Alfa Romeo
2008 Alfa Romeo Unica
Written by admin on Saturday, March 05, 2011 | No Comments
Categories: Alfa Romeo Tags: 2008 Alfa Romeo, 2008 Alfa Romeo Cars, 2008 Alfa Romeo Unica, 2008 Alfa Romeo Unica News, Alfa Romeo Unica
A fact borne out by the broad choice of bodies, engines, exterior outfits, interior furnishings and options, enabling customers to order the car that meets their needs and their desire to be different. To extend this broad choice even further, and in response to the growing number of requests from the market, Alfa Romeo has now developed the ‘Únique Alfa’ Customisation Programme, a new departure for the brand that will enable customers to make their cars even more refined and exclusive.
The Alfa Romeo Customisation programme has been available on the entire range for a couple of months, and was born out of the experience of the Alfa 8C Competizione, the model that the brand has chosen to define its strategies with precision and authority. One of the winning features of this lovely GT is the fact that it was conceived to cater for every whim of competent, refined customers, who wish to state their personality by the way they configure their car, transforming a car that is already exclusive into something unique.
By the same principle, the ‘Únique Alfa’ Programme, the expression of the best Italian products, now extends this opportunity to the other Alfa Romeo models. Alfa Romeo is one of the most prestigious brands in motoring history, and it indubitably conjures up the art of Italian living, expressed in a perfect synthesis of tradition and modernity, heritage and the avant-garde, beauty and culture. And it is thanks to this propensity for art and beauty that the Alfa Romeo Customisation Programme has taken shape, developing into three different areas that identify the brand’s exclusive values and make its relationship with its customers unique.
The first area, known as ‘Vintage’, reinterprets Alfa Romeo tradition with elegance and modernity: intriguing colours that conjure up the Dolce Vita or victories on the world’s most prestigious racing circuits, chromatic treatments that recall the timeless emotion of the prestigious finish, and upholstery crafted with the care and precision typical of a craftsman’s workshop.
‘Collezione’ is the second area, which invites customers to explore the world of fashion and elegance. The interiors are designed to recreate a sensation of well-being and beauty, underlined by the materials chosen to give a feeling of sensory involvement: soft, perfumed leather covers the seats, facia, and panels; the stitching reveals and underlines the sinuous, elegant shapes; the real metal inserts propose different finishes. On the exterior, multi-layer lacquered paints give an extra touch of elegance to the lines of the body, drawing attention to the ornamental elements and the alloys with their luminous sparkle finish.
The third and final area of the ‘Únique Alfa’ programme is ‘TI’ (Turismo Internazionale), which obviously harks back to Alfa Romeo tradition, where racing and competitions have always played an important part in the development of cutting-edge technologies designed to guarantee the proverbial enjoyment of driving an Alfa Romeo, and safety in all driving conditions.
The heritage of technological culture and a passion for the product have laid the foundations for the development of this area, which addresses customers who are particularly demanding where performance, dynamic behaviour and sporty personality are concerned, with mechanical components such as a low stance, boosted braking system, alloy wheels and high performance tyres. And in the immediate future, this exciting catalogue will also incorporate other features to raise the performance of the powerful Alfa Romeo engines even higher.
The Alfa Romeo is an Italian vehicle manufacturing business, founded in 1910 in Milan, Italy. Originally acknowledged as ALFA, which is an acronym meaning Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. Nicola Romeo bought ALFA in 1915. His surname was utilised as the business name. G1 in 1920 was the very first vehicle intended by the firm. Exclusiveness and character has been a distinctive attribute of the Alfa Romeo brand. This reality has been proved with alternatives of the broad choice of bodies, engines, exterior outfits and interior furnishings. There are other choices that enable consumers to order the auto that meets their desires however makes it various.
To further lengthen this selection in response to the developing variety of requests from the maker and also the purpose of staying forward than other individuals, Alfa Romeo developed the “Special Alfa” Customization Plan. The objective of this automobile was to allow clients to make their cars even far more refined and exclusive.
