Alfa Romeo GT 3.2 - Why The Weirdest 00s Alfa is Also The Best
In today's video, I am driving the Alfa Romeo GT 3.2 - the last car introduced with Alfa Romeo's legendary Arese built Busso V6. However, sandwiched between the GTV and the Brera, two cars I dislike, can the GT really stand out in a good way?
#AlfaRomeo #AlfaGT #Busso
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I'm the owner of GT 3.2 and I totally love that car. Reliability? The biggest issue is the previous owner. 😬
What he did?
Always is with cars like these. They do need regular looking after. Thoroughbreds always do. If you can afford vet bills don’t buy a horse
Good point 👍
The most genuine truth!! It is the first owner who will determine the whole life of the car. Exact CouriusPL
@@KINGVONFRM063 previous owner of my car assembled engine by himself or w/ friends and of course he did that totally wrong. I bought his car and few months later my busso blew up making two holes in an engine block. Reason? Piston rods assembled in a wrong order. There was more fuck ups tho all around the car. Ive learned my lesson. 👀
I own a 3.2 Busso GT. I’ve sorted the gear change on mine and it is now as Alfa intended. Really pleased to see that Jay enjoyed the car. I was half expecting him to slate it. These are lovely hidden gems!
What did you do to sort the gear change? Mine is ok but when it’s cold first and reverse can be difficult to get sometimes, and just generally the throw seems way too long
The throw is quite long on them but when it all snicks in as intended it’s no bother. You can get a short shift adapter but I don’t have one. Mine was like stirring soup but it just needed a new bush at the base of the gear lever. It’s a very cheap part but unfortunately you have to drop the exhaust and transmission tunnel to get to it. I guess that’s why a lot of owners don’t bother. Also the top hat bushes at the selector plate end can get squashed by corrosion over time so that all needs cleaning up. That’s very easy and quick to do.
That busso engine is fabulous
So what if he slates it, his opinion is no different to yours, hes not a professional journalist lol Or engineer
I had one of these for 7 years as a daily. Just sold it a few months ago and already I am questioning myself if that was a horrible mistake. Sure I had my fair share of trouble with it. The original diff found its way outside the gearbox casing, the alternator broke three times (once every two years), the rear shocks almost collapsed and so on. There were plenty of little issues as well not worth mentioning here. Not to mention the belt service costs etc. Can be quite expensive to run. But every time I had the car sorted, it was so magnificent that I was in love with it. The Q2 / Quaife diff is essential to have and the gear selection can be sorted out with a short shifter adapter item. The shifter is cable operated so it will never feel that solid but it can be improved a lot. The engine is marvelous and the handeling is really great. In snow it left pretty much all other 2WD cars in the dust with the Q2 diff making sure there is traction. In slippery conditions it has nice lift-off oversteer characteristics and does not really understeer with the power on either. As the GT weighs a lot less than for example the Brera, it is quite fast even though the power output isn't that huge. I am so happy to see James finally drive my beloved Alfa model and like it!
It's been 6 years since I sold my GTA and believe me the feeling never goes away, now that I live in Florida I'll never get the chance again.
@@Cunn21 finally someone refers the GTA ,i felt for years like if only knew that the GTA existed
@@RUfromthe40s was and still is like that! Definitely leaves a lasting impression that's for sure in the 3.5 years of owning it, I never once broke down!!
@@Cunn21 Just bought my 156 GTA three months ago. What a revelation it is - especially given it is my 4th Alfa and third Busso engined 156 ... (and has the requisite "sympathetic modifications" - Q2 diff, coilovers, 330mm Brembos, catback exhaust, adjustable sway bars etc).
@@johnphaceas7434 I can recommend further things to enhance the GTA further if you need.
I was a mecanic for many years by my own repairshop and the busso V6 is by far the best V6 ever Made! I have driven rally’s in a 75 3.0 V6 and that was the most joyible rallycar i have owned, Yes the gearbox was rubbish and every rally i must chanche the synchromesh rings but boy O boy was that car fun to drive! When you have you’re maintenance in time an alfa is not so bad, Greetz from the Netherlands , ramon
The 75 3.0 V6 was a lovely car. My example snapped a cam belt prematurely. It was a real pain to remove the cylinder heads. I resorted to splitting the brake servo to remove one head. I have fond memories of my 75. 👍
I’ve had my 3.2 GT for just under a year now. Managed to pick up a very low mileage example in excellent condition. It’s standard apart from a Q2 diff and a larger bore exhaust which, in my opinion, sounds way better than those Wizard systems. It’s a much deeper, throatier growl. Anyway, I love mine. It’s my daily drive and it puts a smile on my face every day. The gear change can be a bit tricky when it’s cold and it’s not the slickest change due to its long throw. The engine is the party piece though. It’s smoothness and tractability is unlike anything else I’ve driven.
Tell us more about your exhaust, i have a 3,2 GT and the original backbox is at the end of its life.
@@nilshult5332 to be honest I don’t know the specific detail of what it is. It was on there when I bought it. I’ve listened to videos of Wizard and Raggazon systems and I just find them a bit too loud and too raspy. From inside the car my system sounds more like a V8 at lower revs but does get a higher pitched scream as you approach the redline.
Here’s a short video I’ve just uploaded of my car starting up. Listen with headphones for the full effect kzhead.info2Y1kC5CEXS4?feature=share
@@downesy68 yours sounds WAY better
The wizard exhaust releases the perfect tone from the busso engine without being too noisy, like music to the ears.
