New Alfa Romeo Spider launches in UK

Press release:

The new Alfa Spider, the latest open-topped Alfa Romeo in the company’s outstanding legacy of iconic convertibles, has just gone on sale in the UK.

Derived from Giorgetto Giugiaro’s multiple award-winning Alfa Brera design, the new Alfa Spider was developed by Pininfarina in collaboration with Alfa Romeo Centro Stile. Winner of the Cabrio of the Year award at the 2006 Geneva Motorshow, the new Alfa Spider combines superlative engineering with outstanding performance and handling characteristics appropriate to the pedigree of one of the world’s most famous sporting marques.

Four versions of the new Alfa Spider, priced from £25,995 on-the-road, are available from launch, with a choice of two petrol powerplants: a 2.2 litre 185 bhp 4-cylinder unit, and a 3.2 litre 260 bhp V6; together with Alfa Romeo’s widely acclaimed 2.4 litre 20v 200 bhp MultiJet (JTDM) turbodiesel.

The 2.2 JTS powerplant is mated to an M32.6 6-speed manual gearbox, whilst 3.2 JTS and 2.4 JTDM engines are equipped with the F40 6-speed manual transmission. Completing the launch range, the 3.2 JTS V6 unit may be ordered with Alfa Romeo’s QTRONIC 6-speed automatic transmission, featuring a manual sequential-shift override facility, and optional gearshift ‘paddles’.

With specific power outputs of over 80 bhp/litre, and almost 90% of maximum torque available at just 2000 rpm, both the advanced JTS (Jet Thrust Stoichiometric) petrol units feature direct injection and continuously variable valve timing governing both inlet and exhaust camshafts. They offer outstanding performance, yet provide significant fuel savings and readily comply with stringent Euro Stage 4 exhaust emission limits.

Continuing the company’s on-going pre-eminence in the field of diesel engines, the latest example of Alfa Romeo’s renowned JTD MultiJet (JTDM) common rail direct injection diesel engine technology joins the UK range. This version’s 2.4 litre 20-valve 200 bhp 5-cylinder powerplant, features variable geometry turbocharging and incorporates a ‘for life’, maintenance-free particulate trap (DPF) in anticipation of Euro 5 emissions regulations.

The 3.2 JTS Alfa Spider is equipped, as standard, with Alfa Romeo’s Q4 permanent four-wheel drive system. Q4 employs three differentials, with a self-locking Torsen C unit at the centre of the system which divides drive torque by a ratio of 57% to the rear wheels and 43% to the front. Torque split between front and rear axles is constantly modulated by the central Torsen differential on the basis of available grip, with a bias towards the rear axle promoting handling characteristics appropriate to a sporting Alfa Romeo.

Sharing platform and components with the Alfa Brera, on an identical 2528 mm wheelbase, the suspension of the new Alfa Spider combines a proven high double wishbone system at the front, with a sophisticated multilink rear configuration. The combination promotes smooth, accurate steering response, exceptional stability and controllability – even when close to adhesion limits – and first class body control allied to remarkable comfort over all road surface conditions.

The 2.2 JTS Alfa Spider’s braking system comprises powerful, 305 mm ventilated front discs and 278 mm solid discs at the rear. Versions powered by the 3.2 JTS petrol and 2.4 JTDM turbodiesel engines feature larger, 330 mm ventilated discs and Brembo four piston monobloc aluminium callipers at the front, with 292 mm ventilated discs at the rear.

The Alfa Spider offers direct, lively and responsive speed-sensitive power assisted steering, with a rack requiring just 2.25 turns lock-to-lock; the most direct steering in its class. The turning circle is just 10.7 m between kerbs. Both passive and active safety features are comprehensively represented in the new Alfa Spider.

In addition to up to six airbags, five of which are fitted as standard, seatbelt pre-tensioners and a fully integrated Fire Prevention System, the new car comes with a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art electronic braking, traction control and stability systems fitted as standard. ABS anti-lock braking is combined with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution over all four wheels, and a sophisticated, switchable Vehicle Dynamic Control unit enhances cornering stability.

VDC is further augmented by ASR to limit wheelspin during acceleration, MSR to modulate braking torque when changing down through the gears, and a unique Hill Holder function to facilitate smooth hill starts.

The Alfa Spider is fitted with a fully automatic, double-layer fabric roof which may be retracted via a single dashboard mounted control switch in less than 25 seconds. A separate dedicated roof storage compartment ensures that the Alfa Spider’s generous stowage capacity is not compromised. The luggage compartment offers a 200 litre capacity – 36% more than the previous Alfa Spider – even with the roof folded away. The storage compartment is concealed beneath a flush-fitting body panel incorporating aerodynamic blisters which adopt the profile of individual, driver and passenger roll-over bars. A transparent wind break installed between the roll-over bars significantly reduces air turbulence within the passenger compartment during high speed driving.

