Faults:

None as yet. Relatively recent acquisition. Front tyres seem to be wearing heavily on the inside - I'm not worried though, this is an Alfa trait.

General Comments:

Having had 3 happy years with a 156 I decided to trade up to a GTV for something more sporty. My original plan was to get a 2.0TS, but having had a test drive in a used 3.0 V6, I knew there was only one car for me.

Let's get something straight, to live with one of these you have to be prepared to make compromises. Back seats are totally useless, boot is tiny, visibility is awful, the turning circle is terrible and running costs are significantly higher than most cars on the road.

So, what's the payback? The driving experience! The engine and gearbox are simply magnificent. When I picked the car up, I could scarcely believe the performance and the soundtrack from that classic engine. The 6 speed gearbox means that in the majority of situations you merely have to put your right foot down and the instantly responsive throttle launches you forward at break neck speed. Unfortunately the brakes are not quite up to the same level of performance and although the stopping power is there, they don't instill you with the level of confidence you would like in a car like this.

The icing on the cake is that it's all encased in a fantastic looking body work sporting tremendous 17" alloys and some delightful design touches (e.g "alfa romeo" embossed inner sills, red brake calipers, polished exhaust outlet pipes and retro air vents). This car stands out from the "TT" herd like no other.

In short, this car is built around the driver. Don't buy one if you are going to get irritated by lack of practicality, reliability glitches (although it feels well screwed together to me) and running costs because that is not what this car is about. If you are the type who likes nothing better than to go for a sunday afternoon drive to nowhere in particular purely because you want to enjoy the drive and want something stylish, individual and rare then this could be the car for you!

Faults:

All niggles and nothing that spoils the enjoyment of the car.

Boot lid damper has failed causing boot lid to fall down.

Indicator repeater light on side of car has an intermittent fault.

Excessive wind noise from driver window.

Front brake discs are warped.

General Comments:

This car is a complete joy to own, I now understand what people mean about the 'ownership experience' that comes with an Alfa.

Both interior and exterior design reflect a passion not found in most other marques. Everything is geared to the drivers enjoyment, even the instrument dials are tilted away from the passengers view - handy for nervous wives or girlfriends!

Performance is stunning and is delivered with such a sweet engine note especially as you go north of 4000 RPM.

When using the power, 1st and 2nd gears are dispensed almost immediately, the free revving engine hits the limiter so quickly. The car literally surges forward as you go into third, especially if you haven't balanced the revs properly.

I know the party continues until at least 125mph - after that you'll have to find out yourself!

Handling is good, but the GTV is coming to the end of production in 2003 and the chassis shows its age. You can feel the weight of the engine sometimes as you change direction. Steering is very responsive and feeds back well. Brakes do not feel that sharp, but the car will stop quickly if required.

Don't worry too much about lack of passenger and boot space, this car is for you to drive - anything else is a bonus.

Besides, Alfa needed to find somewhere to put the 70 litre fuel tank which is only good for about 200 miles in town or 300 on motorway.