The Alfa Romeo Customization plan is now obtainable on the complete assortment. Staying at par with the expertise of the Alfa 8C Competizione, the model defines its tactics outline precision and authority. One particular of the finest functions this customization program is to cater for each competent and refined purchaser, state their personality with their vehicle. And transform an previously exclusive car or truck into some thing special. The “Special Alfa” Program expresses the best Italian merchandise. It now extends this opportunity to the other Alfa Romeo models.
Recognized as 1 of the prestigious brand names in motoring background, Alfa Romeo indubitably conjures up the artwork of Italian dwelling. It is a perfect merge of tradition and modernity, heritage and the avant-garde, attractiveness and tradition. To additional produce this previously extensive offer you, Alfa Romeo has made the “Alfa Unica” Customization System produced its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Exhibit, and will soon be obtainable to get. It makes it possible for sophisticated buyers to transform a tremendously exclusive car into a exclusive expression of the “Made in Italy” ethos. The selection of entire body versions, engines, exterior trim, internal decor styling and choices enable prospects to order the automobile that ideal matches their desires. And most importantly have the want to stand out from the crowd.
Alfa Romeo has often reflected the Italian artwork of living existence to the full. It displays the ideal blend of tradition and modernity, of heritage and forward considering, of elegance and tradition. This passion has lead to the advancement of the “Alfa Unica” Customization Plan. The inspiration for the improvement arrives with the want to emphasize the Brand’s distinctive values by means of an artwork of intricate vehicle designing and to establish a distinctive romance with consumers. It is ‘one to one’ communication mode which the firm uses to attain out to its prospects. Their clients like them, identify status with the auto they use and have the want to stand out from the crowd as per every ones require.
Added characteristics can be extra to the vehicle. The common seat belt pre-tensioners and facet impression bars can be added. A navigation program accessible with a exhibit in both monochrome or color, like other 2008 versions, can be added. There are a variety of options is sound methods. For illustration the Bose sound program comes with a six-channel amp and subwoofer and quite a few other most recent variations in the very same vary. Top quality with magnificence can make this Alpha Unica as distinctive as the title suggests. . It features some of the greatest Italian goods and enables buyers to make automobiles a lot more refined and exclusive. There are other choices that enable buyers to order the vehicle that meets their wants nevertheless can make it distinct.
The finest feature of this customization strategy is to cater for every single capable and refined consumer, state their character with their automobile. And transform an already unique automobile into one thing distinctive. Every car or truck will be special from the other. It will cater to every single in depth demand of the purchaser. You can decide on from Vintage, Collezione and TI and present your fashion to the world.
2010 Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta Concept
Written by admin on Wednesday, December 22, 2010 | No Comments
Categories: Alfa Romeo Tags: 2010 Alfa Romeo, 2010 Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta Concept, Alfa Romeo, Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta, Alfa Romeo Cars
2uettottanta: a name that evokes the legendary Duetto, but also the years of activity at Pininfarina, which launches the celebrations for its 80th anniversary with this concept car. And it has decided to do so with a type of car that is by definition, the work of Pininfarina: an Alfa Romeo spider. A very Italian product, which has become an export brand, representing the inexhaustible talent that the whole world associates with Italy.
The 2uettottanta reflects Pininfarina’s determination to look to the future with optimism following tradition, restating its excellence in design and its acknowledged capacity for aesthetic and technological innovation. It is a concept that represents an innovative approach, projected into the third millennium, to a topic that is firmly rooted in Pininfarina history, the 2-seater spider. And like the best Alfa Romeo sports cars to come from Pininfarina’s pencil, the 2uettottanta exalts the driving experience and concentrates on the excitement of being at the wheel of an open car with a great aesthetic personality. It is a car that can make people dream and excites even after many years. The icon of a lifestyle that harks back to a lively, tumultuous period. Like the Duetto of the Sixties, which helped to establish a trend based on the themes of rebellion and escape, thanks to the film ‘The Graduate’.