1982 GTV6 owner here with a 3.0 GTA 4-cam installed with an Alfa 75/Milano transaxle. At 2800 lbs. the car is old but a riot to drive. Loads of fun.
Come on , the looks? It's one of the most beautiful Alfas ever made
I had a 3.2v6, with ST XA (basically kw v2) coilovers, short shifter, carbon intake, Was totally reliable in my time and drove amazingly. Excellent ride and handling. Look after these and service yearly, do cambelt on time etc, they will be brilliant cars. I sold mine before doing the lsd and exhaust mods but was amazing, definitely pulls harder than any other car with 240hp! Was my 3rd v6 alfa and I loved all of them.
I had a 147 GTA with Q2 and loved it so much. Even after ~5 years of ownership I was always constantly amazed by how agile and balanced it felt - moreso then a ~1350kg nose heavy FWD car had any right to. I think it was partly due to the Q2, good tyres and that fast steering. It really makes the car feel incredibly agile and light on it's feet. Feels like you are driving a 1,000kg car, not a 1350kg one. Up there with my old MX-5 as the most outright fun car I've ever owned. It was almost impossible for me to drive the Alfa in a boring way, The razor sharp steering made you want to throw it aggressively into every corner you came across, and that engine note made you want to rev it out every time you had the opportunity. And those bucket seats - still among the most amazing seats I've ever sat in. If I ever buy a GT I think I will throw some 147 GTA seats in there haha Mind was actually pretty reliable in the 5 years or so that I owned it, though at the very end I did start running in to some issues. The ECU failing was the biggest one, BOSCH apparently no longer makes the computers, so they are supposedly very difficult to find and very difficult to repair. It cost me a small fortune to find a used replacement ECU, and the only alternative is apparently to buy a custom unit from the UK which cost a small fortune in itself. They aren't too bad reliability wise if well looked after, but if things do go wrong it is reaching a point where repair/part costs can be prohibitively expensive relative to the value of the car, which can make it hard to justify repairing them if something big goes wrong. Luckilly they have seen a huge spike in value over the past year, and that does help justify the maintenance costs. At the same time though prices have jumped to the point where a decent 147 GTA costs about 65%-70% of the price of a Maserati Coupe Cambriocorsa from the same year.
@@pete3198 agreed handling is very underrated in these! With a good set up it’s one of the most rewarding fwd cars to drive especially with the sound of the Busso to compliment it. The GTA seats were defo a mod I was thinking of doing, like I did in my previous modified 2.5v6 156, love those seats, look amazing and just feel so good to sit in!
@@pete3198 that´s my opinion but in europe we only found them alfa-romeu´s drinking problem, i had a 166 twin spark ,like a e-class mercedes size but it went faster with a 2.0L engine with 8 spark-plugs ,the drinking was relative to it´s 140 to 150 h.p. for a car of that size but felt like a sportive one, my father years before had the 4x4 twin-turbo 24 valves(i saw a guy sale his for 48.000€) with 200 and something h.p. but by that time i was driving a Lancia dedra 2.0L turbo 16 valves ,a bit smaller but a sportive sedan, both built by Alfa-Lancia in Italy
I doubt it puls better than saab \
@@Jonjs99 These Alfas run mid 14s down the 1/4 mile (I've seen as low as a flat 14). So unless you know a stock SAAB that is quicker then that, yes.
This was a brilliant engine, one of the best 6 cylinder engines ever made, when it was new. But it's important to remember that it was a 1970s design that was kept in production with a few minor changes for 25 years. It's remarkable that it was even still competitive in the 2000s, but of course it couldn't compete with the likes of the S54.
The old tech showed up in that it lacked low - mid range torque compared to something like the Mercedes M104 3.2 with variable inlet timing, but otherwise a lovely engine.
No, the gearbox in my mr2 is far superior its true
@@ahemgee9542 It's true that the engine didn't have a massive amount of low down torque, but I think iit was somewhat of a moot point in these applications because the cars (147GTA and GT) were light enough that even the torque that was avaialble made them plenty flexible. The 147 GTA for example was only 1360kg and the GT was something like 1,410kg - which is not a lot of weight for a motor of this size. That's similar weight to base Corolla now days. One of my favourite things about my GTA was there the large N/A motor gave it such flexibility. I could quite happily cruise around at 1,750 RPM in 6th gear, and if I put my foot down the car will still pull. Not aggressively, but really quite happily. By comparison I've had a couple of other cars that had smaller turbo motors and were similarly quick and powerful on paper (e.g. Giulietta QV) but were nowhere near as flexible - if you dropped below around 2200 RPM where the engine is off boost you had no torque, the car would choke, and you'd absolutely HAVE to change down a gear. It was a little tiresome, especially when used as a daily driver in stop/start traffic.
@@ahemgee9542 It's not the old-tech to blame on. The original 12-valve versions (more than true for the 3-litre ones) were a low-end torque masters. At 1000 rpm you were good for the 87% of the max torque and it kept until 5000 rpm when you were over the 90% range. The 24V versions were intentionally tuned for high-rev. And the M104 not willing to rev to 7000 as these late Bussos do. If you are not listening or watch the rev-counter carefully you can easily hit the limiter before you think it's time to change the gear.
@@fastcargtv6 well if is...with a fixed cam profile an engine will always have a specific rpm range where airflow is optimal. With the 12 valve it was of course better at low revs..the 24 valve higher revs. With a modern vvt system you can have the best of both.
