[alfa] Re: Rear-wheel drive versus Front-wheel drive

[George Graves <gmgraves@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well Jeff, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. You'll never have 
to decide about not buying one because you don't like it. You won't 
have the opportunity.

However, you're likely not to feel the same way about the current GTV's 
replacement, the Brera, due next year. Yes, I said Brera. While the 
production car differs from the Giugiaro-designed show car in details 
(V-6 instead of V8, no "scissors" doors, a corporate Alfa Interior 
instead of the fancy interior on the show car, and a rear quarter 
window instead of an extra long door, etc) It still looks significantly 
like the show car (I.E. Drop-dead gorgeous) and is bound to be a hit 
all over the world - except the USA where we won't get to buy one.  
This new GTV will have REAL 4-wheel-drive instead of the "fake" 
Haldex-clutch 'all-wheel-drive systems' offered by Audi, VW, Volvo, 
Jaguar, etc. (and a similar system from Subaru). Under these systems, 
only about 10% of the drive is EVER redirected to the rear wheels, and 
then only when the wheels are actually slipping. When the slipping 
stops, they revert to FWD again - hardly worth the effort. The new Alfa 
Q4 system, due in the new "Brera" 939C GTV and Spider OTOH, will have 
the power split 58/42 with the 58% of the power going to the rear 
wheels under normal cruising on dry roads. The new system can be biased 
on demand for as much as 70/30 towards the rear or 60/40 towards the 
front according to the requirements of the road conditions! That's REAL 
4WD! Coupled with a system of rear-wheel steering now in the works, (to 
sharpen turn-in and eliminate understeer) and the new GTV and spider 
promise to be about the best handling cars modern technology can give 
us. Look for the GM-based 3.6 liter V-6 to give about 300 BHP in 
normally aspirated form and over 400 turbocharged. Don't worry about 
the GM part, the engine is still an Alfa engine and will share 
essentially nothing but the aluminum block and some mundane parts like 
water-pump and oil pump with other GM -based V-6s. The heads, crank, 
and pistons will be all Alfa.

George Graves
'86 GTV-6 3.0 'S'
(CA Lic# TIPO116)
(recently passed Smog-2 with flying colors and without swapping the 
modified ECU out for the stock one, either!)



On Nov 21, 2004, at 11:23 AM, alfa-digest wrote:


>  Sad to say I do not like the look of the current GTV's.
>
> Jef
> 85 GTV6 Gina Two (Shankle headers/cams)
> 85 GTV6 Gina Three (Actually passed emissions)
> 94 Dodge Dakota
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