Alfa Romeo GTV-6
The 1980s were a truly fantastic time for European sports coupes. From my personal favorite, the Saab 900 SPG, to the technologically advanced Audi Coupe Quattro, the incredibly stylish BMW 635CSi, the more plebeian but still exciting 16-valve Mk. II Volkswagen Scirocco, Europe was pumping out fun, accessible, and generally useful sports coupes by the bushel load in the 1980s. The Audi had all-wheel-drive; some were turbocharged, several had four-valve-per-cylinder heads. Even the class nerd, the Renault Fuego Turbo, was distinctive and attractive its way.
Well, if the Fuego was the nerd, the Alfa Romeo GTV-6 was the popular kid. The Alfa brought to the table a more sculpted profile than the Saab, a more soul-stirring exhaust note than the Audi, more passion than the reserved BMW, a more exotic feel than the Volkswagen, and dramatically less suck than the Renault.
Giugiaro penned the shape for Alfa Romeo in the early 1970s, and it debuted as the Alfetta GT in 1974 with a four-cylinder under the hood. With the addition of an SOHC fuel-injected 2.5-liter V-6 in 1981, and the distinctive hood bulge necessary to clear the engine, the GTV-6 was born. The GTV-6 isn't one of the more exotic or slinky Alfa coupes or sports cars in the family tree, but I think it's a total knockout. I love the hatchback profile, I love the hood scoop, the muscular fenders, the headlight scallops, the front grille ... I just love its shape. Every time I see the GTV-6, I see fresh little quirky details that endear me to it even more.
The GTV-6 was quick but not a stormer, even by the more relaxed standards of the early-to-mid-1980s. The 2.5-liter V-6 generated close to 160 horsepower car and could push the hatchback body from 0-60 in the 8-second range; quick by the standards of the time but certainly not a stormer. While the GTV-6 wasn't that much faster in a straight line than its contemporaries, it brought some of the typical Italian assets to the table. Namely, a majestic engine note, a frantic eagerness to rev, and sweet rear-wheel-drive handling.
This isn't well-known, but a very limited edition twin-turbo GTV-6 project--only 30 were made--launched turbocharging guru Reeves Callaway into the turbocharged Corvette projects that would bring him fame. The twin-turbo Callaway treatment brought thunder to the GTV-6's sweetness; the revised engine was cranked out a a cool 230 horsepower, chopping the 0-60 time to less than 6 seconds.
For the last two decades, my passion for the GTV-6 has lagged only slightly behind my deep-seated lust for the Saab 900 SPG. I'd like to think of them as two different riffs on the same theme, with the passionate Italian interpretation nicely balancing the subdued cool of the Swedish. I think they'd complement each other nicely in my garage.
The first video is in Swedish, so I have absolutely no idea what is being said. But it does feature a truly strange combination of music, from 1980s anthems to reggae, and who among us hears enough Swedish on a daily basis? There are a lot of strangely random moments here that trigger my unintentional comedy reflex--namely, the driver of the yellow car at the beginning, and the little pop-up of the Volkswagen New Beetle at the end. While I would have hoped for a snarling full-throttle charge to redline, at least you get lots of good shots of the GTV-6.
The second video is a clip from the movie The Inside Man, with a strangely low-speed chase that could otherwise have been ripped out of my fertile imagination. Get this--a Saab 900 chases an Alfa GTV-6! Ooh, and check out the skullduggery about 50 seconds in. The third video is a clip of a slightly faster chase the James Bond movie Octopussy, in which our hero borrows a sweet little gray GTV-6 in his quest to save the world from nuclear annihilation and promote massive oversteer. Note the lust-worthy BMW Polizei car as well.
Thanks to Flickr user ulfbot for the first photo here, the second is from Flickr user tomscars15, and the ad is from GTVAlfa.com.
--Chris H.
Mochi Mochi on September 16, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Back in the day I took one of these for a test drive. At the time I was really tight with my BMW. by comparison the Alfa seemed soft ( a little too much roll), the shifting was long and vague, and the rear suspension design seems suspect to me. How this could be given the BMW's scary semi-trailing arms? I'll chalk it up to owner-prejudice. I also had trouble with the seating position and lack of headroom. It was a nice nice car, but at the time I was into teutonic precision. I think with some work the Alfa could be a stellar car. And in terms of looks and the feel of the car this is a gorgeous vehicle. The hatch makes it complete. Under other circumstances I would wax poetic about an Italian car like this, but I think there's something that holds me back. It could be the early experience with the car. I have a much different reaction to Lancias - I saw a little black Monte Carlo driving on the 210 West near Pasadena this past weekend - that car really gets me going. The Alfa has so many wonderful details - maybe too many. So much muscular beauty - maybe too much. It's like the incredibly pretty girl in high school who is unapproachable and with whom conversations are always awkward, expectations that come with that level of beauty create a barrier that is invisible but palpable.
