A place for the TT Alfisti

Jimbo,
you speak of UK magazines and Uk dealers.
I have no first-hand knowledge of these, but I do have first-hand knowledge of many other UK dealers and in my opinion, a good dealer (of any make of car) is very hard to find. So I will not argue with you here.

However, I live in the Munich area which is not the UK and my personal experience is with a long-standing very reputable Alfa dealer who offers extremely good service.

WH

Well, we can use your personal experience, or look at the German JD Power survey - on average a manufacturer scores 800 points, Alfa scored well below at 771 with Toyota winning at 856. The only manufacturers below Alfa are Fiat, Smart and Daewoo. Make of that what you will - but it certainly indicates a lack of reliability (BMW and Mercedes were both top half).

See here: http://www.jdpa.com/studies_jdpower/pressr...asp?ID=2005088

Excellent!

Then I am sure you feel vindicated for your purchase of BMW, enjoy it as I shall continue to enjoy my Alfa.

me too!


oo well that convinces me not to like ALFAs...NOT!
if there was a 'sexiness' car rating (also important) somewhere ALFA'd come 1st place for me.

OOOh! Just noticed this thread.

I'm not just an Alfa fan- I'm also into all Italian Cars...

I've also got a 124 Spider like the ones above. Its a 1979 CS2 which I've been upgrading along the way. At the moment it has a 2000CC engine with twin 44 webers, lightened flywheel, gasflowed head, vernier camwheels and last time it was on a rolling road it was planting 120BHP at the wheels (est around 150BHP at the engine). However bodywise it really needs a good makeover. That's my summer objective this year...

I've also got a Lancia Delta Integrale- its one of the limited edition Verde York (no 405 of 500). At the moment it's in the garage getting its engine fixed ($$$$- )

My brother has a 1972 GTV, and between my friends is a GTA replica, a mint Duetto (he just turned down an offer of EUR18K!), a Lancia Monte Carlo, 2 75's, a 155, a 164 and one (un)lucky mate had a nightmare with an old Ferrari 328GTS (he has an 964/911/C4 now). I even have one friend who had a Maserati Biturbo. He's now poor as well as foolish.

In fact my friends split between the "Italians" and the "Germans" and I have to admit we've had a few defections from Italy to Germany. Integrales to M3s (the orginal one) and 911s etc but only on the older cars. Ironically on newer cars the transition is the other way- 147s, 156s and we all form a queue to drool at the Brera. Late at night I lie awake and think of driving a Brera Spider along the Amalfi with Matt Munro "On days like these" on the hifi.

I'll wait for a year though and buy one for 30% less!

@Moonboot - Do you, or have you ever owned an Alfa? Only I think TVR is pretty horny, but a friend of mine has one and he hates it - can't wait to flog it once the weather's good enough in fact - why? Build quality.

Nevertheless, I'm quite pleased that at least one woman out there thinks cars can be sexy - my better half, like, I suspect, most women, doesn't give a fuck about cars.

Hi Speakfreak,
welcome to the discussion.

That's a nice array of cars you speak of, do you have any pictures to post?

If people wouldn't mind the intrusion, I could post quite a series of Ferrari pictures.

WH

It's turning into a car thread so I see no reason for Ferraris - Ed Bob will delete or split the thread if you ask nicely anyway.

No, I think I'll start a new Ferrari thread, then they stay separate and this remains Alfisti.

WH

Now THAT is a sexy car. You ever hear Eddie Irvine telling the story about his one when he got stopped by the Italian Police - superb story.

sure do! brand spanking new 147! my ex-other half had a GTV limited edish! brilliant! he's got the GT now!

oo TVRski also sexy! I hear you Jimbo! my mum lives outside Blackpool near the factory. when am visiting see quite a few of em being driven around. saw a funky purple metallic one on the Isle Of Wight ferry a few weeks back. have never seen on in Germany though.

fast cars and motorbikes are sexy.

Just wondering how many people posting on this thread got 95% of their sexy-car knowledge from Gran Turismo...


TVR's come over here to race, my mate's a tuscan driver, and races in Germany. Never seen one on the road though.

well when I win the lottery you may see one! it's on 'my current list of motors'.

@Moonboot - well, you and your ex seem to be proof positive that Alfas get under your skin - something I've been avoiding (I briefly toyed with a 2 litre 147, but didn't go for it in the end, mainly because of the scare stories I must admit).

@Don Riina - TVRs aren't sold in Europe any more as they don't comply with the emissions regs so you won't see many. Even less since they closed the factory a couple of weeks ago.