As with all Alfa Romeo models, driver orientated ergonomics, superior passenger comfort and lavish standard equipment levels are fundamental to the interior design of the new convertible. The Alfa Spider offers one, extremely generous standard equipment specification across the model range, including many features only available as expensive options on rival models, including automatic Dual Zone climate control, cruise control, ‘Follow-Me-Home’ headlights, rear parking sensors, a multi-function display and trip computer, fog lights, 17” spoked alloy wheels and an RDS 6-speaker stereo radio with CD player. A leather interior is standard on 3.2 V6 versions.

Optional equipment includes xenon headlights, satellite navigation, electrically adjustable front seats, a Bose® sound system, Blue&Me™ hands-free mobile phone connectivity and 18” alloy wheels. Sales of ‘H’ segment vehicles – sports cars – have more than doubled in Europe over the last 10 years to almost 400,000 units, of which half have been soft-topped models. Unusually, the more northerly the market, the higher the demand amongst European women for convertibles, and, in Britain, almost 50% of convertible buyers are women.

DESIGN

Derived from Giorgetto Giugiaro’s multiple award-winning Alfa Brera design, the new Alfa Spider was developed by Pininfarina in collaboration with Alfa Romeo Centro Stile at Arese, Milan, and is assembled in Pininfarina’s San Giorgio Canavese plant in Turin. It was voted Cabrio of the Year by the Comite Cabriolet at the 2006 Geneva Motorshow.

On Saturday 27 May last year, over 130 of the most beautiful open- topped Alfa Romeos ever built travelled from Villa San Carlo Borromeo, Senago, to the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of perhaps the most famous Alfa Spider of them all, the legendary Duetto.

This tribute to an alliance which combined the genius of Alfa Romeo engineering with Italy’s unparalleled coachbuilding pedigree, charted a near century-long success story, which began with the company’s first open- topped vehicle, the Alfa 24 HP, in 1910.

Early Alfa Romeos produced at Casa del Portello, such as the 40-60 HP, 20-30 ES and RL, became synonymous with motor racing at the Targa Florio, Brescia, Modena and Parma. And the impeccable 1500 and 1750 cc powerplants of engineers such as Merosi and Jano, allied to the coachbuilding artistry of Zagato and Touring, allowed Alfa Romeo to achieve rapid motor racing pre-eminence and iconic status amongst the motoring public throughout the world.

The English speaking world came to describe these streamlined, high-performance, open-topped cars as ‘speeders’, a name which quickly became ‘corrupted’ into ‘spiders’.

Throughout the 1930s, the cutting-edge engineering and styling of these cars underwent further refinement. The engines were upgraded to eight cylinders, their cubic capacities were increased, and in the hands of the great Tazio Nuvolari, models such as the 8C 2300 Spider Corsa, and the 8C 2900 A and B dominated European circuits from Le Mans to Monza.

In celebration of the advent of post-war prosperity, Alfa Romeo commissioned two convertible prototypes, from Bertone and Pininfarina. The outcome was the Giulietta Spider, produced by the factory of Giovan Battista Farina, and which he referred to affectionately as ‘la signorina’. More than mere style icon, this outstandingly popular convertible maintained Alfa Romeo’s competitive motorsport pedigree; perhaps its most unusual victory coming at the hands of Sanesi, who brought his Giulietta Sprint Veloce home 20 minutes ahead of the Italian state railway industry’s flagship, the Settebello train, on the Milan-Rome line.

The Touring bodied 2000 and 2600 convertibles of the late 1950s and early 1960s maintained the tradition of open-topped versions derived from saloon or coupe models. But, at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966, Alfa Romeo unveiled an entirely new, bespoke design by Pininfarina, the 1600 Spider, the double convex, cuttlefish-bone shape of which paid homage to the 1900 C 52 convertible known as the ‘Flying Saucer’, some 14 years earlier.

Christened ‘Duetto’ by competition winner Guidobaldo Trionfi, the 1600 Spider achieved such celebrity status through its appearance in the 1967 film, The Graduate, that a special, namesake version of the car went on sale in the United States. Following radical rear-end restyling in the 1970s, the evergreen Duetto’s popularity remained undiminished until it was ultimately replaced by a new, Alfa GTV-derived version of the Spider in 1995.

Styling

4393 mm long, 1830 mm wide and 1318 mm high, the 2007 Alfa Spider is 17 mm shorter and 23 mm lower than the Brera with which it shares the same 2528 mm wheelbase. Elegantly compacted through sharp front and rear bodywork tapering, the Alfa Spider exterior is rich in styling cues from Alfa Romeo’s peerless tradition of sporting convertibles, from the Giulietta Spider of the 1950s to the legendary Duetto and the Alfa Spider of the 1990s.

Continuing a design trend prevalent in the recent Alfa Romeo model range, the legendary Villa d’Este style Alfa shield with horizontal chrome bars dominates the front. Extending almost full height, the grille bisects an upper air intake housing purposeful, three-lamp headlight clusters before punctuating a deep front air dam featuring an expansive lower air intake with integral fog lamps. The top of the shield generates powerful bonnet coachwork lines which flow seamlessly into steeply raked A pillars. Once again, the number plate is offset to the left; a style signature echoing past classics, and unique to Alfa Romeo.

