PAST ISSUES

736: Suzuki Swift Sport Suzuki’s bargain hatch proves big fun can come in small packages 732: Dualis & X-Trail Nissan introduces a new SUV while its marquee model continues to play tough 728: Toyota Vanguard Head off to the concrete jungle with a bit more vehicle than you need 724: Subaru Impreza S-GT Japan’s automotive loudmouth learns some manners 720: Tokyo Auto Salon 2008 Get ready for some modification mayhem at Makuhari Messe 716: Dodge These! Chrysler introduces three muscle-bound imports to Japan 712: Licensed to Drive We guide you through the bureaucratic jungle 708: Tokyo Concours D’Elegance Exotic autos from the past and present glide into Roppongi 704: Car Knows Best Automakers are introducing technology that will let your ride decide if you’ve had one too many 700: Range Rover & Land Rover We put three SUVs from the fabled British maker through their paces 696: Aston Martin V8 Vantage Channel 007 in this latest incarnation of the marquee automaker’s “baby” 692: BMW R1200GS Adventure The storied bike maker competes with itself to create a three-in-one masterpiece 688: Lexus LS460 The new sedan is big, fast, safe, classy—and unremarkable 684: Alfa Romeo Spider We unleash the Italian monster on a 1,200km road trip 680: Ford Mustang The American classic goes back to its roots 676: Citroën C6 The French automaker's latest eccentricity pushes its own boundaries 672: Nissan’s Pino and Otti Japan-friendly K-cars pack a big punch 668: Jaguar XK Forget James Bond—this is the UK’s sexiest export 664: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy! 660: Mazda’s Axela, RX-8 and Roadster Here’s the word on Japan’s resurgent automaker: buy, buy, buy! 656: Alfa Romeo Brera This gorgeous Italian coupe is both poised and sexy 652: Premium wheels Business is good for Rolls-Royce in Japan, with an eagerly awaited convertible due out next year 648: Citroen C3 Pluriel The quirky French automaker barrels into the 21st century 644: Jeep Commander& Grand Cherokee Off road and on, these 4×4s do their military heritage proud 640: BMW Z4 M Roadster Beemer’s monster convertible provides the most fun you can have sitting down 636: Name dropping What your car is called says something about you—and even more about automakers’ marketing departments 632: BMW Mini Cooper S All hail the mighty Mini! 628: Mazda Roadster Redesigned and retooled, this two-seater is now a car for enthusiasts 624: Hyundai Sonata A rev-happy South Korean import tries to find its niche in Japan 621: Lexus IS350 Toyota brings its upmarket brand to Japan—finally 616: Volvo XC90 V8 A bit sleeker and a lot more spacious, this SUV still puts a premium on safety 612: Chrysler 300C This black beauty recalls the golden age of motoring 608: The Big Ideas Tokyo Motor Show 2005 was a concept car bonanza 604: Tokyo Motor Show 2005 The automotive world’s big players zoom into Japan with some high concepts in tow 597: Three brothers We put a trio of Nissan sedans through their paces 593: Ducati 1000S DS Multistrada The boys from Bologna deliver an Italian masterpiece for your garage 589: Mazda Demio Sport A worthy cousin to the Atenza and RX8, this roomy sedan is happy around town and in the country 585: BMW K1200S The boys from bavaria clothe an iron fist in a velvet glove 581: Chrysler’s Cruisers The American auto manufacturer concentrates on the body beautiful 577: Suzuki Skywave 650LX If you thought scooters were just for kids, think again 573: Cadillac STS 4x4 America’s flagship automaker recaptures its former glory 569: Tour de Force Yamaha’s FJR1300A offers an unbeatable blend of poise, power and price 565: Alfa Romeo GT and 156 GTA With stunning looks and power to spare, these two Alfas are an enthusiast's dream 560: Driving the Future The talk of the auto industry in 2004 was hybrids, safe driving and intelligent vehicles 556: Deja vu Blast to the past on Harley-Davidson’s Road King Custom 552: Sports sensation Nissan's new SUV breaks out of its class 548: Lean machine Lighter, faster, stronger and sexier—a diet works wonders for BMW’s R1200GS 544: Kings for a day The Honda Elysion is master of all it surveys 539: Rules of the road New traffic laws are on the horizon. Turn off your cellphone, watch where you park and don’t ride in gangs, Chris Betros warns. 537: Open roadster William Bonds gets up-close with the elements courtesy of the Nissan Fairlady 350Z convertible. 535: Extreme makeover Volvo sheds its stodgy-but-safe image for sleek-and-sporty with the new S40 T5. William Bonds likes what he sees. 533: Sporting chance Mazda has brought the station wagon up to speed with its Atenza Sport Wagon 23Z. William Bonds takes one for a spin. 531: Street smarts Automakers are taking car safety to new levels with sophisticated warning systems that almost do the driving for you, reports Chris Betros. 529: Speed zone Just down the road from Ueno Zoo, a virtual hog heaven has everything for the motorcycling enthusiast. Steve Trautlein cruises on over. 527: Italian Stallion The Alfa Romeo 147 carries on its maker’s reputation for hot cars with unmatched sex appeal. William Bonds gets carried away. 525: Hot wheels A cross between a snowboard and a scooter, the Wheelman is a quirky Australian invention that's grabbing attention worldwide. Tim Colquhoun takes one for a ride. 523: Mean Machine William Bonds gets behind the wheel of the Nissan Skyline 350GT. 521: Show stealers Toyota stunned attendees at the recent Geneva and Melbourne auto shows with two concept cars that represent a powerful vision for the future of motoring. Tim Colquhoun reports. 519: Mighty mouse Subaru goes boldly against the tide with its new R2 minicar. Justin Gardiner admires this latest feat of audacity and engineering. 517: Trail blazer Nissan's top-selling 4x4 features cool touches for winter sports fans. Justin Gardiner drove the latest X-Trail to the slopes 515: Up to speed The Formula One circus is gaining momentum as the season opener in Australia draws near. Tim Colquhoun takes a look at the latest developments. 513: Good save Hybrid cars are the rage this year with Toyota, Honda and Subaru touting their gas-electric vehicles. Chris Betros looks at what they're offering. 512: The road ahead Despite the lack of a full-fledged Tokyo Motor Show in 2004, domestic manufacturers have a bevy of weird and wonderful offerings in store for this year. Justin Gardiner previews the lineup. 509/10: Top of the class Justin Gardiner finds his favorites from this year's Metropolis test drives. 507: Mom-mobiles Japanese mothers are trading in their once ubiquitous mama-chari bicycles for a new breed of K-car. Justin Gardiner tries a couple of the most popular mini-cars. 505: Cubic's rube Nissan has lengthened its highly successful Cube a few centimeters and added an extra row of seats. But, as Justin Gardiner finds out, the result is a bit puzzling. 503: Globe trotters Kerstin Gackle and Volker Aldinger left their native Germany on April 1 and pointed their Yamahas toward Australia. Eight months later Justin Gardiner caught up with the couple in Tokyo. 501: Back to the future Cutting-edge technology and futuristic vehicles highlight the 37th Tokyo Motor Show at Makuhari Messe through November 5. Justin Gardiner offers a guide. ISSUES 499- ISSUES 449- ISSUES 399- ISSUES 349- ISSUES 299-

