Alfa Romeo 147

Alfa Romeo 147 

Manufacturer                       Alfa Romeo

Production                              2000–2010

Assembly                                Pomigliano d'Arco, Italy[1]

Predecessor                            Alfa Romeo 145/146

Successor                               Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Class                                      Small family car

Body style(s)                          3 and 5-door hatchback

Layout                                   FF layout



Engine(s)                               Petrol:



                                            * 1.6 L TS I4

                                            * 2.0 L TS I4

                                            * 3.2 L V6



                                             Diesel:



                                            * 1.9 L JTD I4



Transmission(s)                  *  5 and 6-speed manual

                                            *  5 and 6-speed semi-auto



                                            *  Magneti Marelli Selespeed



Wheelbase                           2,546 mm (100.2 in)

Length                                 4,223 mm (166.3 in)

Width                                  1,729 mm (68.1 in)

Height                                  1,442 mm (56.8 in)

Curb weight                         1,200–1,360 kg (2,600–3,000 lb)

Related                                Alfa Romeo GT

                                           Alfa Romeo 156

Designer                              Walter de'Silva





The Alfa Romeo 147 is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 2000 to 2010. The 147 was also voted European Car of the Year for 2001, beating the Ford Mondeo and the Toyota Prius.

The 147 was launched at the 2000 Turin Motor Show as a replacement for the 145 / 146 hatchbacks, and is based on the running gear of the larger 156 saloon. It was available with 1.6, 2.0, and 3.2-litre petrol engines and a 1.9-litre diesel engine.

The car was in production for ten years making it one of the oldest small family cars on sale in Europe at the time of its replacement by the Alfa Romeo Giulietta in late May 2010.

Styling

2nd series Alfa Romeo 147

The 147 was designed by Walter de'Silva and Wolfgang Egger. The 147 received considerable praise for its styling on launch, later it was awarded with some styling awards. The entire 147 range was revamped in 2004, with the exterior styling changed considerably to be more reminiscent of the new 159 and Brera models, and Alfa Romeo Visconti concept car, most notably for its more aggressive look. The 147 achieved a drag coefficient (C_d) of 0.32.

Development

2nd series Alfa Romeo 147

The 147 was facelifted in the end of 2004: new front grille, new headlights, new rear lights and the interior was updated on all models besides the GTA version. Also a new more powerful diesel engine arrived and suspension was also tweaked. In 2006 the 147 1.9 JTD Q2 version was launched, which features a front Torsen limited slip differential. Alfa Romeo presented a new limited edition 147 called Ducati Corse at the 2007 Bologna Motor Show. The car is equipped with 170 PS (130 kW; 170 hp) JTD diesel engine and Q2, a front Torsen limited slip differential.

The 147 has been replaced by the new Giulietta in 2010.

High-performance versions

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

The hot hatch 147 GTA model was launched in 2002. The GTA used a 3.2 V6 engine, produced 250 PS (180 kW; 250 hp) and could achieve a top speed of 246 km/h (153 mph). It has a widened body (15mm at each side) to accommodate the 225/45R17 tyres. Earlier models have 6-speed manual transmissions; later models use Selespeed.

London-based after-market tuner Autodelta has produced a "bored out" version of the GTA sporting a 3.7-litre V6, producing 328 bhp (245 kW), and a split-axle differential gear for the front wheels. Autodelta has also made a Rotrex supercharged version producing 400 bhp (300 kW).

Reviews

The handling of 147 was praised in some reviews, in spite of criticism regarding the light (sensitive) steering, which makes some drivers feel less involved. However, light steering does help during parking maneuvers. Other criticisms of the 147 included a cumbersome gearshift, unsupportive seats and the lack of interior space compared to its rivals. The car became well-known for its engine note, which is unusually mellifluous for a car of its class. The 147 suffers from fairly poor resale value in Great Britain. The 147 GTA and 147 Autodelta GTA have been road tested by Jeremy Clarkson, and featured on television show Top Gear with a power-lap around the track by The Stig. In his review of Autodelta 147 GTA car for The Sunday Times, Clarkson described the acceleration as "…Ferrari throttle? Forget it. When you stamp on the accelerator it’s like you’ve hit the Millennium Falcon’s hyperdrive. Suddenly all the stars are fluorescent tubes. …" and the handling as "....A corner was coming. And then it was a distant speck in my rear-view mirror. I vaguely remember turning the wheel and I have a dim recollection of being astounded by the grip . . . and then the moment was gone. No, really, the damn thing is a barnacle....".

 

Awards

The Alfa Romeo 147 has won more than 27 awards including the following:

• The European Car of the Year in 2001;


• Das Goldene Lenkrad ("The golden steering wheel", BILD am SONNTAG - Germany) in 2000;


• Auto Europa 1 (Panel of engineers, drivers and journalists headed by Auto Bild - Germany) in 2001;


• Trophées du design (Automobile Magazine - France) in 2000; and


• Carro Importado do Ano no Brasil - (Brazil Import car of the year) in 2002.

147 in motorsport

147 JTD, Markus Lungstrass 

In Europe was arranged a one-car racing series, European Alfa 147 Challenge for Alfa 147 Cup race cars starting from 2003. In 2005 this series was driven alongside with World Touring Car Championship, winner of 2005 season was Irish driver Eoin Murray. The car used on the series was Alfa 147 GTA Cup producing 220 bhp (160 kW) from its straight-4 1970 cc Twin Spark engine