Road & Track on the Turbo Evoluzione

[Frank <fca@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Found it!  After tearing through over a dozen boxes full of automotive
magazines in a cold and dusty attic, I found the August 1998 special issue
of Road & Track magazine with an article on the Alfa Romeo 75 Evoluzione -
a turbocharged homologation model.

The 75 1.8 Turbo Evoluzione is a hopped up 75 Turbo intended - in racing
trim - for action in Europe's Group A.  As with cars like the Ferrari GTO
Evoluzione (which ended up as the F40), late coming rule changes
effectively rendered the car illegal for its intended career.

According to Road & Track:

"To make a 75 into an Evoluzione, Alfa had to start with the engine, though
much of what's in the homologation special is similar to the standard 75
Turbo.  The twincam 4-cylinder is almost a classic, the basic powerplant
having been around for decades.  The aluminum block and head, plus the
bearing caps, were reinforced because of the added horsepower.  Both the
exhaust and intake manifolds were modified, mainly to qualify the parts for
the race version.  The road-going Evoluzione keeps the regular 75 Turbo's
Bosch fuel injection, Garrett T3 turbocharger with air-to-air intercooler,
and digital electronic ignition, along with its 155 bhp at 5800 rpm and 166
lb-ft of torgue at 2600.

"Developed for Group A, the engine goes through another transformation,
adding Bosch LEII-Jetronic injection, increasing the size of the
intercooler and moving it from its flat position atop the engine in the
production car to just behind the radiator in the race version.  Race-tune
this combination to put it in the 75 and it will produce 280 bhp."

The article goes on to describe the heavily spoilered, skirted, girdled,
air-dammed, everything-RED-including-the-wheels, and generally frightening
looking Milano/75.  This car, introduced in March 1987 at the Geneva auto
show, was built to get attention!

EUROPEAN SPECIFICATIONS

Price				est $45,000
Curb weight, lb		2485
Wheelbase, in.		98.8
Track, front/rear		55.0/54.6
Length				170.5
Width				64.2
Height				53.1
Fuel capacity, U.S. gal.	12.9 (U.S. gal)

Engine:

Type				turbocharged dohc inline-4
Bore x stroke, in./mm	3.15 x 3.48/80.0 x 88.5
Displacement, cu in./cc	108/1779
Compression ratio		7.5:1
Bhp @ rpm, DIN		155 @ 5800
Torque @ rpm, lb-ft		166 @ 2600
Fuel injection		Bosch

Drivetrain:

Transmission			5-sp manual
Gear ratios: 5th (0.78)	3.04:1
 4th (0.95)			3.71:1
 3rd (1.23)			4.80:1
 2nd (1.72)			6.73:1
 1st (2.87)			11.22:1
Final-drive ratio		3.91:1

Chassis & Body:

Layout				front engine/rear drive
Brake system			10.5-in. vented discs front, 9.8-in discs rear;
				vacuum assisted
Wheels				cast alloy, 15.6
Tires				195/55VR-15
Steering type			rack