paddy

What style will the GT facelift have? The 156 restyling prepared us for the 159. The 147 restyling was similar to the Visconti. Will the GT prepare us for the 149 or will it be highly original?

I believe that Fiat own the Autobianchi name... This is a spoof I am sure.

This is an interesting statement - is this Balocco or the Nurburgring? It just shows how well the 159 must handle. Leaving all factors equal, the extra weight should reduce the maximum cornerning speed - it is simple physics. But the faster lap time just shows how fantastic the body rigidity and suspension / steering setup / weight distribution of the 159 must be. And I thought that the 156 handled well! Especially when you consider that the 156 has a better power to weight ratio - it just shows that the 159 has far more momentum around the entire track. How well do the braking distances compare between the 156 and 159?

For the 1.9 Diesel Twin turbo I imagine it will have about 400 Nm of torque between 1400 and 3600 rpm. 0-100 km/h in 6.5 s and a top speed of 250 km/h+

Il Alfa 941 merita un nome più originale....169 mi ricorda del Alfa 164 ed il Alfa 166 - Erano buoni automobili, sì, ma il Alfa 941 deve essere considerare come un tipo di Alfa completamente nuovo. Anche, dovrebbe essere usato un nome differente per la versione sport - GTA non abbina il carattere di questo automobile.... - MM (Mille Miglia) - SS (Super Sport) - GS (Gran Sport)

Here you are. It would be better to talk about the Alfa 169 here, than in the Alfa 159 topic.

We should start a 169 topic here - I don't think one exists? On the topic, I can't find it (but I know it exists on this forum further back in this thread) the torsional rigidity of the Maserati Quattoporte in daNm/rad (I only have kgm/degree)... The 169 should be similar to the QP, correct? How will it compare to the Phaeton?

OT: 0456AM is certainly a very fine piece of art, but for me it is impossibe to choose a favourite car. I love the early Tatra 77's, the Bugatti Royale (also the Atlantique), various Maserati A6's...Jaray designed cars...the list continues. The only solution is to have a large garage.

I think he means that on the car shown in the spy shots on the previous page, the code on the front says F137....

By Ralph Vartabedian, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer If you hear talk about things such as rivets, epoxy adhesives and aluminum structures, you might guess the subject involves airplanes. But in this case, we are talking about the front ends of recent BMW Series 5 and Series 6 cars, which are constructed with many of the same techniques you might find at the Northrop Grumman F-18 assembly plant in El Segundo. BMW touts the vehicles for their remarkable handling, fuel economy and elite engineering, but critics of the designs say they are impractical, vulnerable to minor accidents and difficult to repair the way BMW recommends. The technology is another step in a much broader auto industry trend that is making collision repairs ever more costly, a kinder way of saying manufacturers are building throw-away cars. It means that more cars are totaled when they have relatively modest damage, particularly if they are more than five years old. Although BMWs can certainly be repaired, it requires a degree of sophistication and cost that may be unprecedented. BMW will certify auto body technicians only if they are employees of BMW dealerships, using BMW-approved parts, tools, adhesives and rivets. Though independent shops can buy equipment and get training, they are not allowed to say they perform certified repairs, BMW's official seal of approval. "It is a game," said Don Feeley, owner of three independent body shops in Riverside. "Absolutely, they are shutting auto body shops out of their business." Of course, BMW does not see it like that. The BMW system, code named the Grav 60, was introduced in the 2004 model year. It features an aluminum firewall, which separates the engine compartment from the interior, and frame rails that extend forward, all riveted and glued to the rest of the car's steel structure. When the cars come out of the factory they are built to a tolerance of 1 millimeter, about the thickness of a dime. The entire front structure weighs just 100 pounds, meaning the vehicles have a nearly perfect 50/50 weight distribution between the front and rear wheels, said Jeff Kohut, BMW's paint and body business development manager. "It handles better," Kohut said. "Go drive a car with a steel nose and you can tell the difference cornering, braking and turning." But one important question is what happens when your prized BMW gets kissed in the real world. With steel frame cars that are robotically welded at the factory, a body expert can put the car on a rack and bend it back into shape. Under BMW's guidelines, any bending on the front end is verboten. An accident that deforms the front end by more than 1 millimeter requires the replacement of the main front-end structures. Because the engine, transmission, suspension and body are all connected to those structures, it is a labor-intensive process. What's more, BMW specifies technicians can use only certain specialized tools, such as rivet extractors and rivet guns. Kenneth Zion, an auto body instructor at El Camino College and an independent collision consultant, says a shop can spend as much as $100,000 to fully outfit itself for BMW repairs. Zion, who has learned the system and will introduce the technology at El Camino, said the new system is unprecedented in how tightly the manufacturer is controlling the repair process. It is so tight, in fact, that the repair and insurance industries are going a little nuts.

Toyko motor show. Its true i'm afraid.

I am not sure if it was intended for the Premium platform, but I know that CRF developed a method of producting vehicle structures that is highly adaptable....and which can be used to support various body designs....This is quite old though, from 2001-2002....

Thanks, you made my stomach hurt I was laughing so much!!!!

Exactly. The original Fulvia was really a 'symbol' for just how good FWD can be. The unique driving style that the rally drivers used with the Fulvia because of its FWD, and its subsequent success in Rally sports are a very strong part of the cars heritage. The FWD Fulvia was actually quite an exciting car to drive offroad, it was very fast, and you could very easily slide it - people always think understeer when they hear the words Front Wheel Drive - but this isn't the case with a good setup. Making the Fulvia RWD would almost be like making a BMW FWD...

The car now has a new engine which replaces the 4.4 litre Alpina unit. Important details: Car will be ready for test drives in November/December Price: 550,000-600,000 euros Engine: 4100cc modified GP2 race engine with 550bhp @ 10,000 rpm Performance: Top speed 360 km/h+, 0-100 km/h <3.8 seconds Special Pirelli tyres: Front 275/30 ZR20 Rear 335-385/30 ZR20 http://www.italiaspeed.com/2005/cars/other/bizzarrini/10/1810.html

Fantastic, Lancia certainly has a very bright future. I am sure that the Fulvia will become a top seller - I think it will sell in higher volumes than the current Ypsilon. The Thema proposition is interesting as it will make part of an altogether more logical lineup, hopefully with a more solid reputation behind the brand, unlike the Thesis which was a bit lost I think - a shame as it is a superb car which I still think looks very modern. I presume this new Thema project is based on the Alfa 159 structure- but extended slightly in length?

I hope that the new Delta will follow the style of the car pictured on the top left. I think the design (although a 3-door) is a very modern interpretation of the original Delta. Along with the Fulvia, which I hope is the 'speciality' model referred to in the latest Lancia model range forecasts, Lancia will have a very nice lineup in the near future! At the same time I have noticed that the E-segment will be covered exclusively by Alfa Romeo.

I wonder how similar this is to the F139?

There are some new details visible on the rear end

I have heard that he is getting better. I really hope he recovers well, and soon. He was doing a good job.

What am I saying?? I mean 2650mm... (it is 03:50) Anyway, you passed the test!

Just a quick question: The wheelbase of the Alfa 149 is 2840mm?? Correct?!