2001 Alfa Romeo 156 GTA

The GTA name blazed a trail of success through the race tracks of half Europe in its day and deservedly occupies a proud position in the annals of motor sport. The first GTA came about when Autodelta made radical changes to the engine and mechanical units of a Giulia Sprint. The year was 1965 and the Giulia Sprint GTA then went on a winning spree: the Sebring 4-hour race, the N��rgring 6-hour, a host of races in Germany, Great Britain, Holland and France - and three consecutive wins in the European Makes Challenge for Touring cars in 1966, 1967 and 1968.

Now, 36 years later, Alfa Romeo is giving us a chance to experience the GTA legend afresh with a new car. Or rather two: the 156 GTA and the Sportwagon GTA. Just as in those days, both cars represent a veritable distillate of brand values.

Alfa Romeo is acclaimed the world over for its ability to produce good-looking, sporty cars that combine a glittering racing pedigree with the cream of contemporary engineering. Cars that enhance everyday driving experiences with a true racing feel and authentic driving satisfaction.

The Alfa 156 GTA and Sportwagon GTA offer all these attributes but also hold something extra in reserve: more performance, more handling, more braking capacity. In other words, the dynamic behaviour of a car that spices your everyday driving experience with racetrack sensation.

This philosophy is encapsulated by the slogan used to advertise the Giulia Sprint GTA at the time: 'The car you drive to work is a champion'.

The designers who created the Alfa 156 and Sportwagon GTA were given a very specific brief: to create a car for everyday use that could, under the right circumstances, ensure customers the performance, behaviour and driving sensations of a car built for racing. Although no constraints were set, the designers preferred to highlight functional aspects of the car and made radical changes to the already excellent base offered by the sporty Alfa 156.

These changes included a brand new 3.2 V6 24V engine, completely new suspension geometry and settings, a much more powerful braking system, more direct steering and other changes: Formula 1-derived mechanical components and Selespeed and new wheels.

The result is a car capable of thrilling performance and truly scintillating responses in terms of dynamism, ride and handling. All in all, a car for those who demand the very best when it comes to sportiness. And want it to be known without ostentation.

Hence the decision not to make radical changes to the much-lauded shape of the original saloon and Sportwagon but limit exterior changes to a few features that add extra oomph to the model's sporty appeal.

All the design changes emphasise the functional appearance of the car and are the result of uncompromising technical alterations to the frame and mechanical units without a spoiler or flashy add-on in sight.



A powerful, exciting engine

The Alfa 156 GTA and Alfa Sportwagon GTA power unit is derived from the now classic three litre V6 24 valve unit fitted to top-of-the-range Alfa 166 and Gtv versions: a vigorous and, most important of all, well-rounded power unit. As one expects of a six cylinder unit. The engineers changed the crankshaft and pistons on the GTA to increase the cylinder capacity to 3.2 litres and lengthen the stroke. This change speaks volumes about the type of performance required because the power could simply have been increased by adjusting the timing, fuel system and electronics.

The fact that cylinder capacity has been increased by lengthening the stroke means that the aim was not simply to obtain absolute performance coupled with high power and torque peaks but also an even, gradual power delivery from the lowest speeds. As befits a car capable of thrilling performance that is suited for driving on ordinary roads as well as on the track.

The increase in cylinder capacity is naturally accompanied by a whole set of changes. The intake and exhaust ports have been tuned by applying a new timing pattern, the control unit software has been rewritten and the cooling system has been upgraded with the addition of an engine oil radiator.

The result? Power output is 250 bhp at 6400 rpm with a maximum torque of no less than 30 kgm at 5000 rpm. These figures are all it takes to achieve exciting performances and are complemented by a torque curve that permits high values at low speeds. The car can also travel in sixth gear at less than 2000 rpm and unleash speed spurts without changing gear. Extremely satisfying behaviour, therefore, even during daily use. The self-confessed goal of the GTA is this: to offer sensations unique to a racing car yet still be perfectly serviceable for everyday use.

The transmission has also been reinforced to cope with the upgraded engine. New half-axles, oversized clutch and six-speed gearbox with sturdier gears. The manual gearbox may be replaced by a Selespeed version with a Formula 1-derived operating system that makes for swifter gear shifts at low and high speed.

Lots of horse power is not enough: you must be able to make the power felt where it counts. The nature of a sports vehicle depends on the way power is transmitted.



These changes and the effective chassis layout that combines excellent body torsional rigidity with a deformable double wishbone front suspension - the solution used on single-seater sports cars - mean the GTA is glued to the road and can easily be mastered by anyone.

The Alfa GTA is therefore safe to drive under all circumstances and is obedient to its driver's driving style. The only electronic device that cuts in to help the driver control the power output is an antislip system (ASR). This system, interfaced with the ABS and engine management unit, cuts in to brake any drive wheel close to slipping to improve traction over ground with poor grip.

The brakes have also been adjusted to the demanding performance level. The ventilated front discs measure 305 mm in diameter and come with double-acting Brembo calipers. The rear discs are only slightly smaller at 276 millimetres. The brake servo has been upgraded. The system is fitted with an antislip braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distributor (EBD).

The designers worked particularly hard to achieve shorter stopping distances and also to increase brake fade resistance. This aspect, important on and off the track, is often overlooked by ordinary motorists. Thus the brakes come with special linings and hydraulic ports that are as stiff as possible: this solution does away with spongy braking when the brakes are hot to improve efficiency and increase safety.

Aggressive styling

The sophisticated mechanical units had to be reflected by styling that conveys an impression of the model's greater strength and sportiness in a few tweaks that do not alter the original shape.

The front end is dominated by wide wings that are able to accommodate the generous 17 inch wheels (225-45 type). The foglight has also been shifted toward the outside of the car to allow the powerful engine to take in more air.

The new five-looped GTA rings stand out on the side (the shape is sparse and very high-tech). These are joined by a new dam cover that forms an attractive link between the two broad wings.

The new rear

Source - Fiat Media

In the next years Alfa Romeo plans to fill up the gap with Audi and BMW starting to produce big-engined cars.
this will be sold in september 2001.
in the future bigger engines are coming, expecially for the newcoming ÚSA market

Source -