Alfa Romeo 2000 Reviews

One of the big magnets at Frankfurt motor show this year was the dynamic BMW i8 - but performance purists might be horrified to learn the Bavarian muscle car only has a three-cylinder turbo 1.5-litre petrol engine. And an electric motor.But the output is staggering: 170kW/320Nm from the tiny petrol motor and the rest from the electric power plant, for a total output of 266kW and a whopping 570Nm of torque. It goes to 100km/h in 4.4seconds and uses next to no fuel. Try 2.5litres/100km.It's an all-wheel drive model, with the electrics powering the front wheels and the three-potter the rear. Most of the body is of carbon fibre plastic, the suspension and other underbody parts are aluminium and the electric bit can be recharged at home in about four hours.BMW says the i8 is likely to go from concept to production in a matter of months and has even worked out a price for it: US$136,000. It might be a tad more if it comes to Australia.Ferrari produced a 458 Speciale, said to be its 'best V8 ever'. The blue-striped red coupe producing some pretty decent numbers: 445kW/540Nm, three seconds flat from standstill to 100km/h and a top speed of 325km/h.Across the passage Fiat had a flotilla of its cute littlies. There was the 500e, an electric powered one with a 140km range, the 63kW GQ Twinair, a turbo S version with 77kW and one called Living which offered a head-spinning 88kW.Plus a 500 Abarth circa 1959, one of the world's earliest mini hotties, alongside the latest and considerably bigger version. But Alfa Romeo's 4C was possibly the best of the Italian sporting machines, a lovely blend of style, performance and balance at a comparatively affordable price.  

As winter fades and summer fast approaches thoughts often turn to open-top cars and convertibles. For some there's nothing better than cruising around in an open car with the roof down.NEWFor those the selection of makes and models of open cars has never been greater. Most carmakers offer at least one convertible, some more than one. The Italian carmaker, Alfa Romeo has always offered convertibles, they're part of the company's DNA.The Spider has been a long and well-established model in the Alfa range and the company launched a new car in 2006, which was based on the Brera coupe. Like all Alfas the Spider is high on style and is packed with the flair that only comes with Italian cars.Two models were launched in 2006, the 2.2-litre four-cylinder JTS and the 3.2-litre V6 JTS. Both had performance-oriented engines boasting continuously variable valve timing and efficient direct injection.They each had six-speed manual gearboxes with the option of a six-speed auto; the smaller engine model was front-wheel drive, while the V6 had permanent all-wheel drive. While the engines deliver the punch expected of a sports car the chassis delivers the handling that allows it to be fully exploited.With double wishbone front suspension and a new multi-link rear suspension the Spider offers the sort of balanced handling and responsive steering to make open-road cruising the enjoyable experience it should be.The power soft top can be raised and lowered quickly and efficiently so you're never caught in a downpour. Inside the driver and passenger are accommodated in supportive, comfortable seats, the controls are nicely laid out within easy reach of the driver.Without a spare wheel the boot is quite large. On the road the Spider delivers the sort of driving experience expected of a sports car with the sort of heritage Alfa possesses.NOWAlfas, like most Italian cars, can be most alluring. They're stylish, make the right sort of noises and ache for the open road, but history says they can be troublesome.There was a period through the 1970s and '80s when Italian cars were slapped together by people who didn't seem to care, and the people who bought them suffered the consequence. They were poorly built, generally unreliable and rust was a major issue.Thankfully that's in the past and the cars are much better built, more reliable and rust doesn't appear to be a problem now, but there remains a suspicion that affects the reputations of all but the most exotic Italian brands and Alfa is one of them.It not only affects the new car sales of the brand, but also the resale and that needs to be appreciated and understood by anyone thinking of buying one. It's a good idea to find an Alfa specialist to service your chosen car, as they tend to be less expensive and have a genuine enthusiasm for the brand.Check the operation of the roof, which should be go up and down smoothly. Some owners complain that it doesn't, and there are reports of the lining inside the well where the roof is stored when lowered comes away preventing the roof from fully lowering.In 2009 there was a recall of 3.2-litre Spiders equipped with automatic transmissions to correct a problem that resulted in the brake pedal being stiff when pressed the first few times after a cold start. Examine the service record to see that your potential choice has been maintained as it should be and that it has been done by a creditable service outlet, preferably one familiar with the brand.SMITHY SAYSA stylish and thoroughly enjoyable and reliable sports car that's perfect for summer cruising.Alfa Romeo Spider 2006-2011Price new: $76,950 to $100,950Engine: 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder, 136 kW/230 Nm; 3.2-litre, V6, 191 kW/322 NmTransmission: 6-speed manual, 6-speed auto, FWD, AWDEconomy: 9.4 L/100 km (2.2), 11.5 L/100 km (V6)Body: 2-door convertibleVariants: 2.2 JTS, 3.2 JTS V6Safety: ABS, Traction Control, ESPCOMING UPDo you own a BMW 1-Series? If so tell us what you think of it by sending your comments to Graham Smith at grah.smith@bigpond.com or Carsguide, PO Box 4245, Sydney 