Here we go again. Comparing a 3.2 to an M3 etc. The M3 was vastly more expensive and had variable valve timing. Yes I have driven one, but the numbers aren’t everything. Owned a GT 3.2 back around 2008, although it was sadly written off by a numpty. Loved it. But always wanted a 156 GTA saloon and that’s my weekender since April last year. 👌🏽
My brother has an E93 335i and when he drove my GT he couldn’t get the smile off his face. He loves his BMW but wishes it had 3 pedals and the sound doesn’t compare with the Busso. After driving it he said that the BMW would beat it in a drag race, mostly due to the auto transmission, but the Alfa would be more fun.
To be fair, it would beat it handily even with a manual. Much stronger engine in the BMW not to mention the enormous grip advantages of RWD from a standstill. Thats not to say the Alfa isnt preferrable though.
I had one a while ago and it was a love/hate relationship. Loved driving it, hated it when it was sat on the drive broken, which was the majority of the time. So I bought a 2.5 V6 Ford Cougar X pack manual, and before anyone scoffs, it's a supeb car. Reliable, quick enough, comfortable, surprisingly practical, is now my daily driver, and has only 57k miles on it. This year should see a dual outlet exhaust, some larger alloys, and that's all I feel it needs. The Alfa was great when it was going. The Cougar is great all the time.
At some point even the most dedicated Alfisti will throw in the towel. I was one, came a point where I had to admit defeat.
Good choice I’m not a Ford guy but the puma cougar and probe were awesome cars!
Why would anyone scoff. I reckon the cougar would be a great car to own in decades to come, when almost no one will have preserved them and everyone will say, oh I should have bought one back then but...
Its really good to see a GT on the channel! I have had mine for over 8 years and love it. My gear linkage is due some love at the next service.
Jeremy clarkson put it beautifully, the faults and flaws of alfas are what make them seem human, and it’s the fact they seem human that make you develop a strong bond with these cars
Thank you for making this video. I had completely forgot these had existed. Nice video. Keep up the good work.
Given enough time I will recall wanting the 147 GTA really badly. Would still take one in a heartbeat.
I love the way the sound of that engine melted into your intro music.
Jay I take it all back. I used to be scathing of you and your channel, now though I’m a complete convert. You’ve grown as a car show presenter and I love the format. Cars that ordinary people can afford and aspire to. The engine note on that Alfa is to die for! Subscribed !
Glad to see you enjoy the GT as much as I did Jay. I'm currently on my 14th and 15th Alfa's including 6 Busso's. The GT v6, with Q2, was definitely my favourite. I ran it as the family daily for 4 years without issue and it was surprisingly practical. I even took it on an Alfa track day at Rockingham (when it was still a circuit!) If you have a specialist look after them they are very reliable. I test drove a v6 Brera back to back with the GT, The Brera felt much better built but to drive felt heavy and unresponsive. I was happy to drive away in the GT. Now living in Australia and have a 3.2 Busso Spider - means the sound is even more delightful! The climate also allows me to justify the soft top roof.
I bought one of these a few months ago, it’s been a nightmare and is currently sat broken on the drive but regardless, I absolutely love it. The busso truly is an incredible engine
Its an Alfa, AKA complete money pit.
@@buggerlugz6753 yep tell me about it, it’s my second one and the first was just as bad. But it’s all worth it, especially for that V6
@@tylerbaker7761 what's broken?
@@miff227 it’s misfiring on a few cylinders, and throwing engine lights at me. No other codes except for misfire so god only knows what’s wrong 😂😭
@@tylerbaker7761 check engine timing.
I always love seeing these out and about but don't fancy a project car. On a side note, those wheels are a fantastic colour and really compliment the paint.
I always think with Alfa V6 engines it's the enjoyment who get from the sound of it, rather than the outright pace; when I had my GTV6 in the 1980s, and the engine was fully warmed-up, I used to occasionally get the surreal feeling that the car was driving me when it was on song.
When you put the Q2 diff on it, do a rebuild with the gearbox, get a short shifter, then it’ll shift pretty nicely.
Much rather have this on my drive than a BMW. This even drives the right wheels..
I was looking forward for you to test drive this car. One of my favourite quite more affordable cars!
Had my GT 3.2 for 6 years now, absolutely love it. It has never let me down once and is worth twice now what I paid for it in 2016
Just to point out, the GT doesn't share it's platform with teh 147, but with the 156SW. it explains the actual space in the rear and boot
I've owned mine for 5 years and love it. I have taken it on several long road trips of several 1,000 kms without any problems. The gearchange on mine is long throw but absolutely fine, although lacking the rifle bolt quality of that in my 1970 Giulia Super.
i bought one 3 years ago. never gave any problems, i love the looks, the sound and the way it drives, the shifting is bad ( the worst shifter i've ever experienced) and i don't like the clutch and accelerator pedal ( has lag) but i still love it very much
I had one of these for a few years. Very fast with great handling and I was sad to see it go. Mine had Powerflex bushes and a Quaife LSD. The gear change was OK although the gearbox and clutch ultimately proved unreliable. Watch the floor pans too as they can rust quite badly. Quite a practical car as well, with a large boot and rear seats which fold down. Only the coupe style roof really limits what you can fit in to it. Seats are excellent and grip you well when cornering fast. It's a car that attracts attention, so expect to find people looking at it. It's very beautifully styled. I had the wheels shown in this video with Continental tyres and it drove like it was on rails. Much less torque steer than the 3.0 GTV that I drove.
