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100 Years of Alfa Romeo

Thursday June 24, 2010
Alfa Romeo turns 100 years old today, the 24th of June 2010. The Alfa factory in Milan's first model was the Alfa 24 HP A, designed by Giuseppi Merosi.

Over the years, the marque has produced many cars of high performance, beauty and elegance. Legendary motorsport achievements have further embellished the marque's reputation. It was with Alfa Romeo's racing team that Enzo Ferrari got his start in racing and later managing the team. In the eyes of many enthusiasts, for these reasons the name Alfa Romeo has become synonymous with passion.

Engineering aside, the marque has often been plagued with financial difficulties, from the 1920 depression through to the most recent troubles for the firm when the Fiat Group stepped in to take over ownership, and the still retain ownership today. Despite these troubles, the cars produced by the firm have always held something special for many motoring aficionados.

As a tribute to Alfa Romeo, we have selected 10 of the greatest, most interesting and important Alfa Romeos produced yet.

1. Alfa 24 HP A

The car that got Alfa's ball rolling. A side-valve, 100 mm bore by 130.0 mm stroke 4 cylinder engine of 4084 cc capacity, with 42 horsepower. A four speed gearbox was fitted, and it could manage a top speed of 100 km/h.

2. Alfa Romeo 6C 1750

One of the marque's greatest sporting successes, the Vittorio Jano-designed 6C 1750 epitomised pre-World War II sports racing cars. The styling was superbly executed, leaving no-one in any doubt of its massive performance potential. Entered into the 1929 Mille Miglia, the first four places were taken by 6C 1750 models. Sitting on a 2745 mm wheelbase, the little 2 seater roadster was powered by a straight 6 twin overhead cam engine with bore and stroke fo 65.0 mm and 88.0 mm respectively, giving a displacement of 1752 cc. Without supercharging, the engine produced 65 PS at 4500 rpm and this endowed it with a 130 km/h top speed. With an Alfa Romeo Roots-type supercharger fitted, the power was raised to 85 PS at 4500 rpm.

3. Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Lungo

Alfa Romeo's great pre-World War II flagship, the 8C 2900 had a straight 8 twin overhead cam engine. With a bore of 68.0 mm and a stroke of 100.0 mm, the big Alfa Romeo had a capacity of 2905 cc. Fitted with a supercharger and twin Zenith carburettors, the output of 180 PS at 5200 rpm was sufficient to propel it to 175 km/h.

4. Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale

In the post-World War II years, Alfa Romeo had relied on older pre-war designs initially, and then on the venerable 1900 series to keep sales ticking over. In 1954 however, Alfa Romeo launched what would be a truly ground-breaking car. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint coupé arrived on the scene with a tiny beauty of an engine. Displacing only 1290 cc from its 4 cylinder engine, it managed to produce a credible 65 PS (90 PS in Veloce form) at 5200 rpm. The delicate Bertone bodywork is still able to turn heads today. The Giulietta range, which started with the coupé and the Pininfarina-designed Spider in 1954, was followed by the saloon a year later. These models formed the backbone of the Alfa Romeo range for the next few years. One of the most remarkable of the Giulietta variants was the stunning Giulietta Sprint Speciale. With 100 PS now being coaxed from the little 4 cylinder motor, the aerodynamically efficient Sprint Speciale could reach 193 km/h.

5. Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint

The larger Alfa Romeo range, the 2000 model series, was updated to become the 2600 range in 1962. The coupé versions were styled by Bertone, the Spiders by Pininfarina and the saloon was an in-house Alfa Romeo effort. The Bertone coupé, the Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint, mustered 145 PS from its 2584 cc twin overhead cam straight 6 engine. The styling was again a high point, and the performance was rapid, if not startling. A 5 speed manual gearbox was fitted to the coupé.

6. Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto

The Giulia range replaced the Giuliettas in 1962. The coupé was again designed by Bertone and the Spider by Pininfarina. It was the Spider that would become one of the most iconic Alfa Romeos of all time, with the rounded tail styling of the Duetto finding huge acclaim. It became known as the Graduate in the USA due to the use of one in the movie of the same name with Dustin Hoffman. Detail changes were made over the years, the most controversial being the adoption of the so-called Kamm-tail, but it continued in production until the early nineties. The original Spider Duetto was powered by a 1570 cc twincam 4 pot producing 109 PS at 6000 rpm.

7. Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

Possibly the most extreme road-going Alfa Romeo until the advent of the 8c Competizione in 2006, the 1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale had dazzling lines and specification. A mid-mounted 2 litre V8 engine, claimed to produce 230 PS at a screaming 8800 rpm was coupled to a 6 speed manual transmission. The engine was fitted with Spica mechanical fuel injection. The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is considered by many to be amongst the most beautiful cars ever made, with the Franco Scaglione bodywork managing to be both sensual and aggressive at the same time. It was not a commercial success at all, and approximately 18 were made in total.

8. Alfa Romeo SZ

Alfa Romeo and Zagato have had a long and fruitful partnership over the years, with Zagato producing special bodies on various Alfa Romeo chassis. Possibly the most outrageous products of the combination was the 1989 Alfa Romeo SZ. It had a hunkered down, mean look about it, and although it was powered by just a 3.0 V6, it was widely hailed as one of the best handling cars ever, able to pull over 1.1 g of cornering force. The platform for the SZ came from the Alfa Romeo 75 line. It utilised the 3.0 V6 from the 75 range, tweaked to produce 210 PS at 6200 rpm and 245 Nm at 4500 rpm. It could cover the standing kilometre in 27.4 seconds, spri9nt from rest to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 245 km/h. A convertible version, the Alfa Romeo RZ, followed in 1993.

9. Alfa Romeo 156 GTA

Alfa Romeo were starting to lose traction in the early nineties, with no rear-drive models on sale and some Fiat-sourced platforms causing mutterings amongst the Alfisti that Alfa Romeo had abandoned their heritage. In 1997, Alfa Romeo launched a new saloon range, the 156. It was still front wheel drive, but Alfa Romeo had produced a remarkable escape act - it was cleverly styled and good enough overall to win back the hearts of enthusiasts. It was very successful in Touring Car racing as well. The ultimate version - the Alfa Romeo 156 GTA - was powered by a 3.2 litre 60 degree V6 engine, producing 250 PS at 6200 rpm and 300 Nm at 4800 rpm.

10. Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione

The Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione coupé was a surprise when it was shown in prototype form in 2003. By 2006 it was in production and had re-established Alfa Romeo near the top of the performance market. A front-engined coupé, its styling is evocative of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. It is not simply a retro-styled caricature of the Stradale, but it has a look of its own with rounded, muscular haunches and a low, menacing front. Short and wide, is sits on a wheelbase of 2696 mm, with overall length of 4381 mm and a width of 1894 mm. It is powered by a 450 PS 4.7 litre V8, derived from the contemporary Maserati V8 engine. A top speed of 293 km/h is claimed.

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Four generations of racing-inspired BMW M3 special editions

Thursday June 10, 2010
The BMW M3 has been the pinnacle of the BMW 3-series range for 4 model series: the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93. Although any BMW M3 is special in its own right, in each of these model series BMW has produced limited edition M3 models that borrow heavily from racing traditions. These special editions have often served to homologate various technical adaptations for racing purposes by offering them for sale to the public and fulfil the requirements of whatever contemporary regulations were in force.

The original E30 BMW M3 was a 2.3 litre 4 cylinder that produced 200 PS (147 kW) at 6750 rpm, and was available primarily as a 2 door coupé, and was introduced in 1987. Over the next few years, various Evolution models of the M3 were produced, mainly to answer the challenge thrown down by Mercedes-Benz and their 190E 2.3-16 and 2.5-16 saloon car racing efforts. The E30 M3's final incarnation was as the exclusive BMW M3 Sports Evolution, which saw the 4 cylinder unit bored and stroked to 2467 cc from the original 2302 cc. Power and torque were increased to 238 PS (175 kW) at 7000 rpm and 240 Nm (177 ft.lb) at 4750 rpm respectively, and the 0-100 km/h sprint time dropped from 6.7 seconds to 6.5 seconds. Top speed was increased to 248 km/h, from 235 km/h. Wider rims and fatter tyres, along with uprated suspension featuring adjustable shock absorbers helped it handle and corner better around the track, and various aerodynamic tweaks delivered better downforce and cooling. Just 600 were produced. The BMW M3 Sports Evolution was the ultimate E30 M3 variant.

The next BMW M3, based on the E36 3 series, was the first 6 cylinder M3. Originally a 2990 cc inline 6 cylinder, the E36 Evolution M3 models had the capacity enlarged to 3201 cc. Shortly before the arrival of the Evolution models, BMW released a GT version of the M3. This had an unchanged capacity of 2990 cc but developed 10 PS more, at 295 PS. It featured wider rear wheels, minor aerodynamic adjustments, some chassis strengthening and some cosmetic tweaks to the interior. It was also available exclusively in British Racing Green. This model was, like the others highlighted in this article, produced to give BMW an entry into certain classes of racing and to satisfy their homologation requirements, specifically the FIA-GT Series, IMSA GT Series in the USA and international endurance racing. Despite the later BMW E36 M3 Evolution models being more powerful, the singular purpose of the 1995 BMW M3 GT makes it all the more interesting and special. Just 356 of these machines were produced.

In 2000 BMW launched the E46 3-series. The standard BMW M3 model featured a 3246 cc straight six engine producing 343 PS. The special edition that we shall look at from this range was the first BMW M3 to be powered by a V8 engine, the BMW E46 M3 GTR. Exploiting the wording of the American Le Mans (ALMS) rules for the 2001 season, BMW offered the car for sale to a very small number of customers, but managed to comply to the exact letter, if not spirit, of the regulations by making it available to customers on two continents. The V8 was a 90 degree, 3997 cc, dry-sumped engine that produced 350 PS at 7250 rpm and 365 Nm at 5000 rpm in road trim. (BMW actually claimed "more than 350 PS", but did not give further specifics). The bodywork was suitably modified for homologating various components for the racing version, and a full 220 kg was pared from the weight by employing carbon fibre for the roof, rear spoiler and the front and rear aprons. As the first V8 engined BMW M3, the BMW E46 M3 GTR was a precursor to today's E90/92/93 M3.

This leads us neatly into the latest racing-derived BMW M3 model - the BMW E92 M3 GTS. The 3999 cc V8 from the E92 M3 Coupé has been enlarged to 4361 cc, helping to lift maximum power to 450 PS at 8300 rpm and torque to 440 Nm (325 ft.lb) at 3750 rpm. Various racing-inspired aerodynamic enhancements have been made, increasing downforce and improving cooling. The brakes have been uprated and larger discs are fitted front and rear. Additions such as a roll cage make the handling sharper, whilst 70 kg of weight has been shed over the standard 2010 BMW E92 M3 model with the same transmission. It is also the first BMW M3 model to officially have a claimed top speed of more than 300 km/h - BMW claim 305 km/h for the M3 GTS. As the ultimate E92 M3 variant, the BMW E92 M3 GTS also stands tall as the fastest, most powerful M3 incarnation to date.

• BMW E30 M3 Evolution III
• BMW E36 M3 Coupé GT
• BMW E46 M3 GTR
• BMW E92 M3 GTS Coupé
• View all four side-by-side

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Audi's A1 Luxury Baby - Full Details

Monday May 24, 2010
The long-awaited 2010 Audi A1 is about to hit the markets, Audi have recently released the specifications of the A1 range at launch date.

Sitting on a 2469 mm wheelbase and with an overall length of just 3954 mm, the Audi A1 is the smallest Audi models since the Audi A2. The Audi A1 features a coefficient of drag of between 0.329 and 0.333, depending on the model, and a frontal area of 2.04 m². 3 engine options are available initially: 1.2 and 1.4 TFSI petrol units and a 1.6 TDI diesel.

The 1.2 TFSI engine is good for 85 PS (63 kW) at 4800 rpm and has a peak torque of 160 Nm (118 ft.lb) developed between 1500 and 3500 rpm. Driving the front wheels through a five speed manual gearbox, this is enough to thrust the 1040 kg hatchback Audi A1 1.2 TFSI from 0 to 100 km/h in a claimed 11.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph). CO₂ emissions are a tidy 118 g/km.

The next petrol engined variant is the 1.4 TFSI, available with or without start & stop technology. The turbocharged 1390 cc engine produces 122 PS (90 kW) at 5000 rpm and achieves peak torque of 200 Nm from 1500 rpm to 4000 rpm. Driving through a 7 speed automatic gearbox, the 1125 kg Audi A1 1.4 TFSI is propelled to 100 km/h from rest in 8.9 seconds and has a claimed top speed of 203 km/h. 122 g/km of CO₂ is claimed overall, with that figure dropping to 119 g/km with the start & stop technology.

The only diesel engine available at launch is the 1.6 TDI. This 1598 cc unit delivers 105 PS (77 kW) at 4400 rpm and 250 Nm of torque at 1500-2500 rpm. Unusually for a modern diesel, it has just a 5-speed manual gearbox. Claimed CO₂ emissions for the Audi A1 1.6 TDI are 103 g/km. It weighs 1040 kg and has a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 10.5 seconds. The claimed top speed for this model is 195 km/h.

• 2010 Audi A1 1.2 TFSI specifications
• 2010 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI specifications
• 2010 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI Start & Stop specifications
• 2010 Audi A1 1.6 TDI specifications

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Carfolio ID Mix-up fixed

Monday May 17, 2010
Apologies for the brief mix-up with the Carfolio ID numbers. The issue was caught quickly and fixed quickly. All models should have their correct Carfolio ID numbers back. Please drop us a line if you spot any that aren't. Thanks for your patience while we dealt with this issue.

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620 PS Porsche 911 GT2 RS released

Thursday May 13, 2010
A new, more powerful Porsche 911 GT2 variant has just been released. The 2010 Porsche 911 GT2 RS features more power, less weight and even better performance.

The 3600 cc engine remains at the same capacity, but power and torque have been increased. Power is up 90 PS to 620 PS at the same 6500 rpm as the Porsche 911 GT2. Torque is up 20 Nm to 700 Nm, achieved in a rev band from 2500 to 5500 rpm, which is wider than the standard 911 GT2 which pulled maximum torque from 2200 rpm to 4500 rpm. A new intercooler and increased turbocharger boost from 1.4 bar to 1.6 bar account for most of the improvements here. The power is transmitted through a six speed manual gearbox.

Weight has been pared wherever possible, and the resultant drop of 70 kg over the 911 GT2, in combination with the engine tweaks, delivers sublime performance figures. The 0-100 km/h benchmark is covered in 3.5 seconds and in 28.9 seconds the 300 km/h mark is achieved. A top speed of 330 km/h is claimed. Despite these improvements in performance, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS boasts CO₂ emissions of just 284 g/km, which is actually 14 g/km lower than the less powerful standard Porsche 911 GT2.

The Porsche 911 GT2 RS comes with Porsche's composite ceramic disc brake (PCCB) system as standard. The wheels are fitter with slightly wider 245/35 profile tyres at the front, whilst the rears remain 325/30. Both front and rear are 19 inch rims.

Porsche is limiting production of this, their most powerful road-legal car ever, to just 500 units. Sales in the UK start in September 2010.

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305 km/h BMW M3 GTS given production go-ahead

Thursday May 13, 2010
The most hardcore BMW M3 yet - the BMW M3 GTS - will be available on the market, BMW has confirmed. With a longer stroke (82.0 mm - up from 75.2 mm on the standard E90 BMW M3), the V8 engine now displaces 4361 cc (E90 M3: 3999 cc). Power and torque are both improved, with maximum power being 450 PS (331 kW) at 8300 rpm and torque up 40 Nm to 440 Nm (325 ft.lb) at 3750 rpm.

The body is 30 mm longer, at 4645 mm compared to 4615 mm for the standard BMW M3 Coupé. It is also 37 mm lower at 1387 mm. Due to the demand for downforce, the aerodynamics are slightly poorer, with a coefficient of drag of 0.34, up from the standard M3's 0.31. Frontal area remains 2.17 m², giving a CdA of 0.738 m².

A seven speed Drivelogic transmission is fitted, and the gearchange timing has been set to match the GTS' engine characteristics. The final drive ratio is 3.154:1 and 7th gear is a direct ratio.

With all these improvements and changes, the M3 GTS delivers monumental performance. The standing start kilometre is covered in a searing 22.5 seconds, the 0-100 km/h sprint is despatched in 4.4 seconds. The top speed is over the magical 300 km/h mark too, at 305 km/h. CO₂ emissions are 295 g/km.

The suspension and brakes have also been fettled for a more racing orientated set-up. The dampers are independently variable, as is front and rear camber and ride height. The brakes are ventilated discs at each corner, 18 mm and 30 mm larger, front and rear respectively, than the standard BMW M3 Coupé.

All up, the BMW M3 GTS weighs in at 1605 kg (EU) (1530 kg DIN) - the normal M3 is slightly heavier. BMW have delivered an enthusiasts' machine, sticking to their traditional principles.

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