The 2uettottanta is also a tribute to Alfa Romeo, which celebrates its centenary in 2010: the alliance between Alfa Romeo and Pininfarina is one of the most significant and durable in the history of the car, one of men and of passion, of design and cutting-edge technical solutions, which has generated an inestimable number of good-lòòking, innovative cars with plenty of temperament. With a predilection for sports cars and convertibles. The aim is to replicate all this with the 2uettottanta. So a clean, elegant line was chosen for this ‘simple 2-seater’, which is proposed with a 1750 cc turbo engine positioned longitudinally, an obvious reference to the ’1750 Veloce’ of 1968, one of the many versions derived from the famous ‘Osso di Seppia’ (Cuttlefish). With its red bodywork, inspired by the typical Alfa Romeo paintwork, the 2uettottanta is 1797 mm wide, 4212.6 mm long, 1280 mm high and has a wheelbase of 2500 mm.
The pleasure of driving and feeling in harmony with nature is transformed into light, sleek, refined volumes, and shapes that seem to slip through the air easily. This generates the theme of this concept: the expression of a single volume, which is some way from the ground and suspended. The 2uettottanta almost seems to lift up from the ground ‘going further’. It is an optical effect achieved thanks to a line that crosses the whole car horizontally. An uninterrupted sign applied to dynamic, sporty proportions – typical of Alfa Romeo spiders – accentuated by the configuration of the passenger compartment, which is shifted significantly to the rear. The force of the design lies in its exaltation of simplicity, which does not need to show its muscles but concentrates purely on agility and harmony.
The front end of the 2uettottanta underlines its true Alfa Romeo character. The design is simple, with a central line that runs smoothly along the nose of the car, while the execution of the surfaces is more sophisticated. At the centre, in full view, and anything but a purely decorative element, is the Alfa Romeo shield, which seems to emerge from the heart of the car and to stretch outwards, in Pininfarina’s futuristic, three-dimensional approach. The shield is made of aluminium and incorporates floating horizontal flaps. On either side are the two triangular lateral air intakes. The two elements impressed on the imposing bonnet create a natural link between the logo and the large windscreen, which has been designed as a ring in hand-beaten aluminium that emerges from the body of the car without interrupting its flow. The front headlights, which adopt the latest LED technologies, are embedded under the line that gives the whole car its character. A strip of carbon in the lower part of the front acts as an air splitter, channelling the air to the rear end of the car.
The side view of the car, where the theme of the single volume is repeated, highlights the flowing line of the whole, with the shapes merging naturally. The horizontal line ‘cut’ into the sides gives a sense of great dynamism; it starts from the front wheelarch and extends back to the rear wheel. Like an athlete, for a car, being slim also means achieving aerodynamic efficiency. Pininfarina has always strived for natural shapes that can convey efficiency and respect of the environment, an approach confirmed by its great commitment to the theme of eco-sustainable mobility. The 2uettottanta is in perfect harmony with nature, becoming the formal expression of a response to the needs of our day: it is an arrow that flies through the wind almost without encountering resistance.
Smooth, essential, soft surfaces even at the rear, which echoes the front, albeit with slightly more emphasis on the muscles. The design combines stylistic simplicity with a strong character in the volumes and proportions, with details designed to underline the car’s dynamic, light personality. The two bumps seem to emerge from the volume, becoming floating wings that create the roll-over bars behind the seats. At either end, these bars generate an appendix designed to hold the seat belts. Even at the rear the light clusters are slender and embedded under the line that defines the whole section.
Great attention went into the design of the interior. The result is a spacious, comfortable passenger compartment, conceived with light, dynamic volumes, which envelop the occupants in a strong, reassuring embrace. The shapes are sewn into the leather, incorporating the touch controls: in its functions, the 2uettottanta is faithful to its vocation as a car designed to be a delight to drive. The facia extends fluidly to the sides merging into the doorway as the natural continuation of the volume of the car, thus creating a perfect symbiosis between exterior and interior. The dashboard has a driver-oriented configuration with an innovative approach to the classical circular Alfa Romeo ‘tubes’ that contain the instruments. The tunnel contains the Alfa DNA gear selector in an ergonomic position; this varies the set-up of the car in three modes, Dynamic, Normal and All Weather, adapting the behaviour of the various systems on the vehicle (engine, transmission, suspension, §teering, brakes, etc.) to the demands of the driver and the different driving conditions.