I think I like this car best when it has been dropped and modded. When it no longer attempts to be a road car. When it starts barking, growling, and flashing its teeth. That's when I think I warm up to this car. When it no longer retains any veil of civilization or friendliness. The air dams and bumpers lose their "pretty" styling effect when they are a few inches closer to the tarmac and the wheel wells are filled with too much sticky rubber. When the suspension is so hard you can see the car rise and fall as it rolls over pebbles and cracks in the road that's when this car come into its own. This is a car that is best when its "inner bitch" is revealed and all pretensions to the contrary are cast aside.
I only know a few words of Swedish, but the top video is pretty interesting just the same. And there's one part that needs no translation. The part when the host has the car up on the lift looking at the fenders. He says, pointing at the sheet metal, something that sounds like "roust" - I'm guessing "rust" in Swedish (about 01:50). The details of problems with rusting mounts, rear axle problems, and oil leaks are classic. The double double cross (at 01:15) in the movie clip is great - watch out for white VW beetles. The thing I can't figure out is why the driver of the Alfa keeps slamming the steering wheel with his fist. It's not like he'd have a hard time out-running a Beetle.
RocketRobinHood on September 16, 2008 at 11:03 PM
It's pretty obvious that the wheel-slammy guy is the VW driver.
Zarba on September 17, 2008 at 05:57 AM
The Alfa SOHC V-6, in 2.5 and 3.0 versions, is a wonderful engine. Many GTV-6's have been modded with the later 3.0 V-6 as fitted to the Milano Verde. With that change comes 183 bhp, and a whole new driving experience.
These cars are beautifully balanced, and the DeDion rear suspension, while not as good a a modern 5-link setup, is much better than the contemporary trailing-arm suspensions on BMW and others. They also featured inboard rear disk brakes for lower unsprung weight. Fairly advanced for its day. They handle very well when compared with thier contemporaries, and a GTV-6 won a Road and Track comparo back in the day. I believe they ran it against a BMW and a Datsun 280ZX.
The GTV-6 is fairly reliable, IF YOU MAINTAIN IT. Weak spots are the V-6's timing belt, which requires attention every 25-30K miles, and the driveshaft "donuts", which keep the shaft in place between the engine and the rear-mounted transaxle. And forget A/C. The factory A/C was weak, especially on 81-84 cars, and even when working, it can't keep up with the heat generated from the sun beating down on that huge hatch.
The other issue is rust. Alfa Romeo and Fiat were buying eastern european steel back then, and so they often came with rust as standard equipment.
A well-maintained GTV-6 is a joy to drive. While not fast by today's standards, it more than makes up for it with an intoxicating Italian exhaust note, near perfect weight distribution (due to the rear-mounted transaxle), and great steering.
I have a friend, and fellow Alfisti, who owned a Callaway Twin Turbo GTV-6, and it is nothing short of astonishing. It was simply one of the best performance cars available in the day, and still holds up well. One famous story is that Reeves Callaway put a Twin-Turbbo Alfa V-6 on the dyno and ran it all-out, but no matter how long he ran it, it simply wouldn't blow up. He was amazed at the robustness of the Alfa V-6.
Needless to say, I want a GTV-6 bad.
Mochi Mochi on September 17, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Right you are RocketRobinHood - how dense I was... that's what I get for watching video and working at the same time - while terminally sleep deprived :) The VW driver... of course! Oh well - no more staying up till 1am tuning carbs for me:( Who are these people any way and why is the VW driver frustrated when he appears to keep locating his target? I guess I'm going to have to track this film down to find out:)
BTW - After doing some Alfa shopping I'm convinced that the GTV2000 is the Alfa of my dreams. That thing is knock out gorgeous.
And Zarba your completely right about theDeDion rear suspension. It was much better than anything that BMW was putting out at the time. It was sheer prejudice on my part. The semitrailing arms from the 70s and 80s were killers and really did not have much to recommend them aside from lower weight and the ability to spin a car at will.
Simon on September 17, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Well, I've been lurking long enough, have to chime in. I actually owned the last Callaway GTV6 ever made. Bought it from the original owner. 35k miles, and more rust than metal. There was a hole in the rear fender you could fit your fist through. It was fast though. I talked to Reeves Callaway about it. They claimed 240HP, but it was more like 270. Very scary. Very, very scary.
The Italians had a regimen for testing engines that had steps like running it, draining the coolant, then running at 90% throttle for 20 minutes. Stuff like that. Italian engines are great. The electrics? Not so much. But I am on my 6th Alfa (1982 Spider), so I must be an idiot.
