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Moreover, the BMW was rear-wheel drive and came as standard with a limited-slip differential. In contrast, the Alfa was front-wheel drive and, despite its, not inconsiderable, power an LSD was nowhere to be found. VDC, the name the Italians gave their Electronic Stability System, was also absent. A weird choice since on the facelifted 156<\/a>, which was launched the next year (the GTA kept the original bodywork but got the updated cabin) it was fitted as standard despite the base 1.6-liter version making do with less than half the horsepower. <\/p>\n

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When I questioned Alfa Romeo\u2019s execs about that during the 2003 facelift launch, they replied that the \u201cnormal\u201d 156s were aimed at the average driver, for whom stability control was an essential safety feature. The GTA, on the other hand, was designed from the outset without it in mind as it targeted driving enthusiasts only (or something along those lines; it was 22 years ago and I can\u2019t recall the exact words).<\/p>\n

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I guess my grimace made it clear I thought that wasn\u2019t a good enough excuse, so they assured me I, alongside the rest of my colleagues, would find out Alfa\u2019s engineers had done a great job the next morning.<\/p>\n

Designers Definitely Nailed That One<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure enough, after a great dinner with pasta and some fine Italian wine, I got a good night\u2019s sleep and the next morning I was ready to discover what the 156 GTA was made of. When we arrived at the garage Alfa Romeo had erected to put an emphasis on the nature of its sports sedan, the first thing we saw was an immaculate, perfectly restored Giulia GTA that, in the mid-1960s, caused a sensation due to its Bertone-designed bodywork and fine-tuned handling, as well as its success on the track.<\/p>\n

The same designation was adopted for the range-topping 156 \u2013 but what does it stand for? The answer is Gran Turismo Alleggerita; and if you don\u2019t need me to translate the first two words, the third means \u201clightened\u201d in Italian. The press cars were next to it, so after examining the Giulia, which we couldn\u2019t drive anyway, we moved on to them.<\/p>\n

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I didn\u2019t need an exec in a suave Italian suit to tell me that the 156 GTA looked splendid with its unique front spoiler and air intakes, flared wheel arches, lowered ride height that almost stranded the tarmac, and gorgeous 17-inch phone dial wheels shod in 225\/45 tires, although multi-spoke \u201cSuperturismo\u201d rims were also available.<\/p>\n

What Makes It Special<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our Editor had taught us that we should read the press kit and especially its key points beforehand, so we wouldn\u2019t ask stupid questions at car launches. Thus, I already knew that the GTA featured a much sportier suspension with revised geometry and stiffer bushes, a reinforced lower crossbar to increase chassis rigidity, larger diameter front and rear stabilizer bars, Brembo brakes with 310 mm front and 276 mm rear discs, and a faster steering with a hardly believable, for a road car, 1.7 turns.<\/p>\n

Before getting in the car, I caressed the body of this stunning Italian, taking in every little detail, from the front bumper\u2019s air intakes, the wider sills and, of course, those phone dial alloys. Alfa managed to pump up Walter da Silva\u2019s stunning design and turn the 156 from a suave sedan into a real beauty.<\/p>\n

Meet \u201cBussone\u201d, The Most Glorious NA V6 Ever Made<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then I popped up the bonnet and marveled at the \u201cBussone<\/em>\u201d (big \u201cBusso\u201d, from engineer Giuseppe Busso who designed it) 3.2-liter V6 with its glistening chrome and the words Alfa Romeo and GTA 3.2 V6 in red on the actual cylinder banks\u2019 heads. No stupid plastic covers here; Alfa knew it had a great-looking mill and, naturally, wanted it to be seen.<\/p>\n

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Admiring that masterpiece is just the appetizer; the main course comes when you sit on the retro-styled leather seat with integrated headrests and fire up the engine. Never mind the 100-hp deficit to the M3 \u2013 the raucous sound of the Bussone more than makes up for it and is music to any car enthusiast\u2019s ears. And that\u2019s when you fire it up; press the gas pedal and you\u2019re rewarded with a howl which reminds you that of a Ferrari<\/a>, no less. Engage first in the six-speed manual gearbox (a robotized single-clutch version was also available, like in the M3, but it was slow and clunky), give it some revs, and off you go.<\/p>\n

Heavenly Sound, Meaty Steering, Great Handling \u2013 Who Cares About The Rest?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unless you\u2019re very gentle with the throttle, a whiff of wheelspin is inevitable if you turn the traction control off like I did. Shift into second, pedal to the metal, and the symphony from that V6 is the best I\u2019ve ever heard this side of a naturally aspirated Ferrari V8 or V12. I dare not look at the instruments \u2013 Targa Florio<\/a> is choke-full of all kinds of corners, and I definitely want to stay focused on the road, so I just play it by ear when it comes to speed and gear changes.<\/p>\n

More: How Does The Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm Compare To The Jaguar XE SV Project 8?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

In a tight left-hander, I jump on the brakes that prove to be more than up to the task, turn the telepathically fast and full of feedback steering wheel, then floor the throttle at the exit. The lack of a limited-slip diff is obvious as, if you\u2019re too exuberant with the right pedal in slippery surfaces, the GTA can understeer. You catch it easily, though, by easing off the throttle and turning the wheel a bit more. The rear end isn\u2019t unsettled, so it won\u2019t snap into oversteer, and if you want an LSD, there are aftermarket ones available.<\/p>\n