that was a lower car ,comparing ,more sportive
@@RUfromthe40s Lower has nothing to do with it. The GTA and this GT 3.2 models are based on a very much improved platform over the GTV with its Fiat Tipo front end setup. Take it from someone who owned two GTV 3.0 and drove multiple 156 and 147 V6's that the newer models have a much improved front end
Great Vid. Always loved the GT, but in the end I went for a 156 GTA Sportwagon with the same Busso engine. I had it remapped, a nice Ragazzon exhaust and some Auto Delta Carbon (with a nice carbon intake!) I've sold it now, and I really miss the feel and amazing sound of that car. It also really surprised me on a day flying around Spa francorchamps :) ...AND mine was totally reliable apart from a diode pack going on the alternator, which from memory was a nightmare to get out :)
Thanks J, great sounding & looking cars!
Nice video and I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you haven't persuaded me to swap my Brera for a GT. I can confirm the difficulty of getting bits for Alfas today - maybe Covid related with factory and logistics problems, but my top hose also split and I had to wait 4 weeks for a new one to be delivered. By the way, maybe I'm just lucky, but the gearbox on my Brera is a sweet as a nut - fast, precise and a joy to use.
Still one of my favorite cars, I still wanna have one but the maintenance is expensive and the engine is thirsty for sure. But man what a design. Gorgeous, especially in red with that brown leather interior.
Love the new title music, it suits your style. Also still love the end music as well (hope you don't change that).
I've had 30+ Alfa's in the last 10 years. The only V6 Busso version I never had was the Italian tax friendly 2.0 V6 TB... Apart from that the list is quite long: 156 GTA / 156 2.5 / 155 2.5 / 166 3.0 / 166 3.2 / GTV 3.0 and so on.......I can't even explain how SPECIAL the Busso is ...... No other car ( german,french,JDM, etc) can make up the same emotion, and driving experience. The 2nd engine style similar to the Busso in terms of experience and emotion is (at least for me) the H4 Boxer from the late 80' early 90'.. (33,145,etc) ...... I've sold my GT 3.2 V6 I believe 2 years ago, to a swiss Alfist living in France, and the last time I talked with him, he sounded happier than ever..... Sorry VAG.... can't create this relation between a car and a human :) #forzaitalia #sepmrealfa #bussoforever
Same feeling (congratulations for the collection: you beat me!) Haha!
I'm still relatively young (37) but I''ve owned three alfas so far: a 147 2.0 Twin Spark (Selespeed), a 147 GTA (manual) and a Giulietta QV (manual) in chronological order. Even the 147 Twin Spark started the love affair fo rme. I drove a few manual versions after I sold mine but the 147's never had a great feeling gearshift (sloppy, vague, long throw) and so I actually felt the Selespeed was the more fun and engaging car to drive. Unfortunately it was also notoriously unreliable and expensive to maintain, which made ownership a bit of a horror. But with the stylish interior, rev-happy engine and the fast steering that Twin Spark was actually a really fun car for what was ultimately just a run of the mill hatchback. I eventually upgraded to the GTA which I ended up keeping for many years - loved it to death, and it's probably still my most cherished car of all time. Deeply flawed no doubt, and it could be a little diring to drive every day in stop/start traffic. But later down the line I bought a Merc C-Class and the GTA became my weekend car, and for that role it was absolutely perfect. It was like a treat to myself - I'd take it out of the garage and drive it once every few weeks, and it would put a huge smile on my face every single time. So much so that I would often end up driving it to work that entire week just for the thrill of it. Though by the end of the week it started to get a bit much and I'd often switch back to the Merc haha The Giulietta wa ssupposed to replace the GTA but I ended up selling it and keeping the GTA. It was s stunning looker and an excellent all round car, but it just wasn't an "Alfa" to me. It didnt have that same exciting feel. The electronic steering lacked the quickness or the feel. The engine lackded any real character - laggy below 2,500 RPM, yet completely ran out of steam above about 5500 RPM - so it was neither reponsive nor revvy. Suspension was smooth and it handled "ok" but nowhere near as chuckable. It just felt liek a slightly more sporty variant of an every day hatcback, rather then the GTA which felt like a sports car in a hatch body.
@Jensen Hammond I just tell you that today, Sunday, I took a nice ride with my son on our Emilian hills towards the mountains with our SZ: it is always a great joy to drive it. The feel of a tailored suit, not unnecessarily big and heavy like today's supercars, doing exactly what you want with centimeter accuracy.
@@pete3198 I was interested by your take on the Giulietta. I'm now on my 4th Alfa (have two currently) and about 2 years ago was encouraged by the missus to upgrade to a "new" car for my daily transport, given my then daily - S1 156 V6 Q-Auto - was 20 years old. So I thought I'd check out a Giulietta QV - a conventional manual was non-negotiable, so I found an immaculate 2015 QV (last one available with a proper manual box in Australia) with very low mileage. I could not fault the way it drove or handled - certainly would run rings around my 156 auto. But it just didn't feel like an Alfa to me, no special zing to it - I could have been sitting in any contemporary Euro hatchback. So I passed, and instead spent a few more bucks tidying up the 156 (which always felt special with its red leather interior). I recently sold the 156 to a young fella on L-plates - kudos to him, very swish for a first car - because I had to make space for my new ride, a 156 GTA. Now that definitely does feel special... (my other current Alfa is an Alfetta GTV, licensed running and great fun, but with a shabby exterior I had just started working on til the GTA purchase got in the way...).
