Does your GTA attract the wrong kind of attention?

Rarely.

Did have a spin against a mate in his Evo IX on the motorway last week. I was surprised I had no trouble keeping up especially with someone who normally drives like they've robbed a bank... yeah, the hard shoulder's "an extra lane".

Not had many exchanges although have had a play with one of the new 2.8T Saab 93's. It's owned by a guy at work who is the most arrogant tit you're ever likely to meet and he has repeatedly tried to bait me into a race by being so close to my tail he could reach out his window and touch the back on my headrest!!!!! Resisted for a while but gave in on a nice bit of dual carriageway let him pull alongside dropped down to third and proceeded to embarass him in front of his amused passenger Of course I said nothing next time I bumped into him in the office

My GTA hasn't received too much unwanted attention so far. Most people here don't have a clue what it is since it has never been officially imported to Finland and my car was only the second 147 GTA in Finland.

I've had only two occasions when somebody has tried to race me and both times it has been a Focus ST.

A funny thing happened when I was participating an Italian car meeting in the summer. I was not around my car when this happened but apparently some older gentleman had walked past my car and told his grandson (or some other kid with him) that "pah, those tuning cars!" and my car is in completely standard form, no modifications whatsoever.

Originally Posted by GTACharlie

I was just amazed at the amount of torque that is instantly available from our GTAs. After about 15 minutes my exit came up, but by that time both cars were stuck way behind me, behind a bunch of other cars...

Yes... 147 GTA's do punch well above their weight, both in torque and top end urgency

Generally I appreciate the fact that my car remains mostly unnoticed.
While observing from a coffeeshop I do notice that some enthusiasts passing by on foot will spot it and peer at the brakes, exhaust and squint inside the windows at the dash and seats etc - but you can see there is no malicious intent.

RE on the road behaviour funnily enough it seems to be a strange mixture of Suvs like big BMW V8 X5's that seem a bit eager to race at the lights. I'm generally not that interested to be honest.

Haven't had anybody try for a good while now though now, which suits me fine. Think my current soundtrack must be intimidating most of the normal likely culprits

It attracts lots of attention at track days though, almost too much.

The first thing I noticed when I saw your car was the intercooler behind the front bumper...

Regards,
Cuore_sportivo_155

Think I convinced somebody once that it was a remapped diesel
Cruel, but fair I think

umm i get so much attantion in my GTA, not from peeps trying to race me but just people stopping and staring at it, even a trip to London today, stuck in a queue by Twickers, the amount of people walking past staring at it..

And I have had young mums ask me what it is, and say thats a nice car...

Gave a bloke a lift home the other night, just got chatting about fuel cunsumption, said i get around 27 cause its a bit engine,, he said what is it a 2.0 lol he does drive a BMW 1 series.

Always good to spank a BMW on the motorway though, when they come racing up behind you in the fast lane... hit the loud pedal and watch them disapear.. makes u smile.

Stopped on the way home tonight at some shope, when I cam out there were 2 kids just stood staring at the back of the GTA.... lol yes it does look very wide.... Best fun you can have with yr clothes on IMO...

<M>

Hey StuartAlfa, I spotted your GTA on youtube, nice motor, sounds great, I especially like the tan leather !!

Originally Posted by SNOKIO

Hey StuartAlfa, I spotted your GTA on youtube, nice motor, sounds great, I especially like the tan leather !!

Cheers SNOKIO, i will get round to doing another one at some point

Guys i am thinking of getting a Ragga centre pipe with a silencer to go with the Ragga rear exhaust box, my only worry is that it will be to loud for track days, what do you all think?
It was heart braking when i found out TB could not go out again at Donny

Link

http://www.gazzella.cc/cart.php?targ...ategory_id=312

Stu

Originally Posted by Troll

And I have had young mums ask me what it is, and say thats a nice car...

You lucky devil

Stuart not sure if I spilled all the info on my car when we met, but its whats under the hood (and not just the obvious) is really causing the noise - I don't think the Ragga exhaust is the main culprit.

FWIW my exhaust is currently AD downpipes, Supersprint Hi-Flow Sport Cat, Supersprint midsection with silencer, Raggazon dual exhaust.

I know for sure that with AD downpipes, standard Cat, and Raggazon dual exhaust with silenced mid section that it would be way way quieter on a standard car. I had done many track days with a highly tuned N/A version of my car previously.
I definitely would stay away from a straight thru centre pipe though.