The tunnel runs through the passenger compartment and it gives structure to the chassis, revealing the carbon elements: the choice of this material reflects Pininfarina’s constant research into alternative materials that can make vehicles lighter, reducing consumption and emissions. Another strong element of the interior is the §teering wheel, which is a modern interpretation of the Duetto’s perforated three-spoke wheel, with the addition of a shift paddle for sequential control of the dual-clutch gearbox. An enjoyable drive and comfort are also guaranteed by the anatomical sporty seats. All the interior of the car ‘floats’: the ventilation ducts are positioned between the passenger compartment and the hull.
The size and design of the tyres, which were created specifically for the 2uettottanta in collaboration with Dunlop, accentuate the impression of strong character and force given by the car. The tyres are of the low profile type, right on the extreme edges of the plane view: designed by Pininfarina to incorporate the innovative technologies developed by Dunlop, their graphics reflect those of the car. Their aerodynamic shape and very smooth lateral profile, guarantee better roadholding and less resistance to air, thus reducing consumption. The rims are treated in aluminium in harmony with the rest of the car, and are a free interpretation of the classic five-circle Alfa Romeo pattern, revealing the high performance carbo-ceramic Alfa Romeo brakes by Brembo.
The 2uettottanta is not a pure styling exercise, but also a project and research: the goal is to grasp the spirit of the spider in the configuration, the proportions and the conception of the car as well as in its stylistic imprint. This working method is part of Pininfarina’s genes. For this project, the Pininfarina creative team were given carte blanche to express the values inherent in the Alfa spider ‘by Pininfarina’, the values that are deemed to have made the Giulietta Spider or the Duetto all-time classics. To achieve this result, the car was given a particular set-up, with a low centre of gravity and a passenger compartment that is very exposed so as not to isolate the occupants from the surrounding environment. The result is to bring the road ‘nearer’ to the eyes of the driver and to increase the sense of dynamism even at low speed.
What is the 2uettottanta effect? Desire. Whoever sees it ‘must’ possess it, drive it, enjoy it. Because the 2uettottanta is not an unattainable dream. Nor does the 2uettottanta only want to impress at first glance, but to achieve a beauty that does not strive solely for immediate confirmation, but gradually reveals all its values and transfers them to the future, making the style eternal. As it did in the case of the Duetto, which continues to be celebrated as an icon of design after more than 40 years.
2009 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Written by admin on Thursday, December 02, 2010 | No Comments
Categories: Alfa Romeo Tags: 2009 Alfa Romeo, 2009 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, 2009 Alfa Romeo Cars, Alfa Romeo 8C, Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
The Alfa 8C Competizione and Alfa 8C Spider are equipped with a mighty 4.7 litre 8 cylinder engine that develops 450 bhp, teamed with a 6-speed robotised gearbox, and immediately turn heads due to their unmistakeable Italian elegance, an absolutely unique and unrepeatable style that promises the satisfaction of a sporty drive with full respect for Brand traditions.
The 8C Competizione is inspired by Alfa Romeo’s glorious past, projecting its brand values of technology and emotion into the future. The historical allusions begin with the evocative name, recalling the great sporting tradition of Alfa Romeo. The 8C code was used to identify cars (racing and on-road) of the Thirties and Forties equipped with the revolutionary eight cylinder engine produced by the famous designer Vittorio Jano. The term ‘Competizione’ is intended as a homage to the ‘6C 2500 Competizione’, a sports coupé driven in 1950 by the duo Fangio and Zanardi in the famous Mille Miglia race.