In profile, the new Alfa’s taut, rising waistline flows from the pronounced flare of the front wheel arches to give the Alfa Spider a purposeful stance. A strong waistline crease demarcates the side indicator and door handle positions, reaching its broadest point above the rear wheel arches where powerful shoulder ‘muscles’ pay homage to the Giulietta Spider of the 1950s.

At the rear, the Alfa Spider’s broad ‘shoulders’ taper to the focal point of the Alfa Romeo badge, and lean, 4- lamp horizontal light clusters demarcate the shut-line of the luggage compartment lid, which features a residual spoiler. Integral, colour coded bumpers and four chromed, flush mounted exhausts further reinforce the new Alfa Spider’s presence.

With the option of black or dark blue roof fabric, the new Alfa Spider is available in a choice of 10 colours at launch, including Solid Black, a special Alfa Red and eight metallic finishes.

Roof

The Alfa Spider is fitted with a double-layer fabric roof shaped over five steel and aluminium frames. The outer skin is a multi-ply cloth with superior durability, waterproofing and flame propagation resistance characteristics, whilst the inner layer offers excellent sound-proofing to the passenger compartment. Particular attention has been paid to ensure minimal wind noise, even at high speeds, through the seamless roof junction with the windscreen head and the detailing of the window retaining channels.

Via a single dashboard control switch, a fully automatic system incorporating six hydraulic controls and 14 sensor positions, folds the roof into a dedicated storage compartment in less than 25 seconds. The storage compartment is concealed beneath a flush-fitting body panel incorporating black and aluminium finish blisters which adopt the profile of individual, driver and passenger roll-over bars. A transparent wind break situated between the roll-over bars significantly reduces air turbulence within the passenger compartment during high speed driving.

Interior

As with all Alfa Romeos, the interior of the new two-seat Alfa Spider convertible is focused on the driver’s immediate surroundings, which have been designed with an emphasis on ergonomic functionality. A height adjustable driver’s seat allied to a rake and reach adjustable, leather clad steering wheel guarantee a perfect driving position for the widest possible cross-section of customers.

The driver’s instrument binnacle houses large, deeply hooded speedometer and tachometer dials with subsidiary fuel and temperature gauges, strictly analogue in true Alfa tradition and backlit to optimise the driver’s night vision. A multi-lingual, multi-function display gives access to a wide range of functions as well as the trip computer.

The Alfa Spider’s driver orientated, brushed aluminium faced centre console incorporates a new, electronic key-activated engine start button, a sophisticated, Dual Zone automatic climate control and a stereo radio/CD player within easy operational reach of the driver. Specifically built for the passenger compartment, the stereo features a power output of 4x30 watts and six speakers, offering outstanding sound quality. The centre console may also be fitted with a unique system that combines satellite navigation with an extensive range of on-line services via either manual control or voice commands.

Because there is a separate, dedicated hood storage compartment, the Alfa Spider’s generous stowage capacity is not compromised. The luggage compartment offers a 200 litre capacity – 36% more than that of the previous Alfa Spider – even with the roof folded down, whilst numerous additional oddment stowage compartments include a temperature controlled cubby within the central armrest, and two lockable storage bins built into the rear bench.

With great attention being paid to build quality and cabin ambience, superior comfort levels are assured aboard the new Alfa Spider. Major contributions are made by a state-of-the-art platform, a notably rigid bodyshell, a high quality fascia, extensive carpet soundproofing, a double layer fabric roof and 5 mm window glazing, all of which are designed to reduce cabin noise and vibration to a minimum.

The new Alfa Spider range features a choice of three two-tone interior trim options –Black/Grey, Blue/ Tobacco and Red/Beige – with complementary dashboard finishes. The Alfa Spider 2.2 JTS and 2.4 JTDM are upholstered in AlfaTex, a soft, durable, easy to clean fabric patented by Alfa Romeo, whilst both 3.2 JTS V6 Alfa Spider versions offer fine-grain leather upholstery fitted as standard. All versions may also be trimmed in the finest Frau® Pieno Fiore leather upholstery, an optional specification which also includes electrically adjustable, heated front seats with driver’s side memory and electric, folding, heated door mirrors with a memory function on the driver’s side.

MODEL RANGE AND EQUIPMENT

Four versions of the new Alfa Spider are available from launch, as follows:

2.2 JTS - £25,995 OTR

2.4 JTDM - £28,995 OTR

3.2 JTS V6 Q4 - £31,250 OTR

3.2 JTS V6 Q4 QTRONIC - £32,700 OTR

All versions of the new Alfa Spider share the same comprehensive standard equipment specification, which includes the following:

