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Alfa Romeo GT 3.2 V6 - Alfa Romeo GT Car Review

Review

Added: 09 Jun 2005
Last update: 24 Dec 2009

IT'S straight off a Milanese catwalk - well, the production plant in Arese - and has had a starring role at the Cannes film festival.

It sports the flashy badges of the Bertone Style House and Alfa Romeo and weighs in at a cool £27,000 plus.

Alfa's showstopper convinced the movie moguls of its class when Hollywood star Sharon Stone auctioned one off for and Aids charity at the recent French film fest.

If the neighbours don't see you coming - and they might not at 0-62 in 6.7 seconds - they will certainly hear the throaty, window-cracking roar of a V6 flying machine.

But, be warned, flooring the accelerator of the Alfa Romeo Gran Turismo is like trying to control a pack of wild dogs.

Every curve and every angle is a master class in styling, from the familiar deep Alfa grille, to the side-mounted number plate, the twin chrome exhausts and the Alfa embossed chrome kick-plates.

The designers have heaped a huge amount of Latin love on this car and it's probably the best creation yet. Every boy wants to race you, other people will want to mug you and others may want to marry you.

Alfa is adept at selling on sex appeal, but some buyers think they are likely to fall apart when they hit a thousand miles, but the latest Alfa's are made of sterner stuff than their predecessor and this car had done nearly 8,000 and was still in one gleaming piece.

The dash, controls and leather feel top class. One or two tiny pieces of plastic could be dumped in my opinion, but everything feels solid.

The cockpit, similar in size and style to the 147 model, is very well designed and comes with stylish features and a deafening Bose surround sound system on this model and the two-litre version.

The interior is a balance of sumptuous comfort with sporty style and there are three back seats, but you will have to dip down to get into them and the middle one is probably best for a child.

The boot is long, although not very deep, with a handy ski tunnel, and passenger head and legroom is good for a coupe. There is also the option of folding down the seats for extra stowage space.

Equipment is extensive and includes climate control, CD player, cruise control, follow me home headlamps and steering wheel mounted audio controls.

Only the base 2.0 Selespeed does not come with leather. There is also a high standard of safety - as there should be for a rocket with four wheels.

All versions are fitted with stability control, anti-lock brakes, front and side airbags, central rear three-point seat belt, ISOFIX child mountings, fire prevention system and an alarm.

If the 3.2 V6 scares you there is a more sedate two-litre petrol and a far more economical 1.9 turbo diesel, both of which come in at just over 20 grand.

The 250bhp power unit is a big thirsty engine and I thought the petrol station would offer me a special loyalty card after a week. But the money worries fly away amid the rumble under the huge bonnet.

On the road the car handles beautifully taking corners gracefully and with the minimum of fuss. On the motorway it cruises silently and even in rush hour traffic is docile with just the latent throb of the V6 just audible in the background.

Floor the pedal and acceleration is blisteringly quick and the precise, close-ratio six-speed gearbox is also a delight.

It is fun, but it does drink like a lager lout and Alfa's claimed average consumption of 23.5mpg seemed a tad optimistic.

It may drive like a racer's dream on the open road, but it can be a headache to park.

Vision is limited because you can't see out the back and can barely see all the way to the front of the swooping bonnet, but both the steering wheel and the seat is fully adjustable to mitigate the problem.

The second snag is that it has the steering lock of a toy car, but not as good. A simple U-turn can give you muscles like Big Arnie, there are that many twists and turns.

I suppose every beauty has a flaw or two, but with Alfa getting its act together on build quality splashing the cash is less of a problem these days.

FAST FACTS

Alfa Romeo GT 3.2 V6

Price: £27,300

Mechanical: 240bhp, 3,179cc, 6cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox

Max speed: 151mph

0-62mph: 6.7 secs

Combined mpg: 22.8

Insurance group: 19

CO2 emissions: 295g/km

BiK rating: 35%

Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 3yrs paint; 8yrs anti-rust

Words: Bill McCarthy

Keywords: alfa-romeo, gt


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