As for Gran Turismo - certainly some people form opinions based on that game - a dangerous thing to do.

@WH- I'll post some pictures- but I guess not here.

@Jimbo. You are wrong on one thing. "Car" magazine is the best in the world!

Otherwise you are right. The Lancia dealer in Munich is average at best (although he's just wants cars that he can plug into the diagnostic computer and it tells him what to do).

But cars are little to do with practicality/sense. Otherwise we would all buy 3 year old Skoda's, or take public transport. (Quicker, safer, cheaper, environmentally better).

And so back to Alfa's. BMW has successfully translated desire for an item to desire for a brand. Let's face it- that's why people by them. Oh sure- they happen to be good cars but most people buy them without even a testdrive. They just "want a BMW" and they know nobody will laugh at them nor will they be disappointed.

Alfas are bought by people almost despite the popular brand image but because they look good and are now delivering on their promise. With increased sales comes increased dealer profit and better service.

5 years from now. Alfa will be king of popular "cool". BMW will be "so what?". Saab will unfortunately be gone, Audi will be Audi, and Volvo will be on the up.

am happy with my 147 2l. I love love love it in fact!
re.TVR is it deffo that the factory's closing they 'temporarily' laid off workers when I was back home at mum's a few weeks ago.

Never liked 'Car' magazine. Probably would say my favourite is 'Evo'. I only said Autocar was old and well respected (it is in fact, fact fans, the oldest publication in the world still going).

As for BMW - agreed, it's a brand and a brand sells, but they do have the product to back it up - the 3 series, whatever you may say is, objectively, a great car. Compare it to a 159 - the Alfa is cheaper, and I think most people would say better looking, but it's slower, not as fuel efficient, noisier, and suffers from a badge with an image of bad reliability, and in the UK at least a dealer network that's beyond awful. The 166 wasn't anywhere near a 5-series, and Alfa has nothing competing with the 7-series. The 3-series also has more variants - to Alfa's 4 door and estate BMW can over a coupe and soon a cabrio. BMW also has a greater range of engines... I could go on (and usually do). I wouldn't say that Alfa is assured success by any means. Doesn't mean it will fail though - but it's a tough market.

As for Saab - agreed - it's almost gone already. Audi will be doing fine, and Volvo should start to acheive a little more recognition, hopefully from younger buyers (*waves at Johnny English*)...

EDIT:
Yep - though supposedly they're just moving to new premises. Quite where they are not even TVR knows. TVR has not, of late, being doing very well.

...and to prove my point:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/coolwall/

Alfa= cool or sub zero
BMW= uncool or seriously uncool

...although Jeremy Clarkson is still a C@#k.

Jezza Clarkson is a car fan who talks like a man who knows fuck all about cars - how can a 911 Turbo be uncool? FFS Jezza you cockknocker, it's a fucking rocketship. Twat.

So there you have it - using Clarkson to back up an opinion on a car automatically renders your opinion null and void.

Ah but that's the point.

Cool or not cool is little to do with the car but the image of the car. The problem Porsche (and BMW) have is not so much the cars themselves as their customers. 911 turbos are bought by people with lots of cash but no imagination so they can park it in front of Cafe Roma (of course I have access to extensive in depth indexed market research to back this fact up ;o) ).

I was once at the Top Gear show with my ex. They ran a pop quiz competition with the audience and lets just say that JC seemed to take a bit of a shine to her and despite the lateness of her "buzzing" she always "was first". I stood behind her and kept whispering the answers. We got to the final then got rumbled. He was not happy! Letcherous fool.

Yeah, sorry, should have made myself clearer - I know that that's what the cool wall is all about, but to my mind a car show should rate cars from a car fan's point of view - I don't car what my aunty may or may not think about 911 Turbos - she knows fuck all about the subject...

Anyway, as for Clarkson letching at your missus, you should have twatted the lanky git. I have to say though - part of me really likes Clarkson.

Well, they reckon its about 1 in 10 don't they?

Speakfreak: Why not post the pictures here?

WH

Anybody who puts an effin great big fighter jet in his front garden while his wife was away for the weekend is OK in my book.

Simply makes him fucking weird in my book. He wanted to put a massive arabian tent full of dutch whores in his garden is what he wanted to do. What did he do with the jet? Look at for a while, and then...actually, no I don't even wanna bloody think about it that much.

Flying a fighter jet and blowing shit up with missiles - cool.
Putting a fighter jet in your garden, for no fucking reason whatsoever, and inviting scorn and ridicule upon yourself, presumably whilst paying for it - twat.

Inviting scorn and ridicule upon himself? I had no idea that Clarkson was American...

still love Top Gear though. I prefer the little Hammond dude (fellow Brera lover!) to Clarkson.

Ah yes, Hamster. He knows a thing or two about cars I reckon - next time you're in WH Smiths at Heathrow though walk past Top Gear magazine and buy 'Evo' instead. Great magazine with superb photography. Nice motors too.

am sure we've a heap of em at home...my other half is a car designer! incidently he's always loved the brera but probly won't buy it I won't say why

Go on - say why... I don't like it for some reason, and so am keen to find justification as apparently 99% of the world think it's horny as fuck. I think it's a bit funny looking, though I've still never seen one in the metal.

well there is no doubt about its stunning appearance. (phwoooooooooooar!) but according to most of the reviews it's not as good to drive as it is to look at!

Well, it's not very fast. Personally I'd (and I may have said this once or twice before) would have a Nissan 350Z. It may not snap knicker elastic at 50 paces like a Brera, but from what I've read, and what I've experienced, a 350Z would blow a Brera off the road in a 'race'...

was seeing the whole report on that car on 5th gear on bbc the other day. though they felt it was one of the best alfas to come out in a while, it was still not upto the mark to be a thrilling ride.

from all the road tests I get the impression it's felt to be a thrilling ride, but it's price does not justifiy its performance.
Top Gear reviewand Channel 5's Fifth Gear review

yippee off to the ALFA shop now to pick up my 147 Sex-Machine she had a new windscreen put in cuz of that damned Steinschlag.

oo check wot's due soon:

OK - I've just been converted. I still don't like the Brera, not even the way it looks, but I've suddenly just switched sides and fallen in love with an Alfa - a 159 to be exact. How can a mainstream saloon look THAT good?

Worryingly I'm about to buy a car - I'm on a budget, but suddenly I've found myself scouring Autotrader for the 3.0 V6 GTV...

If I end up buying an Alfa, and it turns out to be a shed, I'm blaming you lot.

Take a look at Häusler just down the road from the old 1860 Stadium.
I have bought both my Alfas second-hand from there and always been happy with their prices and service.

There is also another offical Alfa dealer somewhere in Trudering and I think it's called Alfadrome.

Sorry, I don't have the links for those.

That 159 does look good and although I couldn't afford one, I am looking forward to see if a 169 is released.

MT

Well I live in London these days Malt-Teaser, and so only visit Munich a few times a year - not enough to justify buying a car there that's for sure. I'm currently having a look on the net for specialist Alfa dealers - I hear that the main dealer network is one of the worst in the world, so I'm hoping to find a fairly local main dealer.

Sorry Jimbo, I didn't see your location.

Be very careful with UK Alfa dealers. I very rarely hear good reports of their after sales service.
Maybe look for an independent Alfa (drivers) club and ask their advice. These clubs are usually full of helpful members and know which dealers to avoid.

Not a great start - their website is screwed so I can't search nationally for cars...nor in fact can I search for any used cars in the entire official Alfa network.

Back to BMW for me then...

EDIT: And yep, Malt teaset - spot on. I've NEVER heard a good word about the official network so I'm currently looking into specialists and the owners' clubs.

Come to daddy.

Snap out of it Jimbo! These cars are made by Italians!
I've been here in Italy for over a year now.
For the love of God Jimbo...

EDIT: notice the lack of a stallion or a bull on the badge...please

Head vs. heart. On the walk in with 'Money' by Pink Floyd playing on my iPod nono my heart was streets ahead, but now my head is catching up and once again I'm thinking that if I'm buying on a budget I should probably buy a budget car - not an Alfa GTV 3 litre which apparently drinks like Ollie Reed.

Is that the 3.0 or 3.2?

My previous car was the older 3.0 and the average was 11 litres per 100km.

On a longer autobahn journey I could achieve 9.5 litres per 100 km.

It's the 3 litre V6 24valver. Supposed to sound hornier than the devil fucking a bull up the arse whilst high on powdered rhinoceros horn.

They do sound fantastic indeed. They look damn smart too:

Yes, that's the engine I had in the GTV and that I now have in my 166.

Looks superb with the chrome!
Goes pretty well too as I enjoyed last week on an empty autobahn out of Munich.

4 new ALFAs by 2010.
the Junior will be released in the UK early next year according to Cars magazine though I can't find any definitive images on the net.