• Electric windows with one-touch function

• Electric, folding, heated door mirrors

• Dual Zone automatic climate control

• Electrically operated fabric roof

• Tinted windows

• Remote central locking with alarm and immobiliser

• Five airbags, including driver’s knee bag

• Electronic key and start button

• Stereo radio/CD with steering wheel audio controls and six speakers

• Brushed aluminium centre console and trim inserts

• Lockable rear cabin storage compartments

• Leather steering wheel and gearknob

• Fog lights

• Rear parking sensor

• Cruise control

• Multifunction display with trip computer

• ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD and HBA

• VDC with Hill Holder

• Stainless steel kick plates

• 17” alloy wheels

• Visibility pack (rain, dusk and condensation sensors)

• Wind deflector

The Alfa Spider interior offers the very latest systems made possible by today’s technology, and a range of options carefully considered to simplify and enhance life on board. Key options include xenon headlights, satellite navigation (either independent or incorporated with bCONNECT), electrically adjustable front seats, a Bose® sound system, Blue&Me™ hands-free mobile phone connectivity with Bluetooth™ technology and media player with USB port, and 18” alloy wheels.

The Dual Zone automatic climate control system, fitted as standard across the Alfa Spider range, makes it possible for driver and front seat passenger to select a temperature differential of up to seven degrees on either side of the cabin.

The system uses solar sensors to monitor solar gain within the two zones and adjust the temperature accordingly. The system features a highly efficient active carbon pollen filter, and an Air Quality Sensor which automatically activates the climate control recirculation function to prevent the intake of air in areas of high smog.

Bose® sound system

The Bose® sound system, developed for Alfa Romeo by America’s leading acoustic Hi-Fi company, offers peerless acoustic sophistication, boasting exceptional sound quality under all conditions.

The 570 watt system comprises six loudspeakers, including a subwoofer built into the rear bench seat with its own 6-channel, 200 watt, digital amplifier for the reproduction of the lowest frequencies. An integrated signal processor automatically adjusts base tones so that they remain natural at any system volume.

Blue&Me™

Blue&Me™ is an innovative Windows Mobile based system arising out of a joint venture between Fiat Group Automobiles SpA and Microsoft®. The easy-to-use system employs Bluetooth™ technology to allow vehicle occupants to communicate with the outside world via mobile phones or laptop computers.

Blue&Me™ is fully integrated into the vehicle, and offers a sophisticated hands-free system with voice recognition, that allows customers with Bluetooth™ mobile phones to make and receive calls without operating the mobile handset itself. The control keys are located on a panel in the centre of the dashboard, and include the facility to scroll search through a mobile’s phone book, as well as muting the system for a private call. Users store their mobile number only once on the system, and a personal phone book may be transferred fully and then automatically updated whenever the system detects the mobile phone.

No voice learning stage is required, due to the state-of-the-art voice recognition system. Blue&Me™ is able to store up to five mobile phones simultaneously, thus permitting more than one vehicle occupant to make immediate use of the system.

In addition, the system features a USB port in the glove compartment to facilitate the playback of music audio files via any digital system with an analogue connection, such as MP3, WMA, WAV, smart phones or a USB flash drive.

Xenon headlights

The safety benefits of xenon headlights over conventional halogen lamps are underlined by simple statistics: light intensity doubles, as does the longevity of the lamp itself. Xenon headlights also consume less energy and distribute the light beam more effectively.

Due to their brighter, far reaching illumination, the new Alfa Spider’s optional xenon headlights, which include a washer system, are combined with an automatic ride corrector which compensates not only for static changes due to axle load variation, but also dynamic changes caused by acceleration and braking.

Cruise control

Cruise control, operable at speeds over 18 mph, instantly cuts out when the driver presses the brake or clutch pedal. When the ASR traction control is active, this naturally takes priority over Cruise Control, the system returning the car to the previous set speed once ASR has ceased to function.

Follow-Me-Home headlights

This is a practical, safety-conscious innovation designed to light the interior of a garage or the path to the front door after the car has been locked. Follow-Me-Home activates the dipped beams and sidelights of the new Alfa Spider by operating the light flasher stalk within two minutes of turning off the engine. Each time the stalk is operated, light activation is extended by 30 seconds up to a maximum of three and a half minutes.

Parking sensors

The new Alfa Spider is fitted, as standard, with rear parking sensor equipment, which is activated whenever the ignition is turned on and reverse gear engaged.

The system consists of four ultrasound sensors located in the rear bumper linked to an electronic control unit and a buzzer. The four detectors cover the rear corners of the new Alfa Spider from a distance of less than 60 cm, and the area immediately behind the car from a distance of less than 150 cm. Proximity information is transmitted to the driver in the form of bleeps at intervals. The bleeps are emitted with increasing frequency, becoming a continuous signal when the car reaches a distance of 30 cm from any obstacle.

ENGINES AND TRANSMISSIONS

The new Alfa Spider goes on sale in the UK with a choice of three powerplants. Both the spirited JTS direct injection petrol engines – a 2.2 litre, 185 bhp 4-cylinder unit, and a 260 bhp Alfa Romeo 3.2 litre V6 – combine JTS (Jet Thrust Stoichiometric) direct injection technology with Alfa’s ‘Twin Phaser’ continuously variable valve timing operation on both intake and exhaust camshafts. With specific power outputs in excess of 80 bhp/litre, and almost 90% of maximum torque available at just 2000 rpm, both these JTS units boast outstanding performance yet offer significant fuel savings and readily comply with the stringent Euro Stage 4 exhaust emission limits.