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That, the front spoiler scraping the tarmac more often than not due to the very low ride height, and the quick steering making three-point turns five-point ones are the GTA\u2019s main drawbacks. The abysmal storage compartments, limited space for rear passengers and small, for the class, trunk (that\u2019s solved by the Sportwagon estate version) are limitations on all 156s, and the GTA is no different.<\/p>\n

A Wonderful Failure<\/strong><\/p>\n

Its main issue, though, and the reason it didn\u2019t sell (just 2,973 sedans and 1,678 Sportwagons in its short three-year run) is the very same car it was meant to rival. Buyers went for the M3<\/a> because it had way more power, was more prestigious, BMWs had a better reliability record than Alfas, and they didn\u2019t depreciate as much, either.<\/p>\n

That, though, is actually a blessing in disguise. Nowadays, you can find a GTA for much less than an M3 and it\u2019s not as ubiquitous, either. If you need more space, the Sportwagon offers a more usable trunk and folding rear seats \u2013 and, in my opinion, looks even better than the sedan \u2013 while the performance, although nothing special by today\u2019s standards, is more than enough for spirited driving on public roads.<\/p>\n

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The best bit about it, though, apart from the ultra-quick steering and great handling, is the sound of the naturally aspirated V6 that\u2019s absent from today\u2019s Alfa Romeos. Even the modern Giulia Quadrifoglio<\/a>, which has double the horsepower, lacks the GTA\u2019s soul and old-school charm. Blame emissions regs that forced manufacturers to downsize and adopt forced induction; it\u2019s no coincidence that the last great-sounding Ferrari V8 was the 458<\/a>, which was discontinued 10 years ago.<\/p>\n

The M3 Is Better, So Why Would I Choose The GTA?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reason dictates that the E46 M3 is the one to get: it\u2019s faster, rear-wheel drive, more premium, offers more space and holds its value much better. It\u2019s the blue chip of early 2000s\u2019 performance sedans, so this must be it, right?<\/p>\n

Those are all valid points. The M3 is a wonderful sports car. I\u2019ve driven it and had lots of fun, especially kicking out the rear end and burning rubber at every chance I got. It also had a nicely balanced chassis, devouring corners with ease and displaying excellent body control. Needless to say, I walked away impressed.<\/p>\n

Classic Drive: Alfa Romeo\u2019s 147 GTA V6 Still Makes Every Other Hot Hatch Feel Like White Goods<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n

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Still, between the two, I\u2019d go for the GTA. The E46 M3 was followed up by the even more raucous, V8-powered E90, then the F80<\/a> with its twin-turbo inline-six, and finally the G20 that also gets a twin-turbo six and is currently on sale. Nothing wrong with that, but it feels (and probably is) like the default choice in the segment, kinda like the Porsche 911<\/a> is in its own. Unlike Stuttgart\u2019s finest, though, Munich\u2019s designers don\u2019t just refine the design formula for each generation of the 3-Series, but go with something entirely different.<\/p>\n

Flaws Be Damned, It\u2019s Just Too Sexy To Resist<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Italians, on the other hand, follow the same recipe as Porsche up to this day, keeping certain styling cues that make all their models instantly recognizable, even though the size and bodywork are all different from each other. I like my car to have a certain character and look good even years from now and not just follow the trends. The 156 has definitely stood the test of time. More than two decades after its launch, it doesn\u2019t look dated. Having sampled another extremely well-kept example recently, it handles, corners, steers, brakes and sounds exactly as I remember it \u2013 and still looks amazing.<\/p>\n

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I really like its design so much that in my garage sits a 25-year-old 156 with a 118 hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder that needs a new radiator, fresh tires, an a\/c compressor, a respray, and (hopefully) not much more, as parts are not cheap. A daunting task for some, a pet project for me that\u2019s worth it because it simply is the most gorgeous car I\u2019ve ever owned. A new 1.0-liter turbocharged supermini has it licked in the straights. The Alfa more than makes up for it in corners, though, and its handling puts a smile on my face.<\/p>\n

If I decided I needed more thrills, I\u2019d search for a GTA Sportwagon with the manual \u2018box and phone-dial alloys that has a full service history and factor in my budget a few grand just in case anything goes wrong. Still cheaper than an M3, much sexier and with a soundtrack the E46 can only dream about.<\/p>\n

It Took Some Time For A Replacement, But It\u2019s Really Something <\/strong><\/p>\n

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Disregarding the underwhelming 147, the Gran Turismo Alleggerita badge remained dormant until 2020, when Alfa Romeo launched the limited run Giulia GTA<\/a> and hardcore GTAm with much fanfare and references to the past. If money was no issue, I would definitely get one as it\u2019s drop-dead gorgeous and everyone who\u2019s driven it sings its praise.<\/p>\n

Getting back down to Earth, the Quadrifoglio is the realistic option due it it being significantly more affordable. While it\u2019s not as extreme as the new GTA and the 156\u2019s sonorous Bussone is long dead, killed by emission regs, you can\u2019t really feel short-changed by a twin-turbo 2.9-liter, Ferrari-derived V6 that makes 505 hp, can you? Plus, despite dating back to 2015, the Giulia remains the more visually appealing compact sedan since, well, the 156.<\/p>\n

This time around, in order to take on the M3, Alfa Romeo didn\u2019t bring a knife to a gunfight, but a couple of Desert Eagles instead. Bellissima!<\/p>\n

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PROS \u203a\u203a Timeless design, glorious V6 sound, sharp steering and great handling. CONS \u203a\u203a FWD blunts edge, no limited-slip differential, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4785"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4785"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4785\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4788,"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4785\/revisions\/4788"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autofusiontech.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}