@@johnphaceas7434 Sounds like we experienced the same! It's ironic because people are always complaining that Alfa build flawed cars and need to improve on that in order to be successful. Yet the Giulietta was a really great car to me by any regular measure. No major flaws I could point out, it just did everything well...and yet somehow in achieving that it seems Alfa managed to rid the car of all the passion and thrill that those historical "deeply flees" Alfas had in spades. It almost seems like building a car that's flawed is a prerequisite for building a car that brings passion. Because if you look at cars that are designed with perfection in mind (the Japanese, Germans, etc) so many of them of them seem to deeply lack passion. I'm planning to buy a new fun weekend car in the near future to replace my now departed 147 GTA, and the deeper I dig into my options the more in staying to realise that the more impractical / flawed / compromised a car is, the more thrills and feeling it is likely to provide. This is why I really want to stick to a dedicated weekend fun car, and a second more practical daily.
Giuseppe... I will be Always thankfull for your work. 💋❤️
I'm a big fan of the GT, it really is overlooked since it never got the full GTA badge like it's 147 and 156 brothers. I'm glad you enjoyed it! While I couldn't afford the busso, I've been very happy with my diesel GT as a surprisingly practical car on the cheap that's lots of fun to own and drive. The handling is great with a few mods, and while you don't have the magical busso up front, the diesel is not slouch with an obligatory remap and almost 50mpg is really impressive. As always, you have to search around for good examples due to rust, particularly in sills, and some engine damage caused by some emission regulation systems, but they can be found relatively cheaply, and are surprisingly reliable after a number of necessary jobs are done on them. I'm very happy with mine, but I'm still hoping to one day own that magical busso!
If you have a diesel, make a swirl flap delete if it wasnt made yet as they are a timing bomb
@@organiccold I made sure to do that one very quickly. Stainless steel flaps on a plastic inlet manifold, what a genius design!
@@Jared-qy1jh you can alsow get it the other way around in the twin turbo 1.9.... 🙈 Destroyed mine... Plastic flap blew out and went straight into the engine...
This engine sounds incredible!
Off the back of watching this, I went out and got one for myself as a project car, got it for a bargain and it has the quaffe diff, wizard exhaust etc. And safe to say I am in love with it, my 3rd Alfa, my driveway is currently a 3.2 v6 GT and an Alfa Romeo 159 ti. Done some content on them.
Thanks for a truly wonderful review. As the owner of 3 Alfas for over 30 odd years I think you have nailed the reason for owning an Alfa, worts and all.
James, it really annoys me that you keep saying Alfas are unreliable. Take it from someone who has owned a Euro workshop (Italtune, here in Christchurch New Zealand) and who buys and sells cars Alfas as they age probably have fewer problems than Audi, BMW or Mercedes. I have always found Alfas torquey at low rpm, especially against BMW engines which always seem biased towards higher rpm power, even with the Vanos working and over here Audi have a stinking reputation in the trade due to their unreliability, their expensive parts and the access for repair. BMW post year 2000 design also have the same reputation and I understand design engineers were sacked because of the blunders made in some of their designs at BMW. Mercs post R129/W124 have also suffered a huge slip in quality but still ride on that old reputation for quality.
Hi, another GT 3.2 owner here. I just popped in to confirm that the engine issues mentioned in the video are based on true events. Mine now runs a rebuilt engine lifted from a 147 GTA , together with the original ECU. Of course, buying a car that was not professionally inspected AND on the lower end of the price spectrum leads to that. Buy smart and you'll get yourself a really enjoyable vehicle.
Good honest review as always. I own a 3.2 GT in totally standard original spec. even with the now rare original Alfa exhaust which I think has the best all-round sound - not as harsh and tinny as the s/s systems. I still haven't fitted a Q2 but I'm not a hooligan, don't go on a track, and with a set of Michelin PS4's all-round, it a a terrific handling car (apart from the turning circle). Gear change should be good if the £5 top hat bushes are replaced and the gear lever housing hasn't been forced. Mine's Stromboli Grey metallic and I often get caught out by the Mrs taking a lingering look back at it when I park somewhere! Got a mapped black JTDm with tan interior too which sounds like a tractor at slow speeds but pulls like a train. Can't beat playing with the response of that Busso between 4.5-7K rpm though - sublime.
That’s godly! Love the sound my ears are in love ❤️
I've just jumped into my 3.2 GT and absolutely f*****g adore it!
Owned the 156 2.5 with Busso. Great car, and engine - gear box was miles better than the 75 I owned before. One practical issue in winter: you had to wait about half an hour before the heater started to work.
I had one of these 10 years ago, but the diesel. We nicknamed it ‘Disco’ as it was an excellent smoke machine (all different fun colours of smoke might I add) and always flashing its warning lights. I actually loved the car and looking on the bright side I got my moneys worth from the breakdown cover I had at the time.