The latest example of Alfa Romeo’s renowned JTD MultiJet (JTDM) common rail direct injection diesel engine technology completes the range. A 2.4 litre 20-valve 200 bhp 5-cylinder powerplant features variable geometry turbocharging and incorporates a ‘for life’, maintenance-free particulate trap (DPF) in anticipation of Euro 5 emissions regulations.

2.2 JTS versions of the new Alfa Spider are mated to an M32.6 6-speed manual gearbox, whilst 3.2 JTS (and 2.4 JTDM models) are equipped with the F40 6-speed manual transmission. The ratios of both transmissions have been carefully chosen to emphasise performance, and gear change smoothness and accuracy have been enhanced by the use of multiple cone synchronisers.

3.2 JTS versions of the new Alfa Spider are fitted, as standard, with Alfa Romeo’s Q4 permanent four-wheel drive system, and may be equipped with an optional, QTRONIC 6-speed automatic transmission featuring a manual sequential shift override facility, and optional gearshift ‘paddles’.

2.4 JTDM 20v

Alfa Romeo was first to the market with a JTD Common Rail direct injection diesel engine with the launch of the Alfa 156 in 1997. This crucial lead in diesel technology has not been squandered and, in its latest 20-valve MultiJet guise, the new 5-cylinder 2.4 litre unit is the most powerful engine in the Alfa Romeo JTDM family, with a specific power output of 84bhp/litre.

MultiJet Technology

Within a UniJet engine, a pilot injection raises temperature and pressure inside the cylinder to improve combustion at the time of the main stroke. However, by dividing the main injection into a number of smaller injections, a MultiJet engine affords a fuller, more gradual combustion whilst the amount of diesel burnt at each stroke remains the same – thus abetting smoother, quieter combustion, reduced emissions and increased performance.

However, a MultiJet engine differs from its UniJet counterpart in two essential areas; the injectors and the electronic control unit.

To facilitate multi-injection, the new injectors can both reduce the time lag between injections from 1500 to just 150 microseconds, and reduce the minimum quantity of fuel injected from 2 to less than 1 cu mm. In tandem, the new control unit modulates injection strategy continually to adjust to changes within three parameters; engine rpm, torque required at any given time by the driver, and coolant temperatures.

Thus, when coolant temperature is less than 60 degrees and torque requirement is low, two small and one large injections are performed. As torque demand increases, the number of injections drops to two; one small and one large. Under conditions of high rpm and high torque demand, only one injection is required whilst, with coolant temperature at over 60 degrees, emissions are minimised with one small, one large, then one small injection in the sequence.

Hence, start-up times and exhaust smoke are reduced, noise levels and vibration are lowered to ensure a quieter drive and improved passenger comfort, and both fuel consumption and emission control are optimised.

Several changes have been made to the latest version of this 20-valve turbodiesel to boost performance and engine torque at low speeds whilst returning excellent fuel consumption figures. The common rail system includes two new control strategies for automatically calibrating and balancing the diesel injection, to both lower noise and reduce vibration, whilst the direct injection pressure has increased from 1400 to 1600 bar.

The engine also includes a number of new components; a cylinder head with small stem valves to boost inlet air quantity, steel connecting rods of a new, stress resistant design, a new inlet manifold fitted with a throttle valve at one of the two inlet ports to control air turbulence, a new, high efficiency intercooler, and a throttle valve to prevent shaking if the engine is stalled.

The electronic EGR exhaust gas cooling system has also been modified; the lubricating circuit has a new oil pump and an external air/oil heat exchanger to cool the oil, whilst the water pump on the cooling circuit is also new.

Turboboost is provided by a KKK 2080 turbocharger with a variable geometry turbo that improves power delivery and also generates very high torque at low engine speeds; 90% of the impressive 295 lb ft peak torque is available from between just 1750 and 3500 rpm. Mated to an F40 6-speed manual gearbox, this allows the Alfa Spider 2.4 JTDM to accelerate from 0-62 mph in only 8.4 seconds, whilst returning a remarkable fuel consumption of over 41 mpg in the combined cycle.

3.2 JTS V6

Debuting in the Alfa 159 and also available in the Alfa Brera, this spirited quadruple overhead camshaft, all- aluminium 24-valve V6 powerplant features both the company’s direct petrol injection system and twin phase, continuously variable valve timing.

Developed by Fiat Powertrain Technologies, a new industrial enterprise created to integrate all the Fiat Group’s innovation capabilities and expertise in engines and transmissions, the new all-alloy engine features cylinder heads, pistons, induction and exhaust systems designed and built by Alfa Romeo. Final assembly of this engine is carried out in Italy, at the Pomigliano D’Arco Alfa Romeo plant.

JTS direct fuel injection and ‘Twin phaser’ continuously variable valve timing combine to generate an 8% increase in power and an 11% increase in torque over the previous 3.2 litre unit.