The attractive shape created by the Alfa Romeo Style Centre makes this car with its two bucket seats unique in the Gran Turismo scenario. The designers have worked hard to ensure that the aerodynamic and performance demands have not altered the car’s original concept. The style maintains an incredibly clean shape, uncluttered by any element interfering with the overall harmony.
The solutions introduced on the Alfa 8C to achieve the highest levels of aerodynamic efficiency are not limited to the shape. Air wraps around the car and follows its natural course, unhindered by corners and unevenness. All the pillar and glass surfaces and profiles together with the door mirror shape and position have been optimised by mathematical modelling and also by wind tunnel tests and tests on actual models. Much attention has been devoted to the creation of a ground effect that has allowed a negative Cz (lift coefficient) to help increase stability at high speed, as on racing cars. The compact dimensions concentrate the aggression of a car designed to ensure maximum driving efficiency.
Price: $230000.
The car surfaces are highly sculpted and skilfully moulded. In detail, the body is given extra dynamism by the horizontal furrow cut into the side above the front wheelarch. The big wheels and powerful musculature of the rear wings emphasise the model’s personality and strength without detracting from the lines that flow smoothly, almost as though to underscore the formal good looks of the individual exterior details: the drop-shaped headlight embedded, gem-like, in the front wing, the led tail-lights that are a blend of technology and rationalism, the spare door handle. The front end still displays the distinctive Alfa Romeo traits, with a new interpretation of the ‘whiskers’ and shield.
The innovative shape heralds the details and proportions of future Alfa Romeo cars but is also redolent with past thrills and historical allusions: the 33 Coupé Stradale, the Giulia TZ and many other great names of motoring history. The Alfa Romeo style centre also developed new colours to emphasise the shape of the 8C Competizione that match the car’s sinuous shape while also suggesting modernity and a hint of technology.
The engine is the beating heart of any Alfa Romeo. In this case it takes the form of a brand new 90° V 8 cylinder unit with a cylinder capacity of 4691 cc that was designed with one aim in mind: to ensure extraordinary performance while still offering a smooth drive and being usable in all circumstances, from the track to city traffic. The top engine performance figures may be summarised as a maximum power output of 450 bhp at 7000 rpm, a peak torque of 470 Nm at 4750 rpm and a top speed of 7500 rpm.
The layout of internal fluid movements and the cylinder head cooling system is designed to achieve high duct permeability and effective intake load cooling to maximise volumetric efficiency and engine performance. Harmonisation of the intake and exhaust geometry together with the introduction of continuous variable valve timing on the intake camshafts and optimisation of the combustion chamber and engine calibration means that 80% of torque is available from 2000 rpm. In sporty driving conditions over mixed routes, the power unit offers impressively short response times due to the high permeability of the intake duct and the low inertia of the flywheel-twin plate clutch system.
A crankshaft with counterweights at 90°, fully balanced through careful selection of connecting rods and pistons, ensures the engine runs with low vibration levels. The engine block and base assembly is in aluminium with 5 main bearings to ensure the structure is very rigid with little loss due to friction. The cylinder heads are also in aluminium alloy. All the ducts (water, oil, secondary air) are cast directly into the engine to produce a system with great rigidity, low dimensions and guarantees of safe installation, i.e. great reliability. Casting accessory systems into the main engine casting and the use of very rigid, thick-walled components ensures that little noise radiates from the engine and the components are very reliable.
Longitudinal engine packaging has also received particular attention, as evidenced by the introduction of a single chain timing system that guarantees exceptional lifetime dependability. Special attention has also been devoted to the acoustic definition and tuning of the intake and exhaust in the quest for a sound timbre that enhances the car’s character and makes it unmistakable. The result is a full, distinctive sound, emphasised by the permeable intake system and an exhaust system with electronically controlled valves that enhance the car’s sound without infringing any type-approval or environmental constraints.