Simon on September 17, 2008 at 11:10 AM
Sorry, meant replacing the coolant.
Mochi Mochi on September 17, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Simon - I believe the correct term is "aficionado" or "devotee" - not idiot - you'd be an idiot only if you drove it and didn't enjoy it - or couldn't appreciate the beauty of the cars! I'm guessing that's not the case and that you must pretty much love your rides.
Simon on September 17, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Mochi Mochi - Guilty as charged. I went down to the Spider to drive to lunch today. Wouldn't start. Called my fantastic mechanic here in Miami, Luciano. (Yes, he is Italian.) He drove over, replaced the sensor, charged me what he paid for it from Bosch (cheaper than Alfa) and had it running in 10 minutes. The moral is: Find the best mechanic you can. Then buy whatever he specializes in.
Auto Veloce in Miami. My highest recommendation.
Mochi Mochi on September 17, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Totally on target Simon. Having a great mechanic is a blessing. And a necessary one. In my case I have two sets of mechanics. One is a very good dealer for Hondas in Santa Monica - I tend to use them when there is something that is very honda specific that I feel must be done and guaranteed by Honda - and the extra cost is worth it. The other is a great shop on the west side of L.A. - Kartek. I've found them to be really great collaborators and diagnosticians. Their rates are great and they have figured out some pretty gnarly problems. It's always good to work with a Mechanic who knows his stuff but is also able to work with you on custom issues, modifications, or take your input. These guys really know how to work to make a customer happy - and keep them coming back.
Glad to hear your mechanic makes house calls! That's so great. Enjoy lunch.
Shawn on September 17, 2008 at 03:30 PM
I love love love the GTV6. It may be my favorite Alfa ever. If I hadn't just bought a Euro grey market BMW 635CSi, it would've been a tempting alternative. One of my dad's friends owned one in that James Bond grey circa 1990. It was my favorite car that he ever bought and was crucial to developing my vintage eurocar love. It was a shame he couldn't keep up with its needs and sold it at a loss.
Rob the SVX guy on September 19, 2008 at 04:16 PM
I'd like to say this is my favorite Alfa, but in fact it resides in second place on the podiums of affordable (?) italian awesomeness. The top spot is reserved for the Competzion 8C, the most beautiful car ever made.
Chris Hafner on September 19, 2008 at 04:19 PM
Rob the SVX Guy: "The top spot is reserved for the Competzion 8C, the most beautiful car ever made."
Rob, you need to get out of my head. I've been lusting in an extremely unwholesame way for the 8C for the last year plus.
Chris Hafner on September 19, 2008 at 04:25 PM
Oh, and Simon - you've actually *owned* a Callaway GTV-6? You can't see it, but I'm currently genuflecting in your direction. I'm not worthy to be in your (virtual) presence.
Slick on September 20, 2008 at 10:27 PM
you really want this one though
giocattolo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giocattolo
Mochi Mochi on September 21, 2008 at 09:47 PM
This may sound odd but the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione reminds me of a Studebaker. The front end is reminiscent of the Studebaker Speedster or Golden Hawk.
Rob the SVX guy on September 22, 2008 at 06:37 AM
Pass the pipe, Mochi. :P
Tosca on September 23, 2008 at 12:11 AM
Competizione like a Studebaker? From the front, yeah. From the back it looks a bit like a Mazda MX3. But honestly not as good as either. That's the car you get when you can't go out of the house without your Prada sneakers and need too desperately to call attention to yourself in public.
FruitFly on September 24, 2008 at 09:51 PM
The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione got completely panned for handling on Top Gear. They loved the looks, sound of the engine, and the acceleration. Also build quality sounded pretty poor. I'm not that impressed with the looks, nothing special in my book. Crap handling and one of the lowest lap times on the TG totem does not do much for me either. But the sound of that engine, that sound was truly beautiful.
Don on September 29, 2008 at 06:22 PM
I'm absolutely horrified.
I was a soldier in Europe in the late 1980's, and while car shopping in 1989, I came across a 1984 (I think) Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5L Turbo in our price range. I was unable to talk my then-wife into it right off the bat, and I was leaving for a month-long school the next day. A couple of days later I called my wife from school and asked her to please go back down to the dealership and put a down payment on it. She delayed a few days (probably because she didn't really want it) and by the time she got there the car was gone.
I had no until I read your blog that it was so rare, and obviously from the asking price, neither did the dealership. One of 30 made?!
Chris Hafner on September 30, 2008 at 02:03 PM
Hi Dave, could be it wasn't a Callaway Twin Turbo GTV-6? I don't think he tweaked any 1984s, so possibly that was something different.