This outstanding, light aluminium alloy, 3195 cc engine takes its name – Jet Thrust Stoichiometric – from its specific combustion system, an original Alfa Romeo concept that involves the high pressure injection of fuel, at 120 bar, directly into the combustion chamber with a stoichiometric mixture optimised to increase engine power and torque first and foremost – thus adapting this technology to the requirements of a sporting car – whilst adopting the stratified charge method to reduce fuel consumption in a limited speed band close to idling.

Hence, via an electronically activated 72 mm throttle valve and an aluminium inlet port casing designed to both maximise air delivery and optimise the air/fuel mixture, the 3.2 JTS engine in the new Alfa Spider operates with a lean burn system up to about 1500 rpm, making significant fuel savings. Above this engine speed, however, it burns a stoichiometric fuel-air mixture – i.e. with a conventional 14.7:1 ratio between the two components – thus guaranteeing performance superior to that achievable by a conventional, indirect injection unit.

Primarily, this is because fuel injected directly into the combustion chamber – instead of the intake ports – cools intake air, thus increasing the engine’s volumetric efficiency. As the temperature drops the gases increase in density and the volume therefore decreases, allowing more air into the combustion chamber. Cooling the chamber also reduces the risk of engine knock, allowing for an increase in compression ratio – in this case to 11.25:1 – and a commensurate improvement in engine efficiency.

Allied to JTS technology, the light aluminium alloy cylinder heads of the new 3.2 litre V6 now also features ‘Twin Phaser’ continuously variable valve timing – for both intake and exhaust camshafts – already adopted on 4- cylinder JTS Alfa Romeo engines. Via two camshafts per cylinder bank, variable valve timing allows the phase angle of both inlet and exhaust cams to be varied by 50 degrees, optimising the volumetric efficiency of the engine at all engine speeds whilst reducing fuel consumption and emissions under lighter throttle settings.

The new camshaft drive system features maintenance-free chain drive with automatic hydraulic tensioners, whilst the valves themselves – 33.4 mm inlet and 28.4 mm exhaust diameter – are controlled by a low friction roller finger system with automatic uptake of hydraulic tappet play.

The Alfa Romeo 3.2 litre JTS V6 combines power and torque peaks of 260 bhp at 6300 rpm and 237 lb ft at 4500 rpm respectively, with smooth, linear power delivery from low speeds. Some 90% of peak torque is available from just 1800 rpm and maintained up to 6250 rpm. Hence, the 3.2 litre V6 24v unit delivers sensational performance, but is also very docile, and the Alfa Spider can cruise effortlessly in sixth gear at less than 2000 rpm, yet accelerate rapidly and smoothly away without the need for changing gear.

Mated to an F40 6-speed manual transmission and Alfa Romeo’s Q4 permanent four-wheel drive system, the 3.2 litre JTS V6 engine will accelerate the new Alfa Spider from 0-62 mph in 7.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 149 mph.

The V6 exhaust system features a group of catalysing elements mounted close to the cylinder heads, ensuring optimum operational temperature is achieved as soon as possible after engine start-up. Two under-floor catalysts and four lambda sensors complete the system, which easily meets stringent Euro Stage 4 exhaust emission limits.

2.2 JTS

The 2.2 litre version of Alfa Romeo’s 4-cylinder JTS powerplant features an aluminium cylinder head, block and crankcase, effecting a weight reduction of some 20% over the unit it replaces.

The 2198 cc powerplant also adopts ‘Twin Phaser’ continuously variable valve timing, as previously described, with large, 35.3 mm diameter inlet and 30.3 mm exhaust valves. In addition, it features a maintenance-free chain drive to the twin counter-rotating balancer shafts, water pump and low friction camshaft drive system, and is further equipped with a dual detonation sensor to improve sensitivity to engine knock, enhancing maximum performance.

Mated to an M32.6 6-speed manual transmission, the Euro 4 compliant 2.2 litre unit develops 185 bhp at 6500 rpm, and 170 lb ft of torque at 4500 rpm; this high power output requiring the use of sodium cooled exhaust valves. The Alfa Spider 2.2 JTS will accelerate from 0-62 mph in just 8.8 seconds, and still return over 30 mpg.

RIDE AND HANDLING

The new Alfa Spider has a wheelbase of 2528 mm, identical to that of the Alfa Brera, with which it shares platform and suspension designs. The suspension system is the outcome of an extensive and thorough development process aimed at achieving the highest possible levels of driveability and handling appropriate to a sporting marque, combined with optimum travelling comfort. It features a proven, high double wishbone front set- up with a sophisticated multilink rear configuration. The combination generates smooth, accurate steering response, exceptional stability and controllability – even when close to adhesion limits – and first class body control allied to remarkable comfort over all road surface conditions.

The Alfa Spider 3.2 JTS V6 also benefits from Alfa Romeo’s Q4 four-wheel drive technology; a standard equipment mechanical system enhanced by cutting-edge electronics to guarantee the smoothest possible power delivery and optimum traction under all driving conditions.