I personally might be forced to revert to the standard backbox and centre pipe yet, to attempt to bring the noise below its current touring car level

Originally Posted by stuartalfa

Cheers SNOKIO, i will get round to doing another one at some point

Guys i am thinking of getting a Ragga centre pipe with a silencer to go with the Ragga rear exhaust box, my only worry is that it will be to loud for track days, what do you all think?
It was heart braking when i found out TB could not go out again at Donny

Link

http://www.gazzella.cc/cart.php?targ...ategory_id=312

Stu

Cheers TB for the info, i think i will chance it, if i get any money for Christmas, if i can i will keep the standard centre pipe, i will have to pop over to Castle Combe & get them to check it out for me with the new centre, fingers crossed it will be OK

Stu

i never had any unwanted attention when i had my GTA. admiring glances on occassions in the pearl white but it didnt really warrant the attention from the irish civic / glanza chav brigade

things didnt change with the m3 either funny enough, again in white it didnt stand out too much.

the STi................hmm, i dont go out that much now

So far most attention i got has been of the positive kind. Around here Alfas are quite common (we even have a bit of unofficial Alfa club in the house I’m living with around 8-9 another Alfas), and many people knows the GTA.

Have been spared from boy-racers so far, except for a BMW owner once in a while. Mostly 3-series owners have the idea that they got a superbly fast sport car, and want to demonstrate it for anyone around….

I can’t help being a bad person, so it sometimes happens I give them a run. The most fun are the young BMW 330 cabrio owners. Top down, and lots of rew’s at the traffic lights.
Then you shrink him and his rocket ship until the next traffic light, where he has to pull up alongside again. This time without rewing the engine and a strong desire to hide himself somewhere… The best bit is that there is nowhere to hide in a cab :-)))

BMW owners are all the same, arrogant and superior. Flew past this guy weaving my way through the traffic, comes along side me shaking his head in disgust. Alfa's are meant to be driven hard my friend. They will never understand

Originally Posted by GTAowner

BMW owners are all the same, arrogant and superior. Flew past this guy weaving my way through the traffic, comes along side me shaking his head in disgust. Alfa's are meant to be driven hard my friend. They will never understand

Please qualify that statement to "European BMW owners are all the same, arrogant and superior...."

Although I am about as passionate as they come with regard to Alfas (especially the GTA variety ), as an ex-owner of 5 wonderful BMWs, a longterm member of BMW CCA, and lonterm resident of a country where the vast majority of BMW owners are as corteous to others as they are passionate about their vehicles, you must know that I cannot possibly let that statement go unchallenged...

As for Alfas meant to being driven hard I agree 100%, but would also argue that BMWs are too (507hp M5/M6, 343hp M3/M Coupe etc)...

GTA Charlie, I believe you are the exception of a BMW owner not the rule, I live in melbourne, Aus as well, and the majority of the 3 series (not the M#/ MCoupe Drivers) but the shopping trolley 3 seires and the 523/530 drivers are a for the most part snobby, boorish dickheads, I know because I work with quite a few . . .

However i also know a few M3 owners, and i enjoy, driving their card as much as they enjoy driving my 147 GTA . . .

BMW make a few phenomenal enthusiast cars, but they make two many shopping trolleys as well . . . .

Originally Posted by gbernard

GTA Charlie, I believe you are the exception of a BMW owner not the rule, I live in melbourne, Aus as well, and the majority of the 3 series (not the M#/ MCoupe Drivers) but the shopping trolley 3 seires and the 523/530 drivers are a for the most part snobby, boorish dickheads, I know because I work with quite a few . . .

However i also know a few M3 owners, and i enjoy, driving their card as much as they enjoy driving my 147 GTA . . .

BMW make a few phenomenal enthusiast cars, but they make two many shopping trolleys as well . . . .

I guess I am really lucky - if I lived anywhere else in the world I would not have ever considered BMW ownership (and would have missed out on some AMAZING automobiles). They are definitely great cars, but hearing all the horror stories from other countries it sounds as if only punks, a**holes, and mafioso types drive them (interestingly, that is the description of the typical Mercedes driver here in Japan).

I have already decided that if my business takes off, I will be buying an M5 early next year (and keeping the GTA of course ) , a car that was just leagues above the Alpina B5 and Maserati Quattroportte I test drove earlier this year.

Sorry to offend BMW sympathisers but here the vast majority of BMW drivers are either rich wives, men in mid life crisis and people who like to own fast cars but never drive them that way.
German cars a wonderfully engineered and are very good cars, but are plain and boring like the Germans, italian cars have plenty of character, and the passion of the italians is embodied in their cars.