Fifth Gear website "Future Classics: 156 GTA"

Has anyone else see this article on the Fifth Gear website

Future Classics: Alfa 156 GTA features - Fifth Gear

Full of inaccuracies ... I feel like emailing them a list of corrections.

I'm too idle to list them now, but anyone else spot them?

**** write up, why did they bother?

grammatical and spelling errors aside it didnlt actually say anythign good, so why should it be a future classic or maybe it just is to Alfisti's? D'you think he just learnt a new word ?

Giuigiaro's design.....

Wrong... he did the facelift.

18-inch Quadrafoglio (Cloverleaf) alloy wheels completed the look

Wrong, they did offer 18' spokes later on though didnt they?

seats and its own unique dials...

only cause they went up to 200.

stainless steel exhausts

Only had one.

GTA couldn't match the composure of rear-drive rivals such as the BMW 325i or Mercedes C-Class

it bloody can.

It was also plagued by electrical gremlins

Was it?????

because any other flawed performance car would always be remembered for its weaknesses rather than strengths

Not flawed...

It attracts a Group 18 insurance rating,

19 actually.

you'll be consider yourself lucky if you ever get fuel economy as high as 25 mph

I think they mean MPG.

you need to make sure the car has three keys - two normal ones and a 'master', as without the third key you'll never reset the car's electrical systems if you disconnect the battery.

2 keys, one master

Nice one 5th gear..

Originally Posted by OperationAlfa

2 keys, one master

I didn't think there was a master key system with any of the 156s? I have two keys for my V6, they are both identical and interchangable..

But yes, there are so many errors it is unbelieveable. 5th Gear are sh!te!

Right Pud, no master key just 2 normal ones

Originally Posted by Pud237

I didn't think there was a master key system with any of the 156s? I have two keys for my V6, they are both identical and interchangable..

But yes, there are so many errors it is unbelieveable. 5th Gear are sh!te!

I have a master key which is black with 2 buttons - 1 boot, and one lock/unlock. This also has an LED.

I also have a spare which is also black but slightly bigger and has a longer piece of rubber along the button side. This one has no LED.

That's terrible. Even ignoring how badly written it is. I would have said that the writer had clearly never driven a GTA, but by the sounds of it, he's never even seen one.
And didn't bother to find out any facts about them before writing either.

Originally Posted by bazza

That's terrible. Even ignoring how badly written it is. I would have said that the writer had clearly never driven a GTA, but by the sounds of it, he's never even seen one.
And didn't bother to find out any facts about them before writing either.

Any car show that has a women (not meaning to be sexist) as a front person (Henderson your thick as pig****) is not really going to understand what an Alfa really is, this review proves thier ignorance and lack of research. Plus I think she wrote this.

The show is a farse and though they do actually review cars we may be driving (unlike Top Gear recently), thier opinions differ greatly from what I encounter on a daily basis.

You might not have meant to be, but you were.

Originally Posted by Smaky

Any car show that has a women (not meaning to be sexist) as a front person (Henderson your thick as pig****) is not really going to understand what an Alfa really is, this review proves thier ignorance and lack of research. Plus I think she wrote this.

Well, I'd be surprised if she wrote it because she really liked the GTA when she reviewed it on Fifth Gear. Gave it a very big thumbs up and was full of praise for it.

You can see the vid on YouTube somewhere. She doean't appear to be an anti-Alfa bigot.

Cheers,

Nigel

Originally Posted by OperationAlfa

I have a master key which is black with 2 buttons - 1 boot, and one lock/unlock. This also has an LED.

I also have a spare which is also black but slightly bigger and has a longer piece of rubber along the button side. This one has no LED.

God knows then

I've got two red keys that are identical in everyway. Seems like PR who posted above you has the same.

I get tired of the media declaring certain Alfas as 'future classics'. They have been doing this for years. Special edition or premium Alfas such at the GTA's, the GTV Cup, the 145 cloverleaf to name a few are made in relatively small numbers so immediately after production they become desireable and as time goes on it stands to reason they will become collectable. I can think of dozens of Alfa models from the past that are considered 'classic' depending on who you listen too but they aren't worth a lot.

Originally Posted by Pud237

God knows then

I've got two red keys that are identical in everyway. Seems like PR who posted above you has the same.

I have 2 identical black keys, with a "flick blade", both with 2 buttons, one to lock / unlock and one for the boot

polished chrome exhaust manifolds...

Ummm, they would be the intake runners.

...and a brushed alloy rocker cover

Looks like unbrushed, cast alloy rocker covers to me, two of them!

while the stainless steel exhausts

Does it have a stainless system, or is it merely the tips?

ECU-related faults that can immobilise the car until you throw a four figure sum at it

Is there any truth in this? If so, they've got me worried!

Is there any way (or any worth) to contacting them and letting them know just how factually incorrect their review is?

Wierd - there has been practically a complete dearth of electronic gremlins on GTAs - I'm even struggling to remember any more than an isolated post or two on here about them.
There must be some I'm sure but there are over 100 hard driven GTAs on here - you dont get many complaints of anything other than diff failures.

Or maybe they are referring to the incorrect date issue..

Where did they get the 3-key stuff, its nonsense I presume since most of the rest is nonsense.
I have two identical keys, no problems disconnecting battery...

Torque steer on a roundabout - phooey.
Maybe if you are a moron of legendry proportions and think the throttle is a binary input.

Tyre isnt bad either 25K miles for a set of PS2's is perfectly achievable.

Very poor level of accuracy.
Its not like we dont point out the faults of our cars regularly to new potential buyers on AO, we know what the issues are and they aren't even mentioned.

Does the dodgy connector under the drivers seat that does the airbags count as bad electronics, (not quite sure what is electric, electronic or tronic?!) I guess it may have something to do with moving parts.

Other than the above I reckon the electrical side of things is pretty good generally.

I would love to know how much the idiot got for writing said article.

Originally Posted by bazza

Is there any way (or any worth) to contacting them and letting them know just how factually incorrect their review is?

Hmmmm.

Originally Posted by Trailbraker

Where did they get the 3-key stuff, its nonsense I presume since most of the rest is nonsense.
I have two identical keys, no problems disconnecting battery...

Torque steer on a roundabout - phooey.
Maybe if you are a moron of legendry proportions and think the throttle is a binary input.

Tyre isnt bad either 25K miles for a set of PS2's is perfectly achievable.

Very poor level of accuracy.
Its not like we dont point out the faults of our cars regularly to new potential buyers on AO, we know what the issues are and they aren't even mentioned.

I can only think they are mixing up understeer with torque steer, I have always been amazed at the lack of torque steer.

And I am struggling to think of seeing posts of major electrical problems, in 3 years ownership I had an airbag problem and a new speedo, all done under warranty. Pretty good going for any modern car!

Oh and mine only came with one key, the independant garage obtained a second (identical) key for about £60. I think the masterkey idea was dropped a good while back, my dads 1999 punto had it but my 2003 punto didn't.