The Alfa Romeo 156 GT – More a Sprinter than a GT
The Alfa Romeo 156 GT – More a Sprinter than a GT
Alfa Romeo owners have reason for cheer, now that Sime Darby Auto Italia Sdn Bhd has taken over the main distributorship for Alfa Romeo in Malaysia. They not only have a proper place to bring their Alfas for attention, but also an array of new cars to trade up to. Autoworld took the Alfa GT, a very smart looking two-door sports coupe, for a drive to check it out.
The 156 GT is based on the same platform as the 4-door Alfa 156, but whereas the 156 is designed by the Italian design house of Giugiaro, the GT comes from Bertone. Not that the two cars look very different from each other, because economies of scale and the fact that they share the same platform dictate that only minor cosmetics like the front grille, headlights and the bonnet can be changed at the front. The tail end of the GT is of course quite different, rendered with a sporty looking, thickened rear pillar extending down from the roof over the rear fender. A concealed B-pillar gives the impression of a long expanse of glass stretching along the side of the GT from the A-pillar in the front to the C-pillar at the rear. A high waistline and a low roof give the GT a sleek look. 6-inch alloy wheels with low profile 205/55 R16 Michelin Turanza tyres complete the picture.
The heart of the Alfa 156 GT is its 4-cylinder, 2.0 litre DOHC engine. With variable valve timing and 4-valves per cylinder, the 156 GT develops 165 bhp at 6,400 rpm, and 206Nm of torque at 3,250 rpm. Coupled to the engine is a 5-speed ‘Selespeed’ gearbox. It is actually a manual gearbox, but electronic controls, working with servos make it behave like an automatic. In fact, there is no clutch pedal in the car. The ‘Selespeed’ gearbox is a spin-off from the technology gained from Ferari’s F1 racing. Being a manual, there is little or no clutch slip during gear changing, as compared to an automatic gearbox. This results in far better acceleration and fuel economy for the ‘Selespeed’ system.
Gear changing is easy; you can choose to use the gear lever located on the console between the front seats, or use the shift paddles located just behind the steering wheel. The electronics will retard the engine momentarily as the gears change up, and also ‘blip’ the throttle automatically to smoothen out the down-shifts.
Driving the 156 GT is quite pleasurable. The raucous sound of the exhaust is music if you are a ‘petrol head’. The engine is very responsive to throttle, and works well with the ‘Selespeed’ box to whisk you from standstill to top speed without any hesitation. Top speed, as tested was 210 km/hr. In terms of handling, the 156 GT is pretty good, at least along the new highway that stretches from Karak to Kuantan. We did not really get a chance to push it along any twisty sections, as most of the way there is made up of wide and smooth highways. The ride is on the firm side; this car is made for handling and although it is described as a GT (Grand Touring) car, it is more of a ‘sprinter’ on account of its relatively short gear ratios. At its top speed of about 215 kph, the tachometer needle is licking the 6,000 rpm mark.
All in all, the Alfa GT is a very interesting car. It will appeal to those who love to drive. Performance is on the sporty side, and if you want a soft ride, look elsewhere. Price on the road for this fully imported baby is RM269,506.90.
