Generation Cyb

Alfa Romeo has always been synonymous with Italian style and flair, and the Alfa Romeo 147 is certainly no exception.

The Alfa 147 is a small car that packs a big punch. It’s a hatchback available in both three and five door models. The standard Alfa 147’s Twin Spark 2.0 litre engine delivers 110 kw of power offering both impressive responsiveness and great fuel economy. And if you’re looking for even greater fuel economy, you can opt to have the Alfa M-Jet JTD diesel model. According to Alfa Romeo, the M-Jet JTD “operates at ten times the speed of most other diesel systems”. The M-Jet JTD engine maximises fuel burn and minimises emissions, providing 305 Nm of torque at just 2,000 rpm. You can choose either the 5 speed manual gearbox or the sequential Selespeed auto.

If you want something with even more get up and go, you might want to take the 184 kw Alfa 147 GTA for a spin around the block. This little powerhouse includes a 3.2 litre, V6 24 valve engine that will get you from 0 to 100 km/h in a blinding 6.4 seconds and will have you cruising at just over 240 km/h (if you’re driving on unrestricted roads in the NT of course). It’s available in both a 6 speed manual and 6 speed sequential Selespeed.

But it’s not just what powers the Alfa Romeo 147 that makes it so special. The cars styling complements its purebred sports performance. The front of the 147 offers a typically distinctive Alfa grille (below that wonderful Alfa Romeo badge), combined with sleek headlights and a clean, sweeping bonnet.

The rear end of the 147 will not disappoint either, combining both elegance and sportiness with clean lines and revitalised rear tail lights. From all angles, the Alfa Romeo 147 looks great.

New cars start from around $36,000 for the manual Alfa 147 3 door hatch, while at the top end, the Alfa 147 GTA 6 speed Selespeed will set you back more than $63,000. And if you want a sunroof and metallic paint, expect to pay even more. If this is out of your price range, look for a good used car.

If you’re looking for a good oneowner used car, look for one that has not been driven too hard. Check for body repair work and make sure the engine starts easily and idles smoothly. Also, check the gear changes when you take it for a test drive.

If you’re looking for a small new or oneowner used car with sporty looks and the performance to match, the Alfa Romeo 147 is worth a look.

Alfa Romeo is, most definitely a brand that represents a wide range of different car models with the same stylish personality and a great deal of potential. We might say about these cars that they are pretty close to perfection and, in some cases, the tuning and optimizing procedures can help them actually become the perfect, dream cars.

How to Improve an Alfa Car

Besides the great selection of companies that are specialized in tuning procedures in general that would be delighted to transform a capable, powerful Alfa Romeo car into an even more powerful one, there are numerous companies that are strictly specialized in Alfa Romeo tuning and the results can be quite surprising. But tuning does not need to be so spectacular and expensive. Alfa parts and accessories can be found, transformed and changed quite easily. Most car owners that are in search of new ways of improving their car are mainly focused on getting extra power. What can be done in the case of Alfa Romeo? For instance, the first step when wanting to boost the power is to add to the Alfa Romeo car an air filter and a sports exhaust, together with a fuel pressure boost valve – and these solutions are quite affordable, too.

Optimized Examples of Alfa Romeo Tuning

One of the best and most impressive Alfa Romeo tuning examples is represented by the optimized version of the elegant Alfa Romeo Brera, a car named Autodelta Brera J5 3,2 C – the name Autodelta stands for the British tuning company that managed to do such a great job and, furthermore, the J letter symbolizes its exclusive feature and hand-made, customized features. But don’t think that this was an easy job – after all, transforming the classier standard Alfa Brera into this dream car for speed lovers took more than one year. But what is so spectacular about this car? First of all, the engine is brand new and it is at high standards: Arese V6, which has a power of 400 CP, with JTS technology. Moreover, this optimized car can achieve the 100km/hour target in 5,3 seconds and can go up to 270 km/hour. As for the tires, these are Dunlop SP Sport Maxx, with 19 inch rims.

The Alfa brand made quite a spectacular comeback since 2001, when the Alfa 147 was released on the market. Specialists claimed that this particular car has a strong personality, a very aesthetic body and a silent, yet powerful engine. Since then, more and more customers and car lovers admire the elegance, but also the force and power of these cars. And now, with the wide range of Alfa tuning possibilities, these cars can be optimized and personalized as the owner desires.

MotorAuthority tell us that thanks to Fiat, SpA’s miraculous fiscal turn around, Alfa Romeo now is officially slated to return to these United States in the spring of 2009.

Sure, we’ve heard these tempting declarations before from the Italian marque that’s given the automotive world some of the most beautiful cars we’ve ever known. But with the solid return of Maserati, it just might be so. Let’s hope that the 8C (shown) is one of the first Alfas to arrive on these eager shores.

The iconic Alfa Romeo spider – the model as a brand, specifically – has lived through days of glory (think as everyone does, The Graduate) and days that will live in infamy (the bubble-met-rectangle late 90’s variant).

The latest spider – we’ve been promised – will bless the American public with her gorgeous presence sometime this decade. But the car is currently on offer in Europe. And now on that side of The Pond, as on option, Alfa will offer a 200 horsepower 2.4 liter diesel engine.

Say what?

That’s right, an oil burner. True, this is not exactly out of lane with most of Europe’s motoring trends. After all, the majority of Europeans drive diesels wedded to manual transmissions.

Still, it seems neither right nor proper that the sexiest of everyday Italian boulevardiers should speak not with the suggestive tones of petrol infused engine, but with the dull, clattering accent of any Euro taxi?

Alfa can keep the diesel Spider on that side of The Pond.

Also, according to the MotorAuthority, Alfa Romeo (and its parent company Fiat, SpA) is considering a partnership with China’s Chery Automobile in an effort to break into the PRC’s explosive car market. The only thing that worries Alfa’s management and the world’s Alfisiti is the spectre of an Alfa-Chery partnership that ends up producing some real lemons.

“[W]e have to be sure the Chery plant produces real Alfas and this requires a great commitment on our side both in terms of quality and engineering.” Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said.

Of course were this 20+ years ago, worries over reliability would likely not have come from the prospect of manufacturing Alfas in China, but the danger of keeping production in Italy! Ah well, how times change. Still, the concept of non-Italian made Alfas provides a disturbing insight to globalization realities.

In an event the “‘Made In Italy’ excellence,” is the catch phrase being tossed around by the public relations heads of world renowned designer Giorgio Armani and sportscar icon Alfa Romeo. This bit of “Proud to be Italian” comes on the heels of Fiat mulling over the controversial idea of manufacturing Alfas in China for the Chinese market.

Together at the Triennale in Milan, Alfa Romeo is sponsoring the Giorgio Armani exhibit that showcases 30 years of the designer’s work. And, like any good sponsor, Alfa has thrown in the new Brera to display for good measure.

“Sponsorship of the ‘Giorgio Armani Exhibition’ is part of a strategy aimed at forging a permanent link between Alfa Romeo and the world of culture, in the sense of artistic expression highlighting creativity and innovation,” Alfa Romeo CEO Antonio Baravalle said.