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Alfa Romeo's 156 GTA Super Sedan!
by Traian Popescu  The "GTA" badge was most
memorably used by Alfa Romeo on the Giulia of the late '60s, a beautiful aluminium-bodied car that was homologated for racing purposes.The Alfa Romeo 156 line-up of sedans and wagons is now about to
receive a healthy dose of performance to match its seductive exterior and resurrect a famous name with the introduction of the 156 GTA and 156 Sportwagon GTA. Based on the smooth and torquey 3.0-litre
V6 mill used in the GTV, the 156 GTA's engine has been bored to 3.2-litres and will produce around 250hp routed through the front wheels. A scary thought considering the
torque steer provided by the less powerful Volvo S60 T5, but a successful application of fwd in such a powerful car can not necessarily be ruled out. The transmission line-up will only include a six-speed
manual and possibly a Selespeed clutchless manual. Overall, the 156 GTA will be good for an estimated 5.7-second run to 60 mph and a top speed in the neighbourhood of 155mph.  The GTA models will also feature wider wheel-tracks, a lower ride-height, race-derived suspension, upgraded brakes and a
Boshc-designed VDC stability system for improved handling dynamics and stopping power. The exterior will, thankfully, be spared from any major revisions, preserving its clean and attractive shape. When
it's officially unveiled at the end of the year, the 156 GTA will carry a price tag of about £25,000, far below any German competitors or the upcoming Jaguar X-Type R.
The 166 and 147 models will receive their own GTA versions in the future, while the developments for the high-performance range will also benefit the new GTV and Spider models, which Alfa is due to release in
2003, the US market inclusive. Hopefully, all will be worthy of the GTA name.
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