PROS ›› Timeless design, glorious V6 sound, sharp steering and great handling. CONS ›› FWD blunts edge, no limited-slip differential, maintenance costs.
There are moments in life when the stars seem to align just right, and sometimes, those moments involve a set of keys, a beautiful Italian backdrop, and a car with something to prove.
The year: 2002. The place: Palermo, Sicily. The car: Alfa Romeo’s 156 GTA. The mission: drive the new sports sedan on a section of the legendary Targa Florio, once the most demanding race held on Italy’s public roads. As thrilling as it sounded, it also came with a healthy dose of fear, since there was practically no room for error on the narrow, twisting route.
All those worries vanished the moment I saw the press cars in person, gleaming under the Sicilian sun, lined up and ready for journalists to take the wheel. This job definitely has its perks. Just a couple of years into my career, here I was, about to drive what was, at least on paper, Alfa’s answer to BMW’s all-conquering E46 M3. A tall order by any measure, and one I was more than eager to see the GTA attempt to fill.
QUICK FACTS
A BMW M3 Rival With FWD And 100 HP Less?
I confess I didn’t expect it to. The reason was that, based on specs alone, the Alfa didn’t even come close to the vaunted Bimmer. The third-gen M3, launched in 2000, sported a naturally aspirated inline-six tuned by the M Division to deliver 343 hp. It was, thus, nearly 100 hp more powerful than the GTA’s V6 which boasted just 247 hp despite both having a 3.2-liter capacity.
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Moreover, the BMW was rear-wheel drive and came as standard with a limited-slip differential. In contrast, the Alfa was front-wheel drive and, despite its, not inconsiderable, power an LSD was nowhere to be found. VDC, the name the Italians gave their Electronic Stability System, was also absent. A weird choice since on the facelifted 156, which was launched the next year (the GTA kept the original bodywork but got the updated cabin) it was fitted as standard despite the base 1.6-liter version making do with less than half the horsepower.
When I questioned Alfa Romeo’s execs about that during the 2003 facelift launch, they replied that the “normal” 156s were aimed at the average driver, for whom stability control was an essential safety feature. The GTA, on the other hand, was designed from the outset without it in mind as it targeted driving enthusiasts only (or something along those lines; it was 22 years ago and I can’t recall the exact words).
I guess my grimace made it clear I thought that wasn’t a good enough excuse, so they assured me I, alongside the rest of my colleagues, would find out Alfa’s engineers had done a great job the next morning.
Designers Definitely Nailed That One
Sure enough, after a great dinner with pasta and some fine Italian wine, I got a good night’s sleep and the next morning I was ready to discover what the 156 GTA was made of. When we arrived at the garage Alfa Romeo had erected to put an emphasis on the nature of its sports sedan, the first thing we saw was an immaculate, perfectly restored Giulia GTA that, in the mid-1960s, caused a sensation due to its Bertone-designed bodywork and fine-tuned handling, as well as its success on the track.
The same designation was adopted for the range-topping 156 – but what does it stand for? The answer is Gran Turismo Alleggerita; and if you don’t need me to translate the first two words, the third means “lightened” in Italian. The press cars were next to it, so after examining the Giulia, which we couldn’t drive anyway, we moved on to them.
I didn’t need an exec in a suave Italian suit to tell me that the 156 GTA looked splendid with its unique front spoiler and air intakes, flared wheel arches, lowered ride height that almost stranded the tarmac, and gorgeous 17-inch phone dial wheels shod in 225/45 tires, although multi-spoke “Superturismo” rims were also available.
What Makes It Special
Our Editor had taught us that we should read the press kit and especially its key points beforehand, so we wouldn’t ask stupid questions at car launches. Thus, I already knew that the GTA featured a much sportier suspension with revised geometry and stiffer bushes, a reinforced lower crossbar to increase chassis rigidity, larger diameter front and rear stabilizer bars, Brembo brakes with 310 mm front and 276 mm rear discs, and a faster steering with a hardly believable, for a road car, 1.7 turns.
Before getting in the car, I caressed the body of this stunning Italian, taking in every little detail, from the front bumper’s air intakes, the wider sills and, of course, those phone dial alloys. Alfa managed to pump up Walter da Silva’s stunning design and turn the 156 from a suave sedan into a real beauty.
Meet “Bussone”, The Most Glorious NA V6 Ever Made
Then I popped up the bonnet and marveled at the “Bussone” (big “Busso”, from engineer Giuseppe Busso who designed it) 3.2-liter V6 with its glistening chrome and the words Alfa Romeo and GTA 3.2 V6 in red on the actual cylinder banks’ heads. No stupid plastic covers here; Alfa knew it had a great-looking mill and, naturally, wanted it to be seen.
Admiring that masterpiece is just the appetizer; the main course comes when you sit on the retro-styled leather seat with integrated headrests and fire up the engine. Never mind the 100-hp deficit to the M3 – the raucous sound of the Bussone more than makes up for it and is music to any car enthusiast’s ears. And that’s when you fire it up; press the gas pedal and you’re rewarded with a howl which reminds you that of a Ferrari, no less. Engage first in the six-speed manual gearbox (a robotized single-clutch version was also available, like in the M3, but it was slow and clunky), give it some revs, and off you go.
Heavenly Sound, Meaty Steering, Great Handling – Who Cares About The Rest?