The Alfa Spider has passed the European ISO Lane Changing test for sports cars at 135 km/h, 5 km/h faster than its closest rival. The Alfa Spider is also capable of developing a class-leading 1 g of lateral acceleration.

Front suspension

The Alfa Spider’s high double wishbone front suspension is similar to the set-up successfully employed in the Alfa Brera. Its design offers precise control of wheel movement and affords the new Alfa Romeo an outstanding dynamic performance allied to sensitive, accurate steering.

This configuration offers the Alfa Spider maximum tyre grip, improved traction under extreme conditions, a self-alignment effect proportional to the lateral acceleration applied in a corner, superior steering precision and sensitivity, graduated steering wheel effort up to adhesion limits and the minimisation of pitching under extreme acceleration or braking.

Rear suspension

At the rear, the Alfa Spider employs a multilink suspension system to maximise driveability, handling performance and ride comfort. Through a combination of a transverse blade and three longitudinal links, the system facilitates extremely precise wheel movements in the vertical plane, whilst limiting longitudinal and transverse displacements to maintain optimum wheel positioning under load. Pitching is reduced, and maximum stability under braking is ensured by the reduction of any tendency to understeer.

Key features of the latest multilink configuration include a higher anchorage point of the longitudinal link to facilitate a longer, more flexible suspension stroke, an enlarged bi-tube spring damper unit for improved ride comfort, and an aluminium upright with a high rigidity hub supporting the connection bushes for both camber and longitudinal links. In addition, the set-up features a rear hydraulic bush to optimise filtering of poor road surfaces and a high yield steel crossbeam isolated from the bodyshell by four flexible bushes to dampen high frequency vibration.

Steering

All Alfa Romeos are renowned for their direct, lively and responsive steering feel. The Alfa Spider is no exception, and is fitted with hydraulically power assisted, speed sensitive steering which achieves an effective balance between low speed manoeuvrability and high speed accuracy and feel. With just 2.25 turns lock-to-lock and a ratio of 12.7 degrees of steer for every degree of steering wheel input, the new Alfa Spider offers the most direct steering in its class.

The telescopic steering column is divided into two sections for comfort and safety. The lower section is collapsible to ensure that steering wheel position is maintained relative to the driver during an impact. The upper section offers both reach and rake adjustment to the driver. A steel bracket and a rigid magnesium mount prevent vibration.

Careful matching of the steering geometry to the wheel arch volume has facilitated high steering angles even with the largest tyres fitted, affording the new Alfa a turning circle of just 10.7 metres between kerbs.

Q4 four-wheel drive

The 3.2 JTS V6 powered Alfa Spider is equipped, as standard, with Alfa Romeo’s Q4 permanent four-wheel drive system. Q4 employs three differentials, with a self-locking Torsen C unit at the centre of the system. In normal conditions, drive torque is divided by a ratio of 57% to the rear wheels and 43% to the front – the rear axle bias promoting sporting handling appropriate to the marque.

Torque split between front and rear axles is constantly modulated by the central Torsen differential on the basis of available grip, with a maximum available bias of 72% to the front and 78% to the rear. Modulation is mechanical and continuous to guarantee the smoothest possible power delivery, and the system is further enhanced by the full range of electronic stability controls to guarantee optimum traction and performance under all driving conditions.

SAFETY

The new Alfa Spider is at the top of its category in terms of active, passive and preventive safety. It meets preventive safety needs with an adjustable cockpit that adapts perfectly to drivers of any size. The combination of a height-adjustable driver’s seat and reach and rake-adjustable steering allows the best possible view of the road ahead. User-friendly ergonomics allow drivers to operate all instruments and controls without taking their eyes off the road. And the new Alfa Spider’s excellent all-round visibility is further enhanced by standard equipment rain, dusk, demisting and parking sensors.

PASSIVE SAFETY

The new Alfa Spider’s bodyshell has been designed to absorb impact with maximum efficiency, yet offers improvement of more than 25% in torsional rigidity over that of its predecessor, whilst the front roll-over bar built into the windscreen A pillars easily exceeds US crush resistance standards. The new Alfa Spider may be fitted with up to six airbags, five of which are standard equipment, whilst height-adjustable front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiter, anti-whiplash head restraints, anti-submarining seats and an FPS Fire Prevention System are all fitted as standard.

Airbags

The new Alfa Spider may be equipped with up to six airbags; 60 litre driver and 120 litre passenger dual- stage front airbags, driver and passenger knee airbags, and 12 litre front side airbags mounted inside the front seat backs. Their operation is controlled by an electronic control unit that evaluates crash severity via a number of sensors located throughout the car.

The front passenger airbag may be deactivated manually via an ignition key switch on the fascia. A dashboard warning light indicates this condition. Though the seatbelt pretensioner remains active, a rear facing baby seat can therefore be safely fitted.

The FPS includes a cut-off valve and an inertia switch which immediately locks the electric fuel pump. This prevents fuel loss in the case of impact, roll-over or damage to the fuel lines. The fuel tank is formed in a plastic resistant to mechanical stress and fire. Special care has been taken over the location of key components within the engine bay, electrical system, fuel system and brakes to minimise the risk of damage. The new Alfa Spider’s interior trim is also flame resistant.

