The Truth about Cars Review 86 Graduate

[DaveC]

The Automotive blog that brought you death watches on Ford and GM brings you a NEW review on a 22 year old Alfa Spider.

The comments are filled with rumor and nostalgia. Typical for this Automotive Blog.

Enjoy (or Curse) Dave

1986 Alfa Romeo Spider Graduate Review | The Truth About Cars

[Tifosi]

Not a 'bad' article persay, but very obviously written by a clueless neophyte who didn't spend more than a couple hours poking around on example that sounds very likely like it wasn't in the best nick it could be. Not even calling it 'biased' as it's apparent the author didn't have a clue but seemed to be making an effort to remain somewhat neutral anyway.

What is this 'understeer' he speaks of anyway? All I get is neutral drift or outright loose Last time I experienced anything like undertseer it was due to both fronts being locked and it washing out. (mayhaps his line selection isn't up to snuff,or the suspension was weak, or even the tire pressures hadnt been properly adjusted )

Cowl shake LOL Wonder what his comment would have bee if he'd have gotten a chance to drive pre-reinforced chassis version, or conversley, one that was in good nick with everything nice and solid as it was when new. (show me an '86 anything that doesn't shake and rattle a bit hehe)

I wonder if anyone will mention that the 'useless' rear defog switch is for the hard top, if he's even aware (doubtful) of the exisitance of such a thing.

Too bad that 'review' will have far reaching consequences for us though as all it does in reinforce/perpetuate the (wrong) perception that even 22 years on (based on the exapmle he drove) Alfa's are just a novelty, quirky POS.

That in turn will give the perception that they are (1) valuless and (2) not worth doing anything more than crushing or turning into beaters, and there goes the market because all people who are kinda on the outside looking in will never take the leap because they've been told by so many people (that don't have a clue) that the marque isn't worth even a second glance, let a lone a purchase.

Kinda sad really if you think about it.


PS: love the bit where the VTEC fan made a nitpick about VVT only being for cam timing whereas the VTEC does timing and lift. ('hey dude, it's not the point that VTEC does lift now, but the fact that ALfa thought of and marketed the idea of cam control first, YEARS ahead of it's time' LOL)

[silverspider]

The article casts a harsh but somewhat accurate portrait of the (then) 15 year-old design’s ergonomic flaws. As for performance, the author is just being lazy.

“Let me be blunt: the Spider isn't a sports car. The so-called sprint from zero to sixty will take you nine and a half seconds. And if "slow" and "sports" are a problem …”

So 9.5 seconds is slow for 1986? Consider that a 1986 BMW 318 convertible’s 0-60 was more than 11 seconds, even the Bimmer 2.5 took 8.5 seconds in 86.

Oh yes, least we forget other “real” sports cars of that era and their performance capabilities:

1985 Audi Coupe GT 9.0
1984 Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet 7.6
1988 Honda Prelude 2.0 Si 9.3
1987 Jaguar XJ-S 8.7
1986 Mazda RX-7 GXL 8.5
1984 Mitsubishi Starion 9.2
1985 Nissan 300ZX 8.2
1988 Porsche 924 S 8.5
1986 Toyota MR2 8.4

Source: http://www.exoticcarsite.com/0-60-qu...mile-times.htm

As for his snarky comments about Alfa engine output:

“The Alfa's Twin-Cam engine, as experienced, in theory, best case scenario, produces 115 horsepower a bit past 5,000 rpm, and 120 lbs. ft. of torque just before 3,000 rpm.”

Let’s take a closer look at Bimmers …

• 1982-1990 316 1.8 - 1.8 L M10B18 I4, 90 hp (66 kW)
• 1982-1987 318i - 1.8 L M10B18 I4, 105 hp (77 kW)
• 1987-1993 318i - 1.8 L M40B18 I4, 115 hp (85 kW)
• 1989-1991 318is - 1.8 L M42B18 I4, 136 hp (100 kW)
• 1982-1985 320i - 2.0 L M20B20 I6, 125 hp (92 kW)
• 1985-1991 320i - 2.0 L M20B20 I6, 129 hp (95 kW)

or the 1986 Audi Coupe
Horsepower (SAE Net): 110 @ 5500 RPM
Torque: 122 ft. lbs.@ 2500 RPM

No one buys an Alfa to do holeshots at stop lights against some kids Firebird, but a little journalistic integrity would have helped the article.

[MarcusHMM]

Love the comment about the Miata. drove one of those as a rental in Atlanta about 10 years ago and what a wimpy little thing. As one of the car shows said, a Miata is a "girls" car. Look at the emblem and tell me what it reminds you of.

It takes a manly man to handle an Alfa. LOL

[RandallM]

I agree with you about the Miata. I used to have a girlfriend with one. The most cramped I've ever been a car. It did not handle nearly as well.

[Farace]

As far as I'm concerned, any "journalist" that would toss in such a flip comment about the defroster switch having no known purpose, without doing the minimal amount of research needed to find out why it's there, doesn't merit any more credulity for the rest of his opinion. The word "Truth" should be deleted from the top of the page. And you know, I wouldn't drive any twenty-year-old car and assume that it's up to spec. To me, he comes across as a self-important smartass.

[nhralph]

The article was honest in his opinion. He was wrong in a few aspects, The Alfa was slower then most Exotic sport cars but it would beat a Triumph or most MG's and for the replyer that compare dit to a Miata??? The Miata is a lot newer car and actually, not as comfortable as an Alfa. My Alfa is 22 yrs old and as long as I keep driving it, it's pretty damm reliable.

[AlfaTango1]

Miata's have better structural rigidity and it well should since it was a brand new design when it arrived. Yes the 1.6 was slow, the 1.8 better but like many have observed in quite a few posts, it is considered a girls car. It's too bad since it is a fun car but nowhere near the coolness factor of a Spider. My S3 may never be collectible but it is a classic design and gets tons of compliments even from my twenty something year old girlfriends.

[MarcusHMM]

So if I get a Spider in addition to my GTV6 can I get 20 yr old GF's too? Really. my wife won't mind at all and I need someone to help me get in and out of a Spider.

Marcus

[AlfaTango1]

It couldn't hurt, this was mine until a few weeks ago. I had to trade her in for an older model, 22 years to be exact. They kept carding the red head and she was only 20 so it became a hassle

[RandallM]

A Spider pretty much guarantees you more looks from the opposite sex.

There is a thread here that talks about the Speed Channel show of the "101 Cars You Must Drive." If you look at Speeds wesite, in the section called episodes, on June 30, they feature an Alfa Romeo Spider on the episode named, "I'm Just Here For The Sex."

Any Questions?

[MarcusHMM]

She's too skinny for me. I need a woman with some more ballast to pull my fat arse up from that low slung chassis. But darned if I would have let her go just because she could not go drinking. There are lots of other entertaining activities that I could think of to have her join me. Maybe if she had ridden along with the reviewer he might have had a different tune.

Come to think of it maybe I need to get a new chassis for myself and not the car.

Marcus

PS: Is there a place that you can trade them in? Never found that kind dealership where I live.

[RandallM]

Hey Marcus,

You right, if that reviewer had her asking for a ride he would have bought the Spider on the spot!

[AlfaTango1]

Had to get one that could partake in wine tasting in Temecula once in a while and look good doing it. And yes we've had a few glasses.

[jclark]

I'm paraphrasing here:

"If motoring 60's style is your bag, the Alfa is your car"

Road & Track 1982 - I have it somewhere, but I'm not at home...

It wasn't really that bad a review ( but who reviews 22 year old cars anyway? )
What's the point...?