I remain hopeful

[MD]

Good to see we are back on track and shooting between the Alfa goal posts, satisfaction and passion.

I really would love to hear from all you scribblers. You know yourselves. Every school book covered in Alfa mods and remods. Imaginary Alfa racers and hotties drawn on anything that wasn't nailed down. Otherwise known as the eat sleep sheit Alfa looney types. I think you get the picture.

'Cause you are dyed in the wool Alfa freaks,what are you hopeful from Alfa in the future ?

..and if you got some scribbles, by all means let's see them !! 

But please, no mock ups of Paul Edwards sitting in the 75 office with his helmet on. You know how shy he is...

[Barry Edmunds]

First thing on the Alfa wish list is to see them survive and then hopefully get back to their roots of making stylish, well engineered and good handling rear wheel drive cars.

Hey it is a wish list after all.

[Duk]

Let's not make a generalisation that Jap machinery is without flaws. Take a look at any smoking vehicle and 9 out of 10 it will be a Mitsubishi.(the other one is a clapped Alfa   ) Soft bores and crappy ring combos. The mighty Nissan (Datsun 1600, P510)considered one of the best rally cars for its time suffers badly from front end lift over 135kph washing out steering and yet it has an icon status. For the equivalent time, a humble Giulia Super of the same capacity would have it for breakfast on tarmac. The other great rally brand Subaru for all its attributes still hasn't solved its weak gearboxes that crap out first so let's keep it in perspective. Never forget that most of the implemented Jap mechanical designs originated in Europe.

It's much easier to perfect a concept than to come up with one.

The irony for the Asian makes is that when you drive down any affluent Asian hubs,guess what brands proliferate and I can tell you it isn't Lexus notwithstanding its excellece.

Why is that so? You work it out.

Alfa core machinery is as reliable as the next brand. Peripheral failures are a nuisance but the car's overall satisfaction invariably negates a rejection of the brand.You don't win serious competition against world brands with stuff that doesn't cut it and Alfa has won plenty.

Nobody is saying BMW is not currently leading the marketing charge and they remain the primary competition foe.

Was on the Goldcoast for a week  .

Cars are always built to price and not a recipe. Unless you are buying some $1M+ Super-mega-ultra car, there is always massive compromise.
In  the era of the Datsun 1600, what was the cost of an Alfa sedan? It's front end lift is a function of poor '60's design aerodynamics and nothing more. Alfa Romeo clearly did that better.
Subaru's gearbox issues come down to that very same compromise of quantity versus quality and has been massively improved upon since the birth of the Liberty RS/early WRX. How many standard Alfa transaxles do you think would survive with damn near double the traction capacity of the standard car, 200+hp and a 4500+rpm clutch dump (+ a clutch that won't slip)? Not many, I'll bet.
You could never compare the mechanical strength and durability of any factory Alfa 6 cylinder engines to the likes of the Toyota 1 and 2JZGTE engines.
What did a 1990 Alfa Romeo 75 Potenziata cost?
Is a 1990 Alfa Romeo 75 Potenziata a great car for its era? Hell no!!! (Where was the suspension and brake development for such an expensive and heavy car?)
Does a 1990 Alfa Romeo 75 Potenziata have massive potential without spending huge coin but being prepared to make some real changes? Hell yes!!!

[MD]

Hey Dukted one, hope you put plenty of sunscreen on...

Mate, we could debate the virtues or otherwise of Jap cars until the cows came home but this is an Alfa Forum and I am sure the readers really don't give rats arse one way or another so let's keep focused on future Alfa aspirations.

So if you would like to see Alfa make a product that you would be prepared to shell out for, let's hear your specs and don't say a Jap built Alfa !!   

[Duk]

I'll stick with my description from http://alfagtv6.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3302.

[MD]

Perfect