The engineers used a layout familiar from other Alfa Romeo cars on the 8C Competizione: the transaxle architecture with gearbox at the rear that is an acknowledged asset of Alfa Romeo cars. This layout allows outstanding dynamic performance while also offering the active safety for which Alfa Romeo cars are fabled. The engine-gearbox unit is designed in accordance with a transaxle configuration that ensures the weight distribution is very effective for vehicle handling. Due to the small axial engine size and the integration with frame components from the drawing board, the entire power unit can be housed well back to ensure the required sporty configuration. The 6–speed gearbox with computerised speed selection by means of levers behind the steering wheel is designed to ensure ultra-slick gear shifts and may be used in Manual-Normal; Manual-Sport; Automatic-Normal; Automatic-Sport and Ice modes. The self-locking differential allows acceleration and stability to be managed with extraordinary efficiency in all situations.
In the very best Alfa Romeo tradition, the engineering is directly derived from the race track. The suspension on the new model is no exception, with a double wishbone layout, forged aluminium axle carrier and arms and extra strut for toe-in control. The braking system offers perforated, ventilated discs with aluminium brake callipers to ensure prompt, effective braking even with heavy use. To ensure the car stays glued to the road, it is fitted with 20 inch tyres specially developed to ensure outstanding performance: 245/35 at the front and 285/35 at the rear, fitted on perforated rims in fluid moulded aluminium to ensure lightness and maximum brake ventilation efficiency. To ensure the car is entertaining and safe in any driving condition, the 8C Competizione comes with the latest Alfa Romeo VDC, an advanced stability and traction control system to ensure the driver feels at one with his car.
A rigid, light structure is the rule when configuring a good high performance car. This is also the guiding principle behind the 8C Competizione. In detail, the compact frame is in steel to achieve the greatest torsional rigidity to ensure an accurate, safe drive at all times while the body is in carbon fibre. This choice was motivated by the need to minimise weights while also optimising the car’s centre of gravity for better agility and handling on demanding routes.
The car’s distinctive look comes from extensive use of composite materials on the facia and interior panels. This is a technical choice but also reinforces the car’s spirit and emphasises its personality. The same thinking lies behind the adoption of anatomical seats made out of carbon fibre that can be adjusted and customised on the basis of the driver’s physical characteristics (a facility previously reserved for racing cars). Everything is designed and produced to ensure the greatest user-friendliness for the driver and whoever is lucky enough to share the thrill: relaxed driving position, intuitive instruments that are always visible, robotised gear levers secured to the steering column and easy to reach without removing your hands from the sporty steering wheel. The carefully-crafted and detailed finish naturally allows the car to be customised to the driver’s taste and a choice of different interior environments is available.
2009 Alfa Romeo 159
Written by admin on Monday, November 15, 2010 | 1 Comment
Categories: Alfa Romeo Tags: 2009 Alfa Romeo, 2009 Alfa Romeo 159, 2009 Alfa Romeo Cars, Alfa Romeo 159, Alfa Romeo Cars
The Alfa 159 Sportwagon represents a consummate blend of Italian style with the performance and handling of a genuine sportscar, combined with the flexibility of use and versatility of space you would expect from a high class estate. Like the saloon – the total length (4,660 millimetres) is exactly the same – the new model has been given a decidedly sporty look, without that look of ‘added-on volume’ which characterises the typical station wagon. The sleek lines of the long roof give it a coupé feel, as does the roof spoiler and the edgy aerodynamic styling, while the superbly functional interior offers great load volume. All in all Alfa 159 Sportwagon guarantees the performance and dynamic handling of a sportscar with a size of boot in line with that of a high class station wagon, while also offering a versatility which satisfies the tastes and demands of the modern lifestyle.
The Alfa 159 Sportwagon is available in 2 or 3 versions (depending on the country), 12 bodywork colours and 5 interior colourways. It offers three new JTS engines with double continuous variable valve timing (the 260 bhp 3.2 V6 24v, the 185 bhp 2.2 and the 160 bhp 1.9) and three turbodiesel Multijet engines (the 200 bhp 2.4 JTDM 20v, the 150 bhp 1.9 JTDM 16v and the 120 bhp 1.9 JTDM 8v). All of these are fitted with new manual six-speed gearboxes, and some versions also offer automatic gears and robotised Selespeed gear lever, also six speed. Without counting the fact that the range offers all clients, even the most demanding, the opportunity to select from various different options and innovative features.