You had a lemon. I have a 1.9 jtdm from 65000 to 167000 miles and never had an issue. Mapped at 90000 and de swirled. What a fire cracker easy 240km top speed
Now you only need to try a 166 3.2 and a Thesis 2.0 Turbo my man
Thank you for this review. I have a 2004 GT 3.2 with 80k and I'm only the 3rd owner. She is in very good condition, the gear box BTW is smooth and shifts cleanly, she's had an LSD fitted, uprated lights, and I get around 29 mpg. Love the car - she was very well looked after by the previous owners. I've had her almost 2 years and feel special every time I drive the car. She's in beautiful Alfa Rosso with tan leather seats and I also added an upgraded HIFI system that includes Sat Nav thanks to Apple Car Play. I am just about to change jobs which means I'll be massively increasing my commuting and as the Alfa is my only car, I am considering whether I should sell her to someone who is an Alfa fan and will only need to drive her once a week. Cars like this are special and need to be looked after. I don't want to rack up 25k a year on something special like this. So if anyone is interested ... Problem is, I'd have to go for a boring commuter car ... PS: she's been properly set up by probably the UKs finest Alfa Specialist - Autolusso, run by the fantastic Lawrence in Bournemouth. So she's a properly good Alfa and I am told this engine is a very very good one.
Go get the 1.9 16V in the 156, 147 or GT :) great engines for commute... Reliable...
the more stoped they stay the more problems appear, it´s one of the reasons that made it have extra maintenance is the fact of not be driven everyday. The lancia stratos that is sold like a kit car ,it´s more seen with alfa´s v6 ,the ferrari engine isn´t that good but in the Lancia thema it´s for sure a great engine.I guess it´s related to the fact of not being driven that much, the same happens with most of the ferrari´s that look perfect but don´t deliver the power expected and money spent on maintenace with not much km´s done inbetween
Great review, as I’ve probably posted before. All points totally valid. I’m on my second (with a 156 2.5V6 before as well). Just one point on price… these are climbing now and you’d need £8k minimum for anything worth considering!
Couple months ago took mine on 1500km trip ,it's not my daily but it didn't missed a beat..
Beautiful little motor. Love the fact that it's a two door coupe.🇮🇹🥰
The GT is practically a 147 3d with the roof of the Brera Style wise, the front end is a remote call to the GT junior and GTA from the 105 series, just not as obvious as retro remakes from the same time got us used
I had a 166 with the 3 litre Busso, I adored that car, perfectly reliable but you had to look after it, no missing services.
The belts issue was on the t spark, the Busso was pretty much bulletproof, for a Italian engine anyway.
Just from that noise I thought, Busso 😍 Lovely engines!
I used to have one of those and that busso engine is fantastic
What an awesome week of vids … 🤘
Proper review! Even a diesel powered one, remapped and fitted with lsd is a excellent car overall minus the reliability issues ;) For people who can live with a diesel sound. I have been for 5 years and don't plan to change soon :)
I have a GT 3,2. #33 of 100 released in Australia in 2010, as the 100th anniversary edition. Theses were the final in carnation of this legendary engine. Built date on my car is July 2020. Mine has the upgrades the factory would approve of. Quaife Q2 diff, hand made exhaust and headers (cat delete), Ferrari F430 throttle body with a custom carbon intake to match, Custom ECU to suit. To solve the gear change issue I have a custom short shifter and high end clutch. And have recently installed Novitech coilovers (Corse plus) and Eilbach sway bars. My car has been at a highly regarded paint and panel for almost three weeks, for a paint refresh.
After a remap that would really open her up one of the best looking modern alfas truly underrated
I was so close to getting a V6 GT when I was 21, ended up with a 159 TI for that interior though
Wasn't the GT v6 the last of the Busso engine cars? Edit...Thanks for confirming early in the vid. The point...It simply looks stunning. That is reason enough in Italy.
Jay, I have a properly sorted GTV V6 with the antiroll bar handling kit from Alfaholics, Koni dampers and all the usual mods including the Wizard exhaust and I think you would be pleasantly surprised at how good the GTV can be. Okay, it's quite a bit of expense to get there, but it can be done. Put it this way, I also have a Porsche 981 GT4 and I still enjoy the handling of the GTV. I would ask you to drive the GTV to see for yourself but it's in Cape Town !
I love the GTV, thinking of getting one at some point . Have a Giulia Veloce atm , had previous Alfa Witt twin spark and Boxer engines , I loved the sound of the Boxer . So sound and handling is something I’d look for in a GTV if I can find one to test drive.
My god, i had a Z4M for a while, but this is just gorgeous !!
I love seeing car reviews of car people can actually go out buy and have fun with. We’ll done
It doesn’t matter what microphone you use when recording the sound of that busso V6 there’s nothing like hearing that deep growl in the flesh 👌
The Shaun the Sheep mod made the car! 👌
Busso's sure do sing beautifully.
I had a 147GTA (L6 GTA) with what you could say with the next stage of modifications to the intake, exhaust and handling setup.. completely changed the character of the car from a GT to an actual hot hatchback.
I got a private plate for my 50th last November....L50 GTA 🙂. SURPRISIGLY cheap at 250quid.
Aye the plates are dirt dirt cheap!
I always thought the old Taurus SHO V6 with the Yamaha heads was the true successor to the Busso but never fully appreciated outside of the United States. (it was also prettier to look at IMO with the spaghetti intake with length switching valve)
Always great to see an Alfa review on your channel. What would you consider the best suspension setup for those? I'd like also to see you reviewing one with the Selespeed gearbox.
Poly bush it & Eibach Pro-kit (Full kit or Eibach springs/ Koni FSD dampers.)Just my thoughts but best go to Alfaowner and ask the boys there.
