2008 Alfa Romeo Spider Reviews

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 

Based on the Brera coupe, Alfa Romeo’s latest convertible arrived in Australia last year after a dazzling unveil at the Sydney Motor Show in late 2006. Alfa’s most expensive car down under has arrived with an all-new “Q-Tronic” gearbox and Q4 all wheel drive system in two versions– the $97, 990 3.2 JTS V6 auto tested here (manual $94, 990) and the smaller $73, 990 2.2 JTS Selespeed (manual $69,990). EXTERIORDramatic curves and creases bring together a sleek rounded form on 18 inch alloy wheels. The long sweeping bonnet lines come together at the familiar triangular Alfa grill that sits between wrap around Xenon headlamps. Pronounced rear wheel arches, thick chrome roll bars and a muscular rear end draw attention to the open top character of the car – an intentional design focus.INTERIORThe inside is simple, consistent with the clean lines and fresh approach of the exterior. There is no mistaking an Alfa interior. The aluminium centre dash panel, the Italian stitched red leather heated seats and the collection of small, round sunken dials accentuate the premium sporty nature of the car.Dual zone climate control, a super six-speaker Bose stereo, multi-function display, Bluetooth capability and a host of storage compartments all come as standard.DRIVETRAIN and SUSPENSIONThe 136 kW 2.2 JTS is powered by a 2.2 litre in-line four cylinder litre engine that produces 230 Nm of torque, whilst the 3.2 JTS V6, as the name suggests runs on a 191kW 3.2 litre V6 with a substantial 322 Nm of torque.Both versions are equipped with six speed manual gear boxes and the new `Q-Tronic’ six-speed automatic but the 3.2 JTS comes with Alfa’s Q4 all-wheel-drive system which divides torque 57 per cent to the rear wheels and 43 per cent to the front.The Spider’s suspension set-up is double wishbone front coupled with a multi-link rear configuration.SAFETYSeven airbags are standard for both models, as are ABS, VCD, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, traction control a fully integrated Fire Prevention System.Complementing these features are wheel spin limiter during take off and a brake assist function to help when changing down through the gears. Halligan saysIn the early days of the evolution of Ferrari from Alfa Romeo race team owner to exotic car manufacturer, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo were on par from an engineering and reputation point of view. How things changed.In its later life – after the last of the 1980s rear-wheel-drive GTVs and Spiders; Alfa went astray.The past GTV is the ugliest car to ever leave Pininfarina’s drawing board and did enormous damage to the reputation of Alfa.But the Alfa V6 Spider has drawn me back to the brand.And the attraction started from the moment I adjusted the electric seats to my ideal driving position and dropped the steering wheel closer to my knees. Perfect. And the turning circle to get out of the tight carpark was great.Through a tunnel and the engine gave a fairly deep unstressed rumble, past the speed camera lights and then I finally touch the accelerator with more than toe pressure. The engine tone changes as does the car’s character. The Spider has two distinct personalities; on one hand it is a beautiful well balanced sport scar that points, tracks and accelerates like an entry level exotic should. On the other hand it is one of the easiest cars to drive.A highway trip through bucketing rain didn’t unsettle the Alfa, which always felt rock solid, surefooted and capable of higher speed even under these slippery conditions.My official style council – the wife and kids – gave its design a big tick. This Alfa just looks right, the closer you look at it the more you realise just how good a design it is. It grabs your attention without being overly loud. To me it contains all that is good about Italian design. My wife wants one. Previously she wanted an MX-5.So would I put it on the shopping list if the funds were available. The competition is stiff; Boxster, SLK, TT and Z4.  The four Germans. The Boxster gets eliminated straight away, my wife wouldn't let me because she considers it a cliche. The Audi is a possibility. I am not a BMW person, I prefer Mercs. So it comes down really to the SLK or the Alfa. Hard choice. Alfa is back on my list and I didn't think I was going to say it so quickly.Was there anything I didn't like; only the red led readouts within the instrument cluster.Back to the Alfa and Ferrari relationship. I always thought an Alfa should be for a person that aspires to a Ferrari but knows it is too far out of their bracket. The Spider fits this perfectly.My wife gave me permission to buy one. Black on black please.VERDICT: 8.8/10Wigley saysThere is something about Alfas that gets the heart pumping. I wasn’t disappointed either when I laid eyes on it for the first time.The bulkier rear end makes it look more sporty and muscular and the Brera looking front is always pleasing to the eye.I love the uniqueness of Alfa interiors. You can see and feel the quality and the effort put into the design. There is nothing complex about the interior design which I like personally.Vision is great out front but the bulky side pillars – when the roof is up – create a massive blind spot. Because you don’t get a back seat, the visibility when you’re changing lanes isn’t great and you find yourself being extra careful.The ‘Q-Tronic’ system is good but I prefer VW’s DSG system. There isn’t an immediate response when you use the paddle shift on the Italian car.But the Q4 all wheel drive plus the stiffer suspension made the car extremely grippy and the steering very accurate, so entering and leaving corners at speed was easy and precise.The engine note is a deep growl that you can hear a block away but you can’t notice it too much inside, and given that it’s a convertible it was pleasantly surprising how quiet it was in the cabin with the roof on.And there’s a lot of pleasure from the noise and the thump in the back thrust when you give it some on a straight stretch of road.VERDICT: 7.8/10 

