The 5 Greatest Alfa Romeos From The Last 30 Years

We're hoping the incoming Giulia will finally pull Alfa out of the doldrums, but let's not forget, even over the last 30 patchy years for the company, it's put out some brilliant - if flawed - performance cars. Here are a few of our favourites
The 5 Greatest Alfa Romeos From The Last 30 Years

1. 75 QV

Via Wikimedia Commons
Via Wikimedia Commons

The old 75 ticks a hell of a lot of boxes for the enthusiast driver. It’s rear-wheel drive, has a near-50/50 weight distribution thanks in part to a transaxle gearbox, and came with a range of zingy engines.

The Turbo Evoluzione homologation special deserves honourable mention, but for us, our ideal 75 would be one of the more powerful 3.0-litre V6 examples, preferably a QV.

2. 155 Q4

The 5 Greatest Alfa Romeos From The Last 30 Years

What followed the 75 was - for many - a bit of a disappointment. The 155 was the first Alfa produced after the company was taken over by Fiat, and as a result it was built using a bunch of parts from the lesser Italian manufacturer, all on a platform shared with the Fiat Tempra and Lancia Dedra/Delta.

However, not all were front-wheel drive. The Q4 arrived in 1994, using the drivetrain from the Lancia Delta Integrale and putting out 190bhp to all four wheels. So, if you want what’s essentially a Lancia Delta Integrale saloon with an Alfa badge, here’s your car.

3. 147 GTA

The 5 Greatest Alfa Romeos From The Last 30 Years

If you wanted an Alfa GTA in the mid noughties, you had two choices: the 156 GTA or the 147 GTA. Both were gorgeous, both had the same incredible ‘Busso’ 3.2-litre, 247bhp V6, and neither were particularly known for their handling prowess. So why is the 147 here and not the 156? I can give you two reasons.

Firstly, the 147 wore its go-faster bits a lot more successfully than the 156, and secondly, it was bombastically powerful in its class when launched. the 156’s 247bhp output looked nothing special when you had the M3 of the day punting out well over 300, but a C-segment hot hatchback with that much power? It seemed mad at the time, particularly when the Mk4 VW Golf R32 could only muster 230bhp. And the R32 had four-wheel drive to tame the poke, whereas Alfa didn’t even bother with a limited-slip differential in the front-wheel drive 147.

This makes it a boisterous little so-and-so when it comes to power delivery, but if you fancy buying one, the good news is many examples have since been fitted with a ‘Q2’ LSD. And if they haven’t, it’s a relatively cheap fit.

4. 8C Competizione/Spider

The 5 Greatest Alfa Romeos From The Last 30 Years

It’s with some reluctance that I’m including the 8C. And that reluctance stems from the fact that it’s a bit of a stretch to call it an Alfa Romeo. Oh sure, if has the right badge on the nose and that trademark triangular grille, but it’s made mostly from bits of Maserati, with a pinch of Ferrari. The Maserati built the damn thing too, and if you’re one of the 1000 people that bought one (500 coupes, 500 roadsters), you’ll drive straight past your local Alfa dealer and go to one with a big trident outside when it’s time for a service.

But, if you’re going to raid a parts bin, Maserati’s is a damn good choice, and unless you’re a bit weird, surely you have to consider this to be one of the prettiest cars produced in recent years, particularly the Spider version. Sounds damn good too, thanks to the same 4.7-litre V8 which eventually ended up in the Maserati Gran Turismo.

4C

The 5 Greatest Alfa Romeos From The Last 30 Years

Ah, the 4C. Is there another car right now which divides the opinion of the world’s motoring press quite so much? Probably not, we’d wager. Our consensus in the CT office is to give it a cautious thumbs up. And it’s a tentative we dig this because there’s a lot wrong with the 4C: the interior is terrible, it’s uncomfortable, doesn’t sound particularly nice and is unnecessarily tricky to drive quickly.

It’s a car that has the ability to win you over despite its faults, however, and is a much better embodiment of what an Alfa Romeo should be than its Mito and Giulietta stablemates. We certainly hope the Giulia QV is a much more cohesive package, but until that comes along, the 4C is a good stop gap for hot Alfas.

What’s your favourite fast Alfa of the last 30 years?

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Comments

Anonymous

I first fell in love with Alfa Romeo’s when I was just 4 years old.
I remember the triangle nose, the badge and the most amazing looking car I had seen at that time, it was a 156 and I never really thought about it after.
Then the start of this year, I was offered one with a 2,0L engine and Selespeed gearbox and I found out really why I love cars and why I now love Alfa’s!
The first many times I drove it I said during and after the drive: “I love this car”
Sadly I couldn’t afford the repairs in the long term, but I miss it almost everyday and someday I will buy another Alfa!

12/08/2015 - 21:14 |
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Anonymous

I’ve always loved how the 147/156 based GT looked. Would love to get a V6

12/08/2015 - 21:26 |
2 | 0
Melons

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Me too.. But, this must wait. This car is not legal in my area yet!

12/09/2015 - 00:07 |
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Fat Beckham

I’ve posted it before, but God do I miss my old GTA - handmade replica Unicorse exhaust and the Q2 diff were the only mods, but that’s all it needed. That noise… Think that’s what I miss most.

12/08/2015 - 21:28 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

I know… Its only about fast and hot alfas, but i drive a 145 1.6 16v and absolutly love it :)

12/08/2015 - 21:33 |
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Anonymous

What, no love for the 164 Q4 ?

12/08/2015 - 21:36 |
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Anonymous

This is my Alfa. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My Alfa is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
My Alfa, without me, is useless. Without my Alfa, I am useless. I must drive my Alfa true. I must drive straighter than my enemy who is trying to race me. I must beat him before he beats me. I will…
My Alfa and I know that what counts on track is not the heads we turn, the noise of our exhaust, nor the tyre smoke we make. We know that it is the speeds that count. We will speed…
My Alfa is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its windows and its wheels. I will keep my Alfa clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will…
Before God, I swear this creed. My Alfa and I are the defenders of my driveway. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.
So be it, until victory is Fiat Group’s and there is no enemy, but peace!

12/08/2015 - 21:41 |
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Captain Trash

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

You’d truly deserve 10000 upvotes for this sir.

12/08/2015 - 23:59 |
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Anonymous

alfa romeo 145 ts 1.6 mine

12/08/2015 - 21:45 |
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KonTsiou

What about the Alfa GT? Especially the 3.2 V6…

12/08/2015 - 22:00 |
2 | 0
Blitz

This post makes me wish even more Alfa had an actual presence in Canada.

12/08/2015 - 22:31 |
2 | 0
Luciano Ferrari

Ive been lusting after a 147 GTA for absolutely ages, hopefully next year I’ll be able to afford one! I know they are flawed but I just love the look of them, especially in pearlescent white sitting on a set of 18 inch multispokes and with a supersprint system they just sound unbelievable!!

12/08/2015 - 22:35 |
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