The Townsville dealership of China's Great Wall Motors is to have a new showroom. The Motoco Group, operated by Jason Collins and Alan Baxter, has confirmed its purchase of the former BP service station site at the corner of Bowen Rd and Balls Lane, Mundingburra, for $1 million.The firm will spend about another $500,000 converting the property into a showroom and car yard for the dealership, which it has operated for about four years. It will also sell Foton light trucks. Motoco dealer Jason Collins said the Great Wall team, which had traded almost opposite on Bowen Rd alongside its used car business, had earned its new location.“They should have their own stand-alone facility,” Mr Collins said. “We are consistently in the top 10 in Australia with Great Wall.” There are about 80 Great Wall dealerships around the country and the number is growing. It is one of the largest manufacturers in China, where the auto industry has exploded in recent years to become the world's largest vehicle maker.Work to fit out the new Townsville showroom has just began. “It will be gutted and turned into a showroom with a new glass facade and a modern awning,” Mr Collins said. He said they were confident about the prospects for business in Townsville despite a difficult market recently.“Townsville has been very good to this business,” Mr Collins said. “Talking to the Gold Coast dealers, they are still doing it tough and there's a general feeling that we have it far better in this area.” Peter Wheeler of Colliers International Townsville, who negotiated the sale of the 2233sq m property, said the purchase opposite Motoco's Audi Townsville Centre was a logical extension of their business.But with interest rates at their lowest levels for some 50 years, it was also a well-timed move. “Now really is the time to be buying. It's a good time to be getting into the market,” Mr Wheeler said. The Motoco Group which also operates in Cairns was formerly Honeycombes Cars. It has dealerships in Audi, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, Great Wall, Peugeot, Winnebago and Millard. It is also involved in Rising Sun Marine and Townsville Suzuki Marine dealerships.tony.raggatt@news.com.au 

Enough pictures, enough video, enough stats and press releases. Someday soon, by the beard of Jupiter, we want to experience the Alfa Romeo 4C in the flesh -- and it's likely to be a couple of years before it makes it to Australia. Still, the videos aren't terrible, as the subject in question is more than easy on the eyes.The latest clip released from Alfa Romeo shows the 4C being hustled around the Balocco Racetrack, which is located in the Piedmont region of Italy (wine fan alert!). This video shows 4C ripping through corners, and apparently breaking out into a sweat, because the rest of the clip shows sunny skies.It's still a tease though, and a bit of a cruel one. At the very beginning we're treated to the car starting up, but the pending exhaust and engine noises give way to overly dramatic music. That's not what we want to hear. If the car is shown powersliding around a corner, we want to hear rubber being murdered, an engine orchestrating mayhem, and an exhaust barking angrily at the tarmac as it passes over it.Oh, well. I guess we just have to wait for our own time behind the wheel. For now, we'll try to remain content with the aforementioned stills, videos, and stories being sent out. Time to go back and watch that clip again... for the 35th time or so.www.motorauthority.com 

Workplace rumour suggests this lady has bought a new Italian car, but she hasn’t. She hasn’t bought a car, she’s bought an Alfa Romeo.

Richard’s Giulietta becomes the rose between two flatmates, as Richard ‘makes friends’ with one of the ladies.

Watch the Alfa Romeo Giulietta travel some of Sydney’s famous roads, as it encounters several classic models from the Italian carmaker’s past.

Alfa Romeo has expanded their Giulietta range with four new variants, with the base model starting at $25,000 – about $6000 lower than the previous entry level. The new pricing system - part of a new structure for Alfa Romeo and Fiat – is aimed at making the Italian vehicles more affordable for the Australian market and attracting more buyers. “The introduction of an expanded Giulietta range is the next step in our repositioning program for Alfa Romeo,” Fiat Chrysler Australia CEO Veronica Johns says. “We’re confident the significant improvements we’ve made to the value equation for this vehicle line will attract the attention of new car buyers.” The entry level Giuletta will be powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine, outputting 88kW of power and 206Nm of torque. The Progression variant starts with a more powerful 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine, with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine also available. All Giuletta models come with the Alfa Romeo DNA system, safety features, electric windows, rain-sensing wipers, wheel mounted radio and phone controls, 6-speaker MP3 capable stereo and a ‘start and stop’ economic system. Model Line-Up  

