40 years behind!

[colcol]

DRIVE exclusively reports that HSV is trialling a rear mounted transaxle gearbox similar to one being developed for the next generation of V8 supercars.
"Big deal Who cares where the gearbox is located?, Just because its located at the rear of the car in the [Nissan] GTR, [Mercedes] SLS and other high end performance cars, doesn't mean it will place HSV in the same league".
"Clearly they feel there's a market for a home grown 'track day' special, Bring it in under $100,000 and they'll sell for sure".
  "Forget about fancy transaxle gearboxes- how about a weight loss program?, 1825 kilograms is a fat joke".
" Rear transaxle eh?, Just like on the Alfa Romeo Alfetta, circa 1972, Forty [plus] years to catch up.
Reprinted from the Age's drive on20-8-2011, Colin.

[Duk]

LOL!
Theoretically speaking, a VE Commondore is actually a good thing (I've not driven 1). The majority of the engine is behind the front axle line (the same can't be said for the Afla trans axle chassis's), in fact all of major weight is is with in the wheel base (fuel tank under the rear seat) and fairly low. The car has good wheel base and track dimensions. The rear suspension looks like a good thing.
The only let downs that I can see are the sheer weight of them and the fact that they persist with McPherson strut front suspension (kind of piss weak when the rear end has better camber compensation with body roll than the front does).

It sounds a lot like they are just going to be using the Corvette layout in a sedan format.

Whether we like it or not, at least Holden are still churning out a decent rear wheel drive. What has Alfa Romeo done in the last 25 years? Re-bodied Maserati's don't count ('cause they're not really an Alfa).

[Davidm1600]

Gees Duk, where do I start ??  Let me think, how about the 75, 164, 166, 156 inc the GTA, GT, GTV6, 159, Brera, 147 inc GTA, how is that for a starter ??  let alone a number of other models which some like, but myself less so.  Next how about the new Giulia when it comes or even the 4C, forgetting the 8C which is of course a derivative of the genes of Maserati and Ferrari.  Come to think of it the 8C is damned good looking.

[Duk]

Gees Duk, where do I start ??  Let me think, how about the 75, 164, 166, 156 inc the GTA, GT, GTV6, 159, Brera, 147 inc GTA, how is that for a starter ??  let alone a number of other models which some like, but myself less so.  Next how about the new Giulia when it comes or even the 4C, forgetting the 8C which is of course a derivative of the genes of Maserati and Ferrari.  Come to think of it the 8C is damned good looking.

Well the 75 and the SZ/RZ were the last real Alfa's as far as I'm concerned. Every thing since has been a re-bodied FIAT. When Alfa Romeo design and build an entirely Alfa Romeo car, then I'll get excite. But they best be making it a well lade out, well priced rear wheel drive.

[aggie57]

The last RWD chassis Alfa designed from scratch was the 116-series Alfetta, released in 1972.  The 75's and 90's are derivatives of that.  The 8C (nice as that is) is a rebodied Maserati and everything else, until the 4C is released, has been FWD.

[Stuart Thomson]

Well the 75 and the SZ/RZ were the last real Alfa's as far as I'm concerned. Every thing since has been a re-bodied FIAT. When Alfa Romeo design and build an entirely Alfa Romeo car, then I'll get excite. But they best be making it a well lade out, well priced rear wheel drive.

Well, then you might as well give up now.

Face realities, the company is owned by Fiat.  
They make and sell the current range of Alfas.
RWD is a thing of the past for Alfa, commercial reality is that Alfa makes FWD cars now, no amount of pining for days gone past will make them change that.
I, for one, don't think it's ll bad, the cars last more than five minutes in the rain, the electrics (mostly) work for a decent amount of time, they still look, handle and drive like Alfas.
I look forward to driving my GTA everyday, even with a ridiculous amount of HP through the front wheels, for everyday commuting you wouldn't know it was FWD.
So go ahead and hanker for the past, have Alfa join those great RWD manufacturers that have gone by the wayside, the road is littered with them.

Cheers
Stuart

[Davidm1600]

Yep I am afraid I am with Stuart here.  (a) I don't have a problem with FWD, I enjoy driving my 156 as my everyday car, and it has been so reliable, comfortable, economical and is made in Italy so I am happy.  Besides the 156 IMHO is an absolute classic design and is way up there as one of the best looking cars to come out in probably the last 10-20 years.  Far better looking and made than probably any Alfa for the past 20 years or more.

And (b) I really couldnt care if Fiat are the parent company. I like Fiats too !  Still have my 124 sport after 31 years.

Don't get me wrong, I love my 105s; 116s etc I have had but enjoyed less, though a GTV6 would be welcomed, if nothing else than for the engine note alone.  Glory personified. 

[aggie57]

Stuart - mate!!  Surely you've not driven an E9x M3......a modern RWD chassis that would make your GTA weep in frustration!!  

But agree, yes, Alfa = FWD.  Not weeping over the past, just getting the facts straight.

[dehne]

but they are going back to rear wheel drive, or at least most will be awd  all of the new alfas look awesome in fact almost every alfas I've ever seen looks awesome except the arna i would happily drive any one of them just for the reason its an alfa don't care where the drive wheels are, just wish they would get the hell on with their 4wd,

[Stuart Thomson]

Stuart - mate!!  Surely you've not driven an E9x M3......a modern RWD chassis that would make your GTA weep in frustration!!  

But agree, yes, Alfa = FWD.  Not weeping over the past, just getting the facts straight.

See Al,  sometime you have to read the whole sentence...

What I said was that for the daily commute, the driven wheels don't matter.  For fanging around on the track it's a completely different KOF, OK the last bit is implied.

As for 4WD, which is really AWD, bloody hell modern Alfa's are heavy enough, perhaps if some of the weight was removed from the cars it wouldn't matter so much 'cause you wouldn't need huge HP to get it to go fast?

Not that I'm advocating going fast in a car in Victoria, heaven forbid!

Cheers
Stuart

[aggie57]

Stuart - mate!!  Surely you've not driven an E9x M3......a modern RWD chassis that would make your GTA weep in frustration!!  

But agree, yes, Alfa = FWD.  Not weeping over the past, just getting the facts straight.

See Al,  sometime you have to read the whole sentence...

What I said was that for the daily commute, the driven wheels don't matter.  For fanging around on the track it's a completely different KOF, OK the last bit is implied.

As for 4WD, which is really AWD, bloody hell modern Alfa's are heavy enough, perhaps if some of the weight was removed from the cars it wouldn't matter so much 'cause you wouldn't need huge HP to get it to go fast?

Not that I'm advocating going fast in a car in Victoria, heaven forbid!

Cheers
Stuart

No way - you wouldn't suggest that!!

[Duk]

Well, then you might as well give up now.

Face realities, the company is owned by Fiat.  
They make and sell the current range of Alfas.
RWD is a thing of the past for Alfa, commercial reality is that Alfa makes FWD cars now, no amount of pining for days gone past will make them change that.
I, for one, don't think it's ll bad, the cars last more than five minutes in the rain, the electrics (mostly) work for a decent amount of time, they still look, handle and drive like Alfas.
I look forward to driving my GTA everyday, even with a ridiculous amount of HP through the front wheels, for everyday commuting you wouldn't know it was FWD.
So go ahead and hanker for the past, have Alfa join those great RWD manufacturers that have gone by the wayside, the road is littered with them.

Cheers
Stuart

Nah, I'll just stick with my 75.
If you're happy with modern Alfa's, then that's great that they still have loyal fans. They don't float my boat, so I'll stay where I am. If they end up releasing something more to my tastes in the future, then we'll see.

Enjoy.

[colcol]

Alfa Romeo should go back to rear wheel drive, carby's, points, 2 valve cylinder heads, appalling fuel economy, poor crash ratings, electrical systems that only work half the time, panels that you can see through after 6 months, legendary unreliability, [but at least in the olden days they made their own engines], what did FIAT ever do for us, [apart from the aquaducts], NOTHING, allthough the did save us from being sold to FORD, who like a childs christmas toy, would have grown tired of us and moved us on to the next Multinational car company eager for a new toy, Colin.

[aggie57]

Actually my family over in Nuw Zilund has had modern Fiats for many years.  Dad drives a 156 but my Mum is into her third Punto and before that there was a succession or earlier ones starting with a 1965 1500 and 1970 125 that I owned.

Anyway, the modern FWD cars have generally been very reliable and good city cars.  There's even a button on the dash in the Punto that makes the steering super light for parking in tight spots. 

[colcol]

And yes the new Alfa Romeo's are Fiat's underneath, true!, and whats wrong with that, how many of us have been 49% Fiat, 51% Alfa in trying to choose which car, the economys of scale have made the cars better designed and cheaper to produce and run, the 156 may not have the charm and personality of the 33, but Alfa Romeo haven't gone the way of Triumph, Rover, MG, Borgward, Simca, Hillman, need i go on, Colin.