[Andy Bowden]

... thought my 156 GTA Selespeed was good ! but this is the nuts.:

Wholeheartedly agree.

I held on to my 156 GTA Selespeed as my main car for 13 years until AR came out with a car to better it.

The Quadrifoglio is in another league.

Andy

 

[Andy Bowden]

Withdrawal Symptoms Over

I took the Quadrifoglio out today for the first time in 6 weeks.

Having had surgery on my right Achilles, I couldn't drive for that time.

How I was missing driving such a special car!

Andy

 

[Andy Bowden]

A good run completed

I got back in the Quadrifoglio last night from Abruzzo, a round trip of 3,250 miles. Which makes the total mileage about 16,600 in 18 months.

Car behaved perfectly.

I got an indicated 29.4 mpg. I was mainly in D.

Only an average speed 46mph, but I avoided autoroutes whenever I could and the minor roads in Tuscany and Abruzzo made Gloucestershire's look good.

Few potholes there, but very uneven surfaces in many places which I wouldn't have wanted to drive on at night at any speed.

And I did have two grandchildren under 5 in the car for 400 miles.

Now off to get the Alpins put on, a bit earlier than I would normally do, but the Corsas' tread is barely legal on the rear.

Andy

 

[Andy Bowden]

My round trip down to Tuscany set me back £159.83 on French toll roads

My round trip to Italy cost me nothing on French tolls. Dunkerque-Ardennes-Luxembourg (cheap petrol)-Pontarlier avoids French toll roads.

Swiss vignette and Autostrada tolls yes.

Andy

 

[Andy Bowden]

Looked at a trade in today - park the alfa next to 3 x jaguar's said to the sale man that mine the alfa, his reply was "why would you want to trade that in" say alot doesn't such a good looking car compared to the jaguar.

'Why would anyone want to trade in an Alfa for a Jag?' was perhaps what the salesman was thinking.

Andy

 

[Andy Bowden]

I put the Quadrifoglio away last night showing 2,124 miles at 30.8 mpg having been skiing at Cervinia with an airport run to Linate thrown in.

Mainly motorways with weather limiting speeds at times. Except I did manage a run on the minor roads (D50 etc) from Lure to Nods, near Pontarlier, both ways. The Quadrifoglio comes into its own there,

The journey out was cold (-11C seen at Chamonix) with some snow on the higher roads so I was glad I had the Alpins fitted.

Much warmer on the way back. No trouble with the Alpins when the temperature was in double figures. Though I do find them particularly noisy on concrete surfaces.

I'd did manage my fastest speed yet in the car on one empty autostrada at 240 km/h. Acceleration to and at that speed is fantastic. It was a shame lorries ahead meant I had to back off.

The only thing went wrong was the car on the trip was that for one stretch yesterday the interior lights came on and I couldn't switch them off. After the next stop they were fine again.

Andy

 

[Andy Bowden]

I’m experiencing the same on Pirelli winters (sotto zero) - not too bad in dry, but slightest hint of damp, dreadful in temps +6 deg C (even in Veloce!)

Can’t wait to get summers back on, but know if I change now, guaranteed temps will plummet again!

I've still got Alpins on, but I'm wondering why. In fact, I wouldn't have fitted them this winter except that I went skiing in December

I've not had any real trouble with them in the warm weather we've been having. I've not been out in the wet much though.

If I had winter and summer sets of wheels, I'd swap back to the summers straightaway.

I'm due to going skiing again in mid-April and I might need the Alpins again then for the last few kilometres.

However, I'm inclined to leave the Alpins on just for another couple of weeks in case the temperature drops and then swap over, keeping my fingers crossed the roads up to 2,000 metres are clear of snow by mid-April. The idea of 1,000+miles getting to Italy and back on Alpins with the temperature well into double figures for 95% of the journey doesn't appeal.

Andy

 

[Andy Bowden]

Yep, especially with EV taking holding. That is partly what made me act now, rather than wait for the illusive GTV.

FWIW I can’t see AR ditching RHD. They have just diverted extra Giulia N’Rings to the UK because they couldn’t sell them elsewhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You've got to remember RHD is not just UK.

I can't believe FCA would give up on UK market let alone all RHD countries.

Andy

 

[Andy Bowden]

True Andy, however i would suspect the sales in the dominions and Japan are pretty minimal? (maybe not Ireland?).

Sales in Japan I suspect are non-trivial.

Have you seen the used GTAs imported into UK from Japan?

Andy

 

[Andy Bowden]

considering i didnt know what a GTAwas until i just googled it (puts tin hat on)...no!

Nice to have evidence that Giulia's are being sold to some with no Alfa history.

You should put a trip to the Alfa Romeo museum on your to-do list.

Andy

 

[Andy Bowden]

Light at the end of the tunnel!
I was on the road by 07:30 and went for a 100mile round trip in the country up towards Chipping Norton.
53mph average, but only 17mpg.

 

[Andy Bowden]

The Old and The New at Bellagio on Sunday.

60 years age difference between the two Alfas.

I'd be delighted if my Quadfrifoglio were still running in 20 years let alone 60.

 

[Andy Bowden]

Must be terrifying with almost twice the power available.

Not if one learnt how to drive in a rear wheel drive car without all the modern electronic gadgets.
I found that my Quadrifoglio was very controllable in Race in the wet.
Note though that I wasn't on a public road at the time.
For safety's sake, I'd never select Race in the wet except on track just in case.