Some months back, at the north Italian Mugello race track, we had the pleasure of taking an Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon GTA 3.2-litre onto the track, writes Michael McAleer
In Alfa Romeo red under a burning sun, it hunkered down on the tarmac, wearing a bodykit, the motoring equivalent of a wide-collared Versace shirt. A true Italian on its home turf.
Leather race seats wrapped around us, we turned the engine over with a true Alfa roar and were soon gliding into corners in full tyre screech and weaving cones on longer straights: all in the name of scientific testing you understand.
That afternoon we were in the company of former Formula One driver Stefan Modena. With an offer to see how a real driver does it, we headed down to the paddock to choose our chariot - Mercedes SLs, VW Golf Gtis or the red Alfa. Modena went for the 156.
Maybe he was on a promise from the Italian firm - or just felt the Alfa better suited to this particular track. He wouldn't say.
But sitting in the passenger seat as he used the full width of the track to make it as straight as possible and barely edging off the rev limiter, it seemed his kind of car.
Why not? After all, those three discreet letters on its rump are from predecessors which tore up the racetracks across Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. Originally under the GT, the third letter was added to distinguish the alleggerita, or lightened racing versions.
Today it's powered by all an all-new, light-alloy 3.2-litre V6 engine developing 250 bhp with 300Nm torque matched to a rock-hard suspension. Modena was in his element in a car offering a limited 155 mph and 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds, which is faster than the 3-litre GTV coupe. Like an expert conductor, he made it sing like Pavarotti at La Scala Opera house in Milan.
On a no-less-sunny summer's day back home, the grey GTA Sportwagon struck a similar pose, if not quite in the same setting: this time the location was next to the Red Cow roundabout. Despite belching trucks, scrapyard across the road and the traveller-halting site around the back, the car still looked a gem. But there's a world of difference between the smooth tarmac track near Florence and the potholed Naas road. And 10 minutes in the car reminded us of it.
A 250bhp estate is a rare animal. It falls into the breed of motor cars that takes on the appearance of your regular family saloon or, in this case estate, but gurgles its power. In fact, Alfa engineers were briefed to create "a car for everyday use that could, in the right circumstances, ensure the customer the performance, behaviour and driving sensations of a car built for racing." The car firms must see a market for them, because several competitors are already on the market and more come this month.
In our opinion it's all down to traffic lights. This car is for those who enjoy the element of surprise. It's one thing to see a Ferrari dart off on the first flicker of a green light, but quite another to see a fully-laden family saloon.
Beneath every pressed suited executive beats the heart of a Montoya wannabe.
So what's it like to drive? Very much like taking a stallion on a merry-go-round run. We did encounter a rather heart-stopping moment. After overtaking a truck on a winding country road just before we ran out of broken white line, we pulled back in lane and lifted our foot of the accelerator. Only problem was the accelerator didn't join in the general easing off manoeuvre. It much preferred to stay down on the floor. In the end the problem seemed to be an errant floor mat, but that kernel of doubt was enough to keep us from more serious exploits.
With a car that develops 250 bhp and 300Nm of torque, it's worth remembering that the Sportwagon is an estate car and this means it has four doors, five seats and a larger boot, if not quite on a par with some of its competitors for space, then still a class leader in terms of design.
The top four ratios of the six-speed gearbox are fingernail close, so oodles of torque ar at hand. However, precision handling and steering is inhibited by a very poor turning circle, which leaves you doing three-point turns in normally the most accessible of areas.
Suspension is designed to keep you firmly attached to terra firma at all time, and that means through every pothole and over every rock until you end up leading the pickets outside the local Council office demanding improvements.
Inside, befitting a flagship, it boasts leather seats. There are minor changes from the regular model, yet it retains the stylish stack of dials angled towards the driver. This leaves passengers with a choice of staring at black plastic or traffic flow.
One qualm with the car: build quality. Most racing cars are orientated towards the engine and the result usually means rather flimsy doors and shaky parts. While the GTA doesn't suffer this to the same extent, there were signs that wear and tear may creep up to be a problem, with the rear armrest already falling off its hinges.
Overall costs may also make you think again. While it's not as pricey as the new R-range of Volvos launched today, others are perhaps closer to the dual criteria of an everyday race car. The GTA's a beautiful engine, but lacks the overall polish of some of its competitors.
FACTFILE
ENGINE: 3179cc light-alloy V6 developing 250bhp and 222 Nm (Newton Metres) of torque at 6,200 rpm.
PERFORMANCE: A limited top speed of 155 mph and a 0-62 mph of 6.3 seconds.
SPECIFICATION: Leather sports seats; ASR and VDC to keep you on the road; several airbags; CD/radio.
FUEL: Urban: 15.3 mpg. Extra-urban: 23.1 mpg. Combined: 22.9 mpg.
PRICE: €55,225
THE COMPETITION
Alfa Romeo 156 Sportswagon 3.2 manual. 3179cc; 6.3 (0-62); 155 max speed; 250 bhp; 22.9 mpg combined; €55,225.
Volvo V7OR. 2521cc; 5.9 (0-62); 155 max speed; 300 bhp; 24.0 mpg combined; €79,000.
Ford Mondeo ST220 Estate. 2967cc; 7.4 (0-62); 151 max speed; 217 bhp; 27.7 mpg combined; €49,775.
Audi A4 Avant 3.0 Quattro. 2976cc; 8.5 (0-62); 146 max speed; 220 bhp; 26.9 mpg combined; €56,170.
Opel Vectra GTS Sport 3.2 V6. 3175cc; 7.5 (0-62); 154 max speed; 211 bhp; 28.1 mpg combined; €39,750.