please, please, some respect. An Alfa Romeo is not Italian rubbish, any more than a Clio is French rubbish. While its slightly irrelevant now, bear in mind that Alfa Romeo has more race victories than any other car manufacturer (over 16,000). No one else even comes close. And remember, had Alfa never existed, chances are Ferrari wouldnt, either.
Additionally, the 147 2.0 is not a hot-hatch. Its a lovely car, but its not fast.
"but the engine will let go as soon as you thrash it, just like all other alfas"
with all due respect, thats rubbish. Alfa has more to tell about engine design than it has to learn. The Alfa V6 engine, in one form or another, has been about for over 20 years. Its main problems have been 1) lunching head gaskets, which was fixed back in 83/84. Between then and now, its proved to be a very, very durable engine (everything attached to it can be variable, however) and a popular choice for racers. While I agree the current twin sparks seem trouble prone (especially when drivers neglect to check the oil) the same cannot be said of the V6. I ran mine for five years with no mechanical problems, and even today, 30 years after Alfa first built the V6, it remains a peach of an engine, as well as proven to be fundamentally robust.
and hey, dont forget who put VVT technology into a production car in 1980 for use to enjoy today.
Lets play nice.
g