By WILLIAM BONDS

ALFA ROMEO GT AND 156 GTA

WITH STUNNING LOOKS AND POWER TO SPARE, THESE TWO ALFAS ARE AN ENTHUSIAST’S DREAM

I CAN’T REMEMBER THE NUMBER OF times I’ve said to myself, “Why don’t they put a real engine in this car?” Usually, it’s in reference to something that looks good, but doesn’t live up to its appearance. Not that I’m obsessed with speed, but if you want to drive, you need power. Some guy at Alfa Romeo seems to be thinking the same thing, which explains the proliferation of muscle cars in their current lineup. They even stuff their glorious 3.2-liter engine into the mid-size 147, a combination so frightening that I rewrote my will before taking one out for a drive.

The 3.2 Alfa engine now also finds itself in the 156 and the 156 Sportwagon and, like the 147, they come with the appellation “GTA” to identify them. Almost as an afterthought, it seems, Alfa also decided to build a real sporty-looking number around their throaty powerpack and came up with the Bertone-styled GT. Like its nearest domestic rival in Japan, the Nissan Skyline 350 GT, it’s a combination sports car/GT and doesn’t quite fit into either category. Not that that’s a criticism. There is certainly a place in the pantheon of automobiles for muscular two-door four-seaters; it’s just a question of what you want.