Unless you’re very gentle with the throttle, a whiff of wheelspin is inevitable if you turn the traction control off like I did. Shift into second, pedal to the metal, and the symphony from that V6 is the best I’ve ever heard this side of a naturally aspirated Ferrari V8 or V12. I dare not look at the instruments – Targa Florio is choke-full of all kinds of corners, and I definitely want to stay focused on the road, so I just play it by ear when it comes to speed and gear changes.
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In a tight left-hander, I jump on the brakes that prove to be more than up to the task, turn the telepathically fast and full of feedback steering wheel, then floor the throttle at the exit. The lack of a limited-slip diff is obvious as, if you’re too exuberant with the right pedal in slippery surfaces, the GTA can understeer. You catch it easily, though, by easing off the throttle and turning the wheel a bit more. The rear end isn’t unsettled, so it won’t snap into oversteer, and if you want an LSD, there are aftermarket ones available.
That, the front spoiler scraping the tarmac more often than not due to the very low ride height, and the quick steering making three-point turns five-point ones are the GTA’s main drawbacks. The abysmal storage compartments, limited space for rear passengers and small, for the class, trunk (that’s solved by the Sportwagon estate version) are limitations on all 156s, and the GTA is no different.
A Wonderful Failure
Its main issue, though, and the reason it didn’t sell (just 2,973 sedans and 1,678 Sportwagons in its short three-year run) is the very same car it was meant to rival. Buyers went for the M3 because it had way more power, was more prestigious, BMWs had a better reliability record than Alfas, and they didn’t depreciate as much, either.
That, though, is actually a blessing in disguise. Nowadays, you can find a GTA for much less than an M3 and it’s not as ubiquitous, either. If you need more space, the Sportwagon offers a more usable trunk and folding rear seats – and, in my opinion, looks even better than the sedan – while the performance, although nothing special by today’s standards, is more than enough for spirited driving on public roads.
The best bit about it, though, apart from the ultra-quick steering and great handling, is the sound of the naturally aspirated V6 that’s absent from today’s Alfa Romeos. Even the modern Giulia Quadrifoglio, which has double the horsepower, lacks the GTA’s soul and old-school charm. Blame emissions regs that forced manufacturers to downsize and adopt forced induction; it’s no coincidence that the last great-sounding Ferrari V8 was the 458, which was discontinued 10 years ago.
The M3 Is Better, So Why Would I Choose The GTA?
Reason dictates that the E46 M3 is the one to get: it’s faster, rear-wheel drive, more premium, offers more space and holds its value much better. It’s the blue chip of early 2000s’ performance sedans, so this must be it, right?
Those are all valid points. The M3 is a wonderful sports car. I’ve driven it and had lots of fun, especially kicking out the rear end and burning rubber at every chance I got. It also had a nicely balanced chassis, devouring corners with ease and displaying excellent body control. Needless to say, I walked away impressed.
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Still, between the two, I’d go for the GTA. The E46 M3 was followed up by the even more raucous, V8-powered E90, then the F80 with its twin-turbo inline-six, and finally the G20 that also gets a twin-turbo six and is currently on sale. Nothing wrong with that, but it feels (and probably is) like the default choice in the segment, kinda like the Porsche 911 is in its own. Unlike Stuttgart’s finest, though, Munich’s designers don’t just refine the design formula for each generation of the 3-Series, but go with something entirely different.
Flaws Be Damned, It’s Just Too Sexy To Resist
The Italians, on the other hand, follow the same recipe as Porsche up to this day, keeping certain styling cues that make all their models instantly recognizable, even though the size and bodywork are all different from each other. I like my car to have a certain character and look good even years from now and not just follow the trends. The 156 has definitely stood the test of time. More than two decades after its launch, it doesn’t look dated. Having sampled another extremely well-kept example recently, it handles, corners, steers, brakes and sounds exactly as I remember it – and still looks amazing.
I really like its design so much that in my garage sits a 25-year-old 156 with a 118 hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder that needs a new radiator, fresh tires, an a/c compressor, a respray, and (hopefully) not much more, as parts are not cheap. A daunting task for some, a pet project for me that’s worth it because it simply is the most gorgeous car I’ve ever owned. A new 1.0-liter turbocharged supermini has it licked in the straights. The Alfa more than makes up for it in corners, though, and its handling puts a smile on my face.
If I decided I needed more thrills, I’d search for a GTA Sportwagon with the manual ‘box and phone-dial alloys that has a full service history and factor in my budget a few grand just in case anything goes wrong. Still cheaper than an M3, much sexier and with a soundtrack the E46 can only dream about.
It Took Some Time For A Replacement, But It’s Really Something
Disregarding the underwhelming 147, the Gran Turismo Alleggerita badge remained dormant until 2020, when Alfa Romeo launched the limited run Giulia GTA and hardcore GTAm with much fanfare and references to the past. If money was no issue, I would definitely get one as it’s drop-dead gorgeous and everyone who’s driven it sings its praise.
Getting back down to Earth, the Quadrifoglio is the realistic option due it it being significantly more affordable. While it’s not as extreme as the new GTA and the 156’s sonorous Bussone is long dead, killed by emission regs, you can’t really feel short-changed by a twin-turbo 2.9-liter, Ferrari-derived V6 that makes 505 hp, can you? Plus, despite dating back to 2015, the Giulia remains the more visually appealing compact sedan since, well, the 156.
This time around, in order to take on the M3, Alfa Romeo didn’t bring a knife to a gunfight, but a couple of Desert Eagles instead. Bellissima!