ACTIVE SAFETY

The new Alfa Romeo’s servo assisted braking system features two independent crossover hydraulic circuits to ensure prompt, linear braking and minimal stopping distances. The Alfa Spider 2.2 JTS is equipped with 305 mm ventilated front discs and 278 mm solid discs at the rear. Both 3.2 JTS V6 Q4 and 2.4 JTDM versions feature larger, 330 mm ventilated discs and powerful Brembo four piston monobloc aluminium callipers at the front, with 292 mm ventilated discs at the rear.

The new Alfa Spider is equipped, as standard, with a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art electronic braking, traction control and stability systems: ABS anti-lock braking is combined with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution over all four wheels and Hydraulic Brake Assistance, whilst a sophisticated Vehicle Dynamic Control unit enhances cornering stability. VDC is further augmented by Anti-Slip Regulation to limit wheelspin during acceleration, Motor Slip Regulation to modulate braking torque when changing down through the gears, and a Hill Holder function to facilitate smooth hill starts.

ABS with EBD and HBA

The Alfa Spider is fitted as standard with a Bosch 5.7 ABS anti-lock braking system, one of the most advanced units currently available. The system incorporates an electronic brakeforce distributor with four active sensors, four channels and a hydraulic control unit with 12 solenoids. Because the active sensors can themselves process a wheel input signal, rather than passing it on to the control unit, the system can both activate more quickly and detect speed signals far closer to zero.

The active sensors are less sensitive to interference from electromagnetic fields and road surface heating, and, because they can detect very low speeds, augment the efficiency of the satellite navigation system by allowing more accurate updating of data on the route covered by the car.

EBD distributes braking action over all four wheels to prevent them locking, and ensures full control of the car in all situations. To reduce brake pad overheating, the system also adapts its operation to both grip availability and brake pad efficiency.

Though primarily conceived to automatically increase brake force when insufficient brake pedal loading has been applied during an emergency stopping procedure, Hydraulic Brake Assistance can even help experienced drivers who have applied the correct amount of pedal pressure, by reducing braking attenuation time in all cases (the time between initial pedal loading and maximum brake circuit pressure).

VDC

This innovative, switchable, Vehicle Dynamic Control system is activated under extreme conditions when vehicle stability is at risk, helping the driver to control the car. As befits a true Alfa Romeo, however, VDC is a sporting system that does not interfere prematurely, allowing the full satisfaction of driver control to the limit of critical conditions. It can also be disengaged at the driver’s command.

The Alfa Spider’s VDC continuously monitors tyre grip in both longitudinal and lateral directions. If the car starts to slide, VDC cuts in to restore directional stability. It uses sensors to detect rotation of the car body about its vertical axis (yaw), lateral acceleration, and steering input. Comparing this data with computer generated parameters, the system establishes whether the car is cornering within its adhesion limits or if the front or rear wheels are about to lose grip.

To restore the required trajectory, VDC generates a yawing movement to counter that responsible for the vehicle’s instability by braking the appropriate wheel individually and reducing engine power via the throttle. Exceptionally smooth brake modulation and engine power reduction are key attributes of a system designed by Alfa engineers to maintain outstanding performance and driving satisfaction throughout its operation.

ASR

This is an additional feature of the Alfa Spider’s VDC system, designed to limit wheelspin in cases of low road surface grip. This sophisticated system works at any speed and prevents the driven wheels from spinning by adjusting torque according to the grip coefficient detected at the time of slip.

The system recognises loss of traction via the ABS sensors, and activates two different control systems to restore grip: in the case of both driven wheels spinning it reduces engine power via the throttle. If only one wheel spins, however, it is automatically braked; the resultant effect similar to that of a self-locking differential.

ASR not only optimises vehicle safety in conditions of minimal or constantly varying degrees of grip, but also greatly reduces mechanical stress to the differential and gearbox through effective control of low speed take-off and traction.

The system is activated automatically whenever the engine is started, but may be deactivated via a switch on the centre console. A flashing warning light indicates ASR operation, whilst a second light illuminates to indicate system faults or irregularities. ASR deactivation is required when snow chains are fitted to allow for their effective use.

The new Alfa Spider also benefits from MSR, which cuts in when a gear is shifted down abruptly under conditions of low grip, restoring torque to the engine to prevent skidding as a result of wheel lock-up.

Hill Holder

Also integral to VDC, Alfa Romeo’s Hill Holder system helps drivers pull smoothly away from an upwards- facing hill start. Operating via the ESP longitudinal acceleration sensor when first gear is engaged and both clutch and brake pedals are pressed, the control unit maintains front calliper pressure for about 1.5 seconds after the brake pedal is released to eliminate the risk of rolling backwards and ensure a smooth pull away. Hill Holder does not operate when setting off downhill in first gear, but does so when reverse is engaged and the driver wishes to back uphill.