New life has been breathed into Alfa Romeo in Australia with the switch of control to the Italian head office; previously they were being brought in by a private importer. Price cuts and the introduction of new models have sparked buyer interest in new Alfas and Fiats.Sadly for sellers, but great news for buyers, the aforementioned change has resulted in lower prices on the used Alfa Romeo market.Though it’s supposedly just another mid-sized family car, the Italian designers of the Alfa Romeo 156 gave it plenty of verve in its design. Not only does it look great, the chassis has superb dynamics that appeal to those who really like to get out there and drive.Handling is what Italian cars are all about and the Alfa Romeo 156 doesn’t disappoint. It has a willingness to turn into a corner and once in there it has tenacious road grip. Steering is prompt and sharp and this car communicates to the driver as though it’s a sports machine.Few family sedans cry out to be taken for a run on your favourite bit of road early of a Sunday morning, but this Alfa Romeo just loves that sort of treatment.Despite looking like a sleek two-door coupe the Alfa 156 has four doors. The back doors are so well hidden that many don’t even realise they are there. The rear door handles are disguised as air extractor vents and we once had the experience of someone trying to get into the back of a 156 by squeezing in through the front doors.Once you’ve located the door handles, it’s reasonably easy to get into the back seat of the Alfa Romeo 156. However, the sporting heritage of the car’s shape shows up here and it doesn’t have the biggest of rear seats. Indeed the area back there is probably best left for children.The boot is also on the small side for a family car. The station wagon’s load area is a bit of a joke if you regard it as being a full wagon - but makes sense if you think of it as a coupe with an extended load area.Naturally, the Alfa wagon is much easier to load than the luggage area of a conventional two-door coupe. The Alfa Romeo 156 first arrived in Australia in February 1999 in sedan format with the station wagon being added in August 2000. In October 2003 the 156 got a major facelift that saw the traditional Alfa shield grille become considerably larger and stretching right down into the bumper. The tail was beefed out and a bit more brightwork added to the body.Power in the standard Alfa Romeo 156 range is provided by either a four-cylinder 2.0-litre or a 2.5-litre V6. The four-cylinder was upgraded to JTS specification midway through 2002 and we reckon it’s the one to buy. It not only has even more response, but also uses less fuel.In the usual Italian manner, the four-cylinder engine is the sporting unit aimed at the press-on driver, whereas the V6 is the luxury cruising unit. There is, of course, more acceleration from the V6 than the four, but the eagerness to work hard has been toned down.The Selespeed automated manual transmission used on many four-cylinder Alfa 156s, can be frustratingly slow and lumpy in the lower gears. We feel it’s better to buy a five-speed manual, but many have learnt to tolerate the Selespeed because they use their Alfa to commute in traffic. Try before you buy.The Alfa 156 V6 has a four-speed fully-automatic unit with semi-sequential options.An ultra-hot, very-expensive 156 GTA joined the range in August 2002. With a highly-tuned 3.2-litre V6, six-speed close-ratio manual box, bold body kit, big wheels tyres and brakes, it’s a real delight to drive. Look out for torque steer though, as it can try to take control of the wheel at times. The GTA didn’t sell all that well and was quietly discontinued in Australia in June 2004.Alfa Romeo is firmly established in Australia and there are a reasonable number of dealers. As is often the way with European cars, dealers tend to be concentrated in the major population centres and scarce in the bush.Servicing and spare parts prices are about average for this class. You can do some of the routine, non-safety items yourself but the engine bay is crowded and skinned knuckles aren’t unusual. Insurance can be expensive so make inquiries before falling head-over-heels in love with this Italian machine.Alfa Romeo 156 was replaced by the Alfa 159 in June 2006. The 159 is significantly larger so its introduction didn’t have the usual adverse affect on resale values that often occurs when a new model supersedes an old.New-generation Alfa Romeos are better built than the older models, however, we still see the occasional rough one, so be careful. We recommend that you always call on a professional before buying a car like this, although you can weed out the obvious duds by doing some initial checks yourself.A car like the Alfa Romeo 156 can fall into the hands of hard drivers because their very nature means they cry out to be driven to extremes at times. Signs of hard driving include severe wear on the tyres and lots of brake dust on the inside of the wheels and on the suspension inside of the guards.Look for body repairs; most easily spotted by mismatched paint on adjacent body panels, uneven gaps between panels, paint overspray on non-painted parts and ripples in what should be smooth metal.Make sure the engine starts easily and idles smoothly from the moment it gets going. Naturally the V6 will be smoother than the four, but the latter shouldn’t be rough.Engine performance from the 2.0-litre Twin Spark unit isn't great, but if it seems below par the engine could be suspect.A manual gearbox that isn't light in its action could be due for repairs. Do some fast changes from third down to second and feel for a reluctance to shift, or for funny noises.During your road test look for steering that wanders and feel for brakes that don't pull the car up evenly.Sports sedans don’t always get driven in a sporting manner, but it can be hard to pick which has received harsh treatment. A professional inspection should be regarded as essential.