Though a turbo 2.5 ... what else could that be?
joe on October 11, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Chris,
For the record, the first of the five Callaway prototypes (now owned by Martin de'Campo) was a 1984, originally a GTV-6 Maratona. The other four were all 1985s and the rest (30) were 1986s. There were some others (2, 3, or 4...depending on whose numbers you trust) that were dealer-installed and may or may not "count" as official GTV-6 Callaway models, again depending on how much of a purist you are.
I am fortunate enough to own the 5th of these prototypes and they are a BLAST to drive. With an upgrade of wheels/tires, from that ridiculous TRX setup to 16" OZ/Speedline with modern rubber -- replacing the brake rotors with cross-drilled and grooved parts is also advisable -- it handles the additional power with ease. You would have to do something pretty stupid, on purpose, to get in trouble.
Boost has minimal lag, especially considering it was a system designed a quarter century ago. The motor behaves pretty much as the standard one, only all the curves have been kicked up by 50%.
Finally, the engine REALLY responds to mild tuning (reworked heads and 164S cams) and Alfa guru Richard Sirgany at Autovolante estimates that brings up the horsepower to +/- 255hp with no adverse effects.
My only complaint is the fact the car's top speed is limited by the gearing. A 6 speed with taller gearing (as it is, in 5th gear each 1000rpm only means 20mph/32kph) would be ideal, as driving it on the open highway at 80mph with the engine at 4000rpm gets pretty old, pretty fast.
AM on November 11, 2008 at 10:12 AM
A quick translation of the Swedish clip:
Also: 1000 SEK = 80 GBP = 100 EUR = 130 USD
The car is praised for it's looks and it's handling.
As correctly assumed above, plenty of warnings that the car might be prone to rust, rear axle problems and oil leaks. It is actually noted (2:12) that it is very unusual for any car and especially an Alfa to be as free of oil leakage as this one.
At the beginning there is a summary from the previous episode. A friend named Joppe who's been bragging of his expensive new sports car turns out to have bought a yellow Suzuki Alto.
"63900 [SEK] for a piece-of-crap Suzuki!"
Perhaps now, Chris, you understand his reaction when he sees the Alfa.
At 2:40, the mechanic warns of blue smoke coming from the exhaust when engine braking, a problem that may cost up to 10000 SEK to repair.
In the blue square at 3:50 is a comparison of insurance costs for a GTV6 and a GTV 2.0, also, in the beginning of the clip it is said that a GTV 2.0 might be recommended as it is significantly cheaper. The main difference being the branding. (Note that the car is not a GTV6 but a GTV 2.0)
Between 4:05 and 4:20 the GTV6 is compared to Alfas of the late 90's. Longitudinal engine vs. Transverse engine, Rear-wheel drive vs. Front-wheel drive. The only major similarity is that both of them are "damn good-looking".
After that (around 4:30) it is said to be a 1980's Alfa Romeo in a nutshell (literally translated). High-tech but low-quality. "There's a lot to curse at, and a lot to praise."
At the end (5:20), a price example is given. 45000 SEK for a good GTV6 or 30000 SEK for a bad one. A GTV 2.0 is said to cost between 18000 and 30000 SEK. Finally, the blue square is a list things to watch for when buying: rust; noise from the rear axle; blue smoke in the exhaust.
Chris, don't worry, he doesn't tell people to buy a VW Beetle instead. That's what's the next week's episode is about. The seemingly random collection of songs is actually very common in Swedish TV programs and has been for at least ten years.
Hope you like the translation. I haven't guessed the words either, Swedish is my native language. I even speak the same dialect as the presenter, Gothenburgish, the Cockney of Swedish.
"en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothenburg"
ctcoburn on September 03, 2009 at 10:01 AM
john delorean discussed switching to alfa romeo engines for his sports car.
based on timeframe I'm sure the v6 would have been the one, what a difference that would have made to the success of his company.
difficult to remember but at that time he was riding high and had also discussed becoming the exclusive distributor for alfa romeo in north america
even selected a building in marina del rey , ca but couldn't come to a signed deal ( probably his well reported habit of pushing a little too hard at last moment).
Lou Scognamiglio on October 02, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Just found this post, I have a 1984 GTV 6 that is getting a 3.0 24 valve. Should be ready by end of month, can't wait.
rene carlos arnaudo on June 30, 2010 at 06:58 PM
I just find one callaway today twin turbo with (believable) 18k miles in super filthy condition but minimal to no rust absolute unmolested, replace battery, fresh gas . air on tires, play with clutch for a while until got free remove thermostat and run like a champ Ohhhhhh man that make my day month year and probably one of the "moments " in my life, this monster push so hard that is really scary.....................ohh boy ..................it is for sale email me for more info at recarna46@yahoo.com Im open for offers.-
Gen til mans .....your call