The new Spider is a generously-sized two-seater – 1,830 millimetres wide, 4,396 long and 1,367 high – characterised by elongated rear lights and four exhaust terminals which accentuate the impression of great temperament. The interior of the Alfa Spider is inviting and gorgeously sophisticated, thanks to the use of sumptuous materials and added value features (as standard, depending on the version): from the automatic dual-zone climate control to the steering wheel mounted radio controls, from VDC to cruise control. Available in two versions, the client can choose his or her Alfa Spider to be fitted with the sparkling 185 bhp 2.2 JTS engine or the powerful 260 bhp 3.2 JTS.
Lastly, both Alfa Romeo models ensure outstanding dynamic performance thanks to high double wishbone suspension at the front and Multilink at the rear. Along with great ride comfort, the Alfa Spider and Alfa 159 Sportwagon boast a sporty configuration and the use of state of the art ‘Q4′ four wheel drive (available on the 260 bhp 3.2 versions). What’s more – like the saloon version which was recently awarded 5 prestigious Euro NCAP stars – the two Alfa Romeo models once more confirm the utmost attention which goes into all aspects regarding safety, as well as offering the most sophisticated electronic vehicle dynamic control devices.
The Alfa 159 has been awarded the prestigious five-star rating from Euro NCAP, which puts it ahead of the field for its segment where safety is concerned. It is an important achievement, which underlines yet again the great attention that Fiat Auto pays to all aspects of the protection of its drivers and passengers. The Alfa Romeo 159 was designed and built to embody uncompromising quality, a concept that guided the entire process of the car’s development, starting with the endless tests that the model was subjected to, right down to the manufacturing process. For the Alfa 159, quality also means class-beating dynamism, obtained by careful calibration of the sophisticated suspension and the outstanding torsional rigidity of the bodyshell.
With the new ‘Alfa 159′ project, the Italian carmaker intends to take the lead in passive safety. The Alfa Romeo engineers have designed a specific new ‘premium’ floorpan which adopts high performance materials, multiply sheet metal and laser welding. The architecture of the bodyshell also benefits from numerous measures such as: the use of boxed elements that are connected rigidly both transversely and vertically, three load lines in the front, longitudinals that run the whole length of the car, built-in structures and a larger number of spot welds around structural nodes. The result is the excellent torsional rigidity of the bodyshell, the best in its segment at over 180,000 daNm/rad. The Alfa 159 also boasts as many as eight airbags (including special bags to protect the knees and sidebags that extend all along the window area), innovative restraint systems (pretensioners on the clasps and decreasing load limiters on the seat belts), and front seats with an ‘anti-whiplash’ device that brings the head restraint nearer to the occupant’s neck in the event of a rear impact.
The Alfa 159 guarantees the extraordinary roadholding that is innate in all Alfa Romeo models. The merit goes to the new suspension (high double wishbones at the front and Multilink at the rear) and extremely precise steering (the most direct of the standard saloons, with a small turning circle). This prestigious new saloon also features numerous electronic systems that control the car’s dynamic behaviour, including a sophisticated Vehicle Dynamic Control system (VDC), Anti Slip Regulation (ASR), Hydraulic Brake Assistance (HBA) which cuts in during emergency braking, ABS complete with EBD, and a Hill Holder to simplify hill starts.
Altogether, these features make the Alfa 159 the new benchmark for its segment in terms of safety, certified by the five-star Euro NCAP rating which acknowledges that the car has sailed through the most difficult tests simulating all types of accident (head-on, side-on, overturning, rear impact and fire), taking into account the various speeds at which impact may occur, the different types of obstacles, and the need to protect occupants with very different physical characteristics.