What I want is simply a well-balanced four-seater that goes like the clappers. The 156 GTA and the GT satisfy these criteria perfectly. While the rear accommodation in both cars is adequate rather than extensive, the GT does suffer from its rakish roofline and long rear window. The roofline’s descent toward the trunk impinges on headroom in the back seat, so if your friends are tall, they might feel a little cramped. In either car, getting out from the rear will require a bit of manipulation.

The GT(top) and GTA (below) are only available with left-hand drive

But, of course, you’re not going to be buying these cars for how much room there is in the back. These are driving cars. That means the driving should be pro-active; there’s no sitting back in these babies. The problem with these cars is finding somewhere to drive them where you can appreciate them. In North America or Europe, this is not a problem. Head out of most towns and in less than an hour, you can find some decent roads to really drive on. In Japan, that’s rarely the case. Getting out of some towns is virtually impossible, and when you do, you find yourself hemmed in by crowded, narrow roads, yellow lines and slow, slow drivers.

But if you can find the odd road that will let you open up, you can really feel the fun of driving; what you might not find between the GT and the 156 GTA is a lot of difference in the experience. They have almost exactly the same setup: same chassis, same suspension, almost the same dimensions, same engine (although the GT’s has been slightly detuned for some reason), same gearbox, same stereo system, etc. But, having driven these two cars two weeks apart, they did seem like different animals. The GT felt much tighter going around corners and a little too firm riding over rough surfaces, while the GTA was still pretty awesome flying round the back roads of Chiba, but felt more agreeable over the rough surfaces.

And fly they do. The 3.2-liter power unit is almost perfect, and the sound it makes is positively awe-inspiring. The engine is hooked up to a perfectly balanced six-speed gearbox that felt very user-friendly in the GTA, slightly less so in the GT (it may have had something to do with the longer gear stick in the GT). That said, moving through the gears was like slicing hot butter. If the test of a great gearbox is how little you notice it, then this is a great gearbox.

When you have the chance to test the cars on regular roads, they respond magnificently. Crank up the revs beyond the comfort zone and you will find yourself in motoring heaven. The 250hp engine will take the cars up to 250kph, and 0-100kph is achieved in around 6.2 seconds. Overtaking speeds are breathtaking, and you start to realize just how much fun these two would be on a back road in British Columbia or driving across a moor in England. Where these cars fall down is their maneuverability and gas consumption; the turning radius on these cars is severely compromised and the pursuit of power (and a heavy right foot) means you’ll be paying for your fun.

The GT and GTA score highly on performance and they score just as highly on looks. The basic styling keys of the award-winning 156 and its stablemates have been around for a few years now, but their impact remains stunning. Dressed up with skirts, funky air intakes, spotlights and an all-around lower profile, the GTA looks absolutely breathtaking from most angles. The GT is more accented, much more of a coupé, and gives the impression of being smaller than it really is. The rising lines toward the rear give it a slightly squat look, and it really looks like it’s spoiling for a fight. On the down side, both cars could do with a more aggressive rear. When you breeze past the lesser people on the road, you want them to know what’s just humiliated them. The rear-ends of the Alfas don’t do that, and they should.

That said, when you look at them from any other angle, it’s hard not to fall in love. It is, of course, a matter of taste, but I can’t think of a more beautiful four-door sedan on the market than the 156. That front end is just outrageous with the V lines of the hood blending into the famed triangular grill, which in turn interrupts and highlights the wrap-around fender, which sits over the menacing lower spoiler and air intake. It’s a masterpiece of mixing that just leaves the opposition struggling for style.

Alpha should rethink its rear-ends

Inside, the Alfas also deliver. However, Alfa obviously feels that their seats are near perfect as adjustment is limited and manual. Those with big butts need not apply. The seats are tight and provide the support you need when throwing these cars through corners. The dash is stylish and the dials are neatly clustered in front of you in the GT and split up in the GTA.

Prices are about ¥4.6 million for the 147 GTA, ¥5.71 million for the 156 GTA, and ¥5.44 million for the GT. Those buying in Japan might be influenced by the fact that the GT and the GTA are only available in left-hand drive, manual versions, although this may change in the future. The 147 GTA is a further option. Any one of them is a driver’s dream. M

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM BONDS

Would you like to comment on this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.

Discuss cars and bikes with METROPOLIS readers at http://forum.japantoday.com