Alfa or BMW ?

Hi,

I'm considering buying me a real sports car.

My heart says Alfa, but my college says BMW.

I think BMW is for pimps, and Alfa's are for gents.

Am I correct?

:-D

Reply to
BravoEchoRomeoRomeoYankee
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Real sport's car? M3 CSL, but you're stuck with used because they don't make the anymore (at this moment). Otherwise think about Mclaren F1, Paganini Zonda, CGT...

-- It's a good idea to drive a little Japanese/Ford/whatever shopping machine once a year to remind yourself why you're in a BMW for the rest of the year. by John Burns. '98 328i coupe t.

Reply to
Tomislav Buric

Yeah you're spot on, Berry. So, are you looking for a date or something?

Reply to
Fred W

"BravoEchoRomeoRomeoYankee" skrev i meddelandet news:e1osd0$5ho$ snipped-for-privacy@news3.zwoll.ov.home.nl...

BMW (but don't get a white BMW - those are pimpy...

Reply to
Hakvinius

Anyone who can ask that question is much too girly to own an Alfa. Stick to your Ka.

-- Larry (Three Alfas, one Bimmer)

Reply to
pltrgyst

I would venture to say that a real sports car is neither a BMW or an Alfa. That's not to say that there aren't very tasty vehicles to be had from either of those camps though.

A real sports car is something purpose-built, like a Ferrari for example. It's not a mass market car platform that's had some tuning bits and go-faster stripes added. Here's the acid test: is the car a purpose-built machine, or is it a gussied up version of a mass-market grocery-getter. Look at it that way and it's simple to see what's what.

Just don't expect a brake job on one of those to cost the same as a brake job on a BMW. See posts passim. Ask Fred...

Reply to
Dean Dark

"BravoEchoRomeoRomeoYankee" wrote

And newsgroups are for trolls, apparently.

Pete

Reply to
Pete

Well, since my name has been tossed out there, I'll weigh in on this silly question. Firstly, some Alfas definitely do qualify as "sports cars" IMO. A sports car, in my mind, is epitomized by the likes of Triumphs, MGBs, Austins, etc. Bare-bone, light-weight, low horsepower,

2 seater (usually) roadsters. A very raw, grass-roots driving experience. They are purpose designed for tossing around on the track by weekend warriors without getting the driver in over his head. IOW, the exact opposite of a modern BMW. Certainly the exotics like Ferraris and Lambos have like-wise purposes (except for the getting the driver in over his head part...) but they are, due to the magnificent price tags and low production, exotica. And yes, it costs more for parts for exotic sports cars than it does for other more mundane transports.

As to which car the OP should buy, I cannot help since we do not see Alfas here in the US anymore. The reputation they had when they were around was that of a slightly classier Fiat.

Reply to
Fred W

May's _Car and Driver_ says that "Alfa Romeo is poised to reenter the U.S. market in 2008 with (this) V-6-powered 260-hp convertible as well as a two-door hardtop version known as the Brera... ...The Spider is the soft-top version of the delightful Brera coupe that is already on sale in Europe..."

Whatever all that means as far as actually *seeing* Alfas again in the YooEss, though...

Reply to
Dean Dark

The best Alfas are those owned by someone else. When I am in Italy I try to hire Alfas. Great to look at, great to drive. Had 147s for two years running (1.9 l turbodiesel).

Now the new 159 got a good review in the UK and it appears to be better built than before.

However, if money matters to you, go for the BMW...

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Reply to
Dori A Schmetterling

"BravoEchoRomeoRomeoYankee" wrote in news:e1osd0$5ho$1 @news3.zwoll1.ov.home.nl:

an old one? The spider or even better the GTV kick butt. Get like this

1970 Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior

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now thats a sports car

Reply to
z

I've had an Alfa, Fiat, BMW and Mercedes. Some Alfas are ok but not many. All in all the Fiat was a way better car. It's tough to find a BMW that's no fun, most Alfas really underimpressed me.

Plus the BMW will usually start.

Reply to
Richard Sexton

snipped-for-privacy@news.vrx.net (Richard Sexton) wrote in news:e1s84j$1ca$ snipped-for-privacy@news.datemas.de:

Fiat really? That is interesting as i've always heard the oposite. My brother is an alfesti and me bmw. I have a soft spot for the SPICA injection as its so similar to Kugelfisher in the old BMWs. His alfas always started and were a blast to drive .. nearly as nice as my tii -- always a point of argument :)

Reply to
z

Ignornace is bliss.

I've experience owning a 64 Giulia TI, 67 Duetto, 68 1300 GT Junior, 69 750 Spider; 68 Fiat Dino, 72 124 Spider (90,000 miles in under 3 years), 75 X-1/9, plus various rentals and borrowed for autocrossing. I like Fiats a lot, but other than the Dino, no Fiat can compare to the enjoyment of Alfa mechanicals.

-- Larry

Reply to
pltrgyst

And typos are even more blissful...means you've got "happy fingers."

-- Larry

Reply to
pltrgyst

"BravoEchoRomeoRomeoYankee" haute in die Tasten:

To answer the eternal quesion which car is better - Alfa Romeo or BMW

- I'd suggest to ask those guys, who are competent to give you the right answer: Italian cops!

The answer will surprise you:

formatting link
(This image is an actual photograph, taken by me roughly 3 weeks ago in the lovely city of Brescia. Please forgive me for the lousy image quality, but I left my Digital SLR camera at home)

Frank

Reply to
Frank Kemper

Well my first Alfa was a 156 which was ok. But one year ago, I baught myself the new Alfa GT. From the first day I owned it, it rattles and squeaks sooooo much, it takes away all the driving experience. Going to the dealer twice a month doesn't help much either. Such a shame because it's such a beautiful car!

I'm looking into buying the new E92 by the end of this year. Hoping it will give me the same driving experience without all those rattles and shit.

Cheers,

F.

Reply to
Frank Lenaerts

When the Alfa 156 came out reviewsers said it is better built than before, and they are saying again with the 159. Bottom line is they are a generation or so behind BMW (and Japanese makes) on build quality and relilability. As to the sports car question (OK practical family cars trying their best to be sports cars), errr, BMW rear wheel drive (like sports cars should be), Alfa 156 2.5 V6 front wheel drive with so much torque steer when you pull away hard it's scary. For the record, I have test driven Alfa 156 2.0, ridden in a 156 2.5 V6 (and watched the driver fight with the steering wheel!) and I own an E91 3 series.

Reply to
AGH!

I drove an Alfa 1987 Sprint 1.7 Veloce once, great little thing. Nearly bought it.

In the UK Alfa dealers come very far down reliability and customer satisfaction surveys, the dealers are meant to be quite poor too. It turned out a friend of mine bought the Alfa Sprint and I bought my first BMW E30 instead. The Alfa turned out to be a nightmare to run, very unreliable and spent a LOT of time in the shop getting warranty repairs.

Modern Alfas look very nice, but the depreciation is awful.

Reply to
John Burns

Which college recommended an Alfa? Did you also take a writing course at the same college?

There's an old joke about Italy that should help settle the discussion. It goes like this: Why is Italy shaped like a boot? Because it would be impossible to stuff that much shit into a sneaker.

It goes double for their carmakers, who should have given away discount towing coupons with every unit sold. So they're coming back with the Brera. Big deal. Maybe they should hook up with VW and build the Brera Rabbit.

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Reply to
hanging

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