The masters of style and elegance (that's right, those Italians) have delivered with this Brera-inspired Spider.With a really sleek and elegant design, it certainly doesn't go unnoticed, especially with the top down and exploring that throaty growl.But at $97,990, it's true what they say: class and style doesn't come cheap. The Spider has all the recognisable Alfa traits; the family nose, the horseshoe alloy wheels and the familiar dash design with a driver focus on the interior.It's the type of car that makes you want to go out and change your whole wardrobe to match. Forget wearing daggy tracky-daks in this stunner, unless of course they've been blessed with an Italian designer label.The stunning deep-red leather interior, the Alfa insignias embroidered into the seats and adorning the doorsteps and the sporty yet chic exterior all combine to make it an all round stylish package.The Spider is closely related to other Alfa siblings, sharing the 159's platform but with a shorter wheelbase, and was inspired by the Brera.But with its own character, the Spider becomes more than just a derivative of any other model.Its long bonnet, compact rear and the lack of the side creases seen on previous models makes it a standout.It not only glistens in the looks department, with a design that was developed in co-operation with Pininfarina and the Alfa Romeo Centre, but it also has performance that screams for the attention.The model tested was the 3.2-litre JTS. It's not only design that is closely related to other models, but this engine too — the six cylinder also found in the 159 and Brera. Pumping out 191kW at 6300rpm and 322Nm at 4500rpm, the two seater sports car races from 0-100km/h in seven seconds. Not overly quick, but it does get there feeling very sporty and 90 per cent of max torque is available from 1800rpm right up to 6250rpm.Also contributing to the strong performance is the Q4 permanent all-wheel-drive system that the V6 features as standard.Under normal driving conditions, 57 per cent of power goes to the rear wheels, and 43 per cent to the front.The rear-wheel bias provides better handling qualities, felt by the traction when coming out of corners.The Q-Tronic six-speed auto box lets the engine rev right up to 5000rpm before changing gears under harder acceleration. There is also the option of sliding into manual mode and using the steering-wheel mounted paddles.The only problem here is the gearbox takes over automatically around 5000rpm if you haven't already made the shift, which means you don't quite get to the higher end of the tacho.There's also a bit of a delay when shifting gears yourself. While the brakes in the Spider pull you up very quickly, on our test they are initially sticky and stay depressed even after you release your foot from the pedal.And when the display starts to show the Vehicle Dynamic Control and Hill Descent were not working, it's time for a call to Alfa. An Alfa spokesman says the brake pedal has been pressed too hard and one of the sensor points bent, which means the sensor that measures when the pedal is pressed is no longer getting a clean signal.That trips the ABS system into fault mode. Once the sensor is back where it should be, everything returns to normal and braking action feels a lot more confident. On the road, the Spider is a comfortable and firm ride and even on rough roads you're still held strongly in the very cosy seat.There's speed sensitive, power-assisted steering (which makes the car easy to manoeuvre), although it does still possess the stronger steering characteristics you'd expect from an Alfa. And while the price tag is high, it does come packed with some quality features — all as standard.These include chrome roll bars, a wind break, electronic folding roof, cruise control, automatic dual-zone climate control, Bose audio system and — keeping you most comfortable — the Pieno Fiore sports leather, electrically adjustable heated seats. It's also fitted with seven airbags and Vehicle Dynamic Control and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution.Running costs are not cheap either: while it has a claimed consumption of 11.5 litres per 100km, during our drive, the trip computer readout showed the average consumption to be as high as 19 litres per 100km at times. But if image is everything, you'll definitely be getting the tongues wagging in this. The bottom line Stylish is one word you'll become very familiar with. SnapshotAlfa Romeo SpiderPrice: $97,990Engine: 3.2L/V6, 191kW/322NmTransmission: Q-Tronic 6-speed autoEconomy: 11.5L/100km The rivalsBmw Z4 RoadsterPrice: $94,000Engine: 3.0L/6-cyl, 196kW/315NmTransmission: 6-speed autoEconomy: 9L/100km Audi TT RoadsterPrice: $92,900Engine: 3.2L/6-cyl, 184kW/320NmTransmission: S-Tronic 6-speed autoEconomy: 9.5L/100km Mercedes-Benz SLK 280Price: $102,900Engine: 3.0L/V6, 170kW/300NmTransmission: 7-speed autoEconomy: 9.5L/100km