Poly bush squeal migh drive you mad lol, removed all mine, back to silent rubber, relief. Eibach great.
@@scottlehuray7062 Funny, worked great when I had the 156 (all arms except lower wishbone.)
@@velocgee2874 had mine fitted to a 159 ti was very creaky.
@@scottlehuray7062 maybe it didn’t work on later Alfa’s. I polybushed the van and it is awful (no creaking, though - just really harsh.)
Got a funny ad on this video, basically some bloke was racing around his back yard with his lawnmower and then it cuts to a GR Yaris and then said Yaris being driven along side a GR Supra and GT86. I find it funny how Toyota thought putting their cars in what would seem like some random Honda commercial was a good idea, I guess one could argue that both make rice cookers, but I mean Honda is the one known for making lawnmowers, especially those big loud ones which doesn’t mow and are usually driven by people who don’t even have a lawn to mow. To be serous for a moment: I don’t really have anything against Honda or Toyota or the people who drive them unless you clapp them out, i sort of felt a bit edgy and funny to night, but I guess in my attempt to be funny i crashed harder than a Mustang being driven by young little lady with anger management issues.
Come visit us in Italy, a buddy of mine pushes 175hp out of a 1.6l diesel MiTo. Rad little thing, absolutely rips.
Forgotten how good looking these are, and have aged even better. Kudos to the owner as this particular one is particularly nice.
Hello. Great video! I really like this car.. I also like the bmw 130, i know you have one. What do you prefer? I don't know what to choose..
Had a 2008 Cloverleaf Q2 Special Edition in Red with the 1.9 JTDm about 10 years ago which was a stunning car, and came with the Q2 LSD as standard and the engine upped to 170hp. Not a pinch on the Busso but I adored it until I unfortunately had to sell up. I can confirm that the turning circle was the worst i've ever experienced... Having to three-point turn every single corner to go down the ramps at the short-stay Gatwick North carpark was embarrassing and my other half got fed up after the first two.. :D
I've recently bought a 147 Q2 Sport, might be a diesel but it's great fun to drive. Will always be tempted to get a V6 as a second car but don't think it would be a wise choice
It’s definitely not a good choice if you’re not prepared to start dropping some money on it, but if you’re fine with that then 100% go for it
@Jensen Hammond yes mine has egr delete, swirl flaps removed and is mapped to 210 bhp 320 NM. It's a cracking engine that often feels like driving a petrol
The reparations are not a problem. The consumption, might be
What hurt Alfa Romeo badly, and from which it might not still have properly recovered, was being part of the Agnelli family's corporate conglomerate power chess in the 1970s. At the time, the Agnellis were into conglomerates the way stockbrokers in the 1980s were into cocaine, and it showed. To put this into perspective, the Agnellis not only owned Fiat, they also owned Lancia (and killed it through gross incompetence and possibly corruption), had stakes in Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari (though the iron hand of Il Commendatore saved Ferrari from the Agnelli's worst excesses), had stakes in steel production, railways, owned the Italian national airline Alitalia at one point, and also controlled the motorcycle insurance market in Italy with near-monopoly power through Toro Assicurazzion. It was the Agnellis, during this bout of corporate power chess, that offloaded a dodgy batch of steel onto both Lancia and Alfa Romeo. Hence the two companies becoming practically synonymous with pathological levels of rust thereafter. Lancia died as a result of this move, which in some quarters was rumoured to have involved people with Mafia connections, and Alfa Romeo had to struggle titanically to overcome the disaster that was foisted upon them. Even though the 164 redeemed Alfa Romeo in the late 1980s, and showed that they were still capable of weaving some serious automotive magic when they wanted to, observers familiar with the Agnelli era are still suspicious that said era inflicted lasting neurological damage upon Alfa Romeo. Which probably explains the weirdness that is the SZ coupe and RZ roadster, which are frankly bizarre. Now the Busso engine is not only a work of engineering art, that looks as if it belongs in a posh atelier in Milan or New York for rich people to drool over, but when it's fettled properly and provided with proper maintenance, it's concentrated automotive Viagra. It might not be the most powerful unit out there, but boy, does it make sex on a stick noises. People will tolerate the quirks and flaws of an Alfa in no small part because they want to hear that engine strut its stuff, and ideally in a long tunnel with the windows wound down. Alfas are the automotive equivalent of the volcanic hottie you met on holiday in Tuscany, who looks like a young Sophia Loren, and who taught you things in the bedroom you didn't even know were physically possible, but takes serious dedication to live with on a day to day basis due to, er, temperament issues. They are cars that demand *commitment* from their owners, and bite hard if you fail to keep them in the sometimes rather high maintenance manner they were built to be accustomed to. Though it's perhaps *because* of this aspect of Alfa Romeos, that it's sometimes asserted that you're not a proper car enthusiast unless you've owned and driven at least one Alfa Romeo in your life. Some become lyrically devoted to them after tasting the first one, and if that's what floats your boat, enjoy by all means. Sensible people will, of course, do this with their eyes open. Of course, if you want what I regard to be perhaps *the* quintessential Alfa Romeo, look no further than the utterly *fabulous* 1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante Spider. This car is *gorgeous* , it's truly a self propelled work of art. But sadly, the nearest most will come to one is through photographs, because only three were built, and two of them are under heavy guard at the Alfa Romeo Museum. But if you are ever fortunate enough to see one of these in person, it's a never forgotten experience. Furthermore, you're left wondering just how much of the Disco Volante was, ahem, "borrowed" by Jaguar for the E-type, but that's another story ...
The S54 and even the S52 3.2 was one of the most incredible motors of all time. In a time when v8s weren’t necessarily putting out that much power, it was a dazzler
That's true, Alfa is always spot on with their front design but lacks the rear design. And my biggest complaint about the GT is the rear design.
i owned a GT 2.0 before my current car (mito QV). the mito is an amazing car that handle's like a go kart with minor mods to the suspension. but everytime i see a GT or hear that busso sound.. it still makes me kind of regret selling my GT. one day i'l get an alfa with a busso for sure!
I had a 1.9JTDm cloverleaf for 3 years. Loved it. But problems included: broken radiator, turbo hose, both exterior door handles snapped, the seat folding leaver (caused mot failure) the back of the seat fell off, clutch broke after 40000, upper and lower suspension arms on both sides replaced twice, anti-roll bar, glow plugs. It was a 2008 build too so you would have thought they would have corrected some of these common issues during the 5 years they had been building it up to this point,🙄 such a shame!
9:54 i just cant get over this shot Its Perfect!
I have driven an alfa guilia 60s model for 2 weeks commuting to work with only 1 of 2 webers functioning without any issues
I remember when these came out, they still look great but I agree about the arse end. It needs something to finish it off
A long time ago I was wandering around my local Alfa Romeo showroom, whilst waiting for my 156SW on a recall notice and there was a new GT next to a new Brera. I sat in both, looked at the styling, the price on the screen and thought the GT was the better car.
I seriously considered one of these back in 2011 when they were ridiculous good value. A 2004 V6 with average miles was around £6k.
I sold my 147 GTA about a year ago - it was getting on in the years and mileage and needed quite a bit of work done, which I couldn't afford at the time. So I sold it to another Alfa enthusiast who was really passionate aobut restoring the car ti its former glory. But I loved that car so damn much, and I still feel genuine sadness whenever I see old photos of the car, because it reminds me of just how much of a joy it was to own and drive. It's no exhageration to say that I feel a genuine void in my life left since seeling that car - much like what one would expect to feel after getting a divorce or ending a long term romantic relationship. I'm now in a much better financial position and I'm actually seriously considering buying a well sorted 3.2 GT - I know it will give me the fun of a GTA, but with a little more practicality (more rear seat space, bigger boot) and a sleeker more mature look that probably suits me a little better at this point in my life (vs the very "in your face" hyper hatch styling of the GTA). Plus the GT's seem to be significantly cheaper now that the 147 GTA's have seen crazy price hikes.
Looks amazing and sounds amazing. What’s not to love.
Great review, but too much exhaust on this example - overwhelms the sound of the engine!
1970s fords had some of the best gear changes .Rwd direct to the gear box
Car sounds glorious. 👍
Beautiful car, but here in South Africa, parts are hard to come by.
Parts are terrible to find now Jay. I cracked a headlight in someone's bumper about 4wks ago (156 xenon). Finding one was like finding a chicken tooth. They do pull well though eh 🙂. I think its the gearing. Mine dynoed at 236hp. It has a longlife exhaust though, which isn't the best. Either way, it pulls in 2nd and 3rd like it has 40xtra ponies. Can't tell you the amount of times I've hit the limiter in 2nd
The Busso is an enthusiast engine, it’s aesthetic design is truly stunning to look at and it sounds nice. As the same displacement as the E46 M3 of the same era the engine could have done better in performance and reliability, even the humble N52 in the E86 coupe pushes out 262 bhp and would see off the Busso with some more MPGs to spare. However the sound of the Busso would make you forget all it’s short comings, what an engine for real petrol heads. Edit: I must also note that the Busso was an old engine that goes back to the late 1960s.
Actually, in Autocar extensive road tests the the stock Alfa 147 GTA had no problem beating the M130i at both 0-60 and 0-100mph times. It even beat the Nissan 350z with 280bhp to 100mph! I remember going along in my 3.0 GTV (with its meagre 220bhp) to try the 147GTA and it pulled and went far better than the small difference on paper led me to expect. A 147 GTA is quite a car imo. Also yes the BMW e46 M3 had 340bhp but actually with its weight and not impressive torque i promise you if feels less potent than a 147 GTA at lower to mid revs. Once its above 5k no contest. Furthermore the Alfa 3.2 brilliance extends past mere numbers... it is SO linesr and SO pure and natural in its throttle response it is one of the best engines ever for these reasons alone. Out of my 3.0GTV, Nissan 350Z HR, BMW E60 M5 and Maserati GTS 4.7 the Alfa genuinely had the best throttle response of the lot and thats saying something.
Have a GT for 10 years now. The only letdown is the need to change front upper suspension arms frequentlu. Otherwise, handling is superb. Had Pzero Neros for summer driving, and it's just SO nimble. Highway on ramp speed over 160 kph an the car is like glued to tarmac.
Things of pure beauty, one of my neighbours has one. Never went ahead with one myself, all the rust/reliability reputation did scare me off, plus I live near the sea, so rust is an aggravating factor over here.
Any car will dissolve by the sea lol
It does sound AMAZING! The comments from owners below are what scare me with their tales of mechanical woe.
Doesn't really rev hard but dammit its so torquey and smooth. Some clever engineering trickery in that Busso unit - particularly with that crankshaft. First and second order inertia imbalances near eliminated.