Alfa Romeo GT test

Intro: BETWEEN LEGEND AND REVIVAL

First shown at Geneva in March 2003, the Alfa coupé replaces the GTV in a prestigious line of coupés, which have always been very good for the company’s reputation. (by Philippe Fauconnier)

Esthetique: A TRUE IDENTITY

Bertone were responsible for the design, in very much the same spirit as that behind the Alfa design centre at the moment. The family resemblance is definitely there and it is difficult to confuse this car with any other coupé, which is an excellent point. Let’s not forget that it was Bertone that designed the famous Giulietta in 1954 and the Guila Sprint in 63. We certainly wish this newcomer has a successful a career.
While we are on the subject of the design, you might have mixed feelings about the back end, but the front, for its part is really excellent.

Motorization: A LOYAL V6

The model we tested was equipped with the 3.2 litre V6 with 240 horsepower that equips the GTA versions of the 156 and 147.
This engine is no doubt one of the best atmospheric engines on the market at the moment. Always available, supple and effective, it is fun to drive thanks to its liveliness and constant availability.

On the road: THE CHARM OF ITS FAULTS

Powerful and generous, the engine is no doubt the best thing they could have given to the GT. The big question is knowing how to transmit the 240 horsepower of the engine through to just the front wheels... this is the eternal problem that the company has yet to resolve. Very pleasant to drive smoothly on a dry surface, things get a bit more complicated when you attack tight hairpins and it’s even worse on a wet road. The under steering character of the car then becomes omnipresent. The car can hardly corner at all and you have to take your foot off because of the lack of real efficiency. These limits are reached pretty quickly and seriously spoil the fun of driving it. It’s the same behaviour as we found on the 147 GTA, nothing’s changed. You find yourself dreaming of a 4-wheel drive equipped with this same engine.
On the comfort front, it’s almost perfection, they certainly shouldn’t change it. The driving position is easy to find and you can revel in the atmosphere, which is both cosy and sporty provided by the presence of leather on the dashboard and the odd touch of aluminium that lightens up the interior. The ideal compromise has been found between chassis rigidity, the necessary hardness of the suspension and the shock absorption of the seats. Note that the GT is a real 5 seater and everything has been thought out to transport 5 people inside.
Add to that the engine sonority, which you can hear as its roars under acceleration and you will understand the very positive overall impression that the GT gave us.
Positive, but with a few reservations. This car is far from being exempt from defects. We have already mentioned the problem with the front axle, due mainly to channelling the power from the engine, but there is another negative feature: the steering. Insufficiently precise, it does nothing to help the rather disagreeable impression you get of not being entirely control of the GT. We are a long way here from the almost perfect treatment that the VW group has managed on this point.
On the other hand, the brakes are very good. They resisted all we threw at them on the Col de Turini without heat build up or degradation.
It’s always seems to be the same story with Alfas. The company has managed to retrieve the dream potential that it provided in the past. That dream has resurfaced today but we have to note the imperfections in this car, which wouldn’t need much of an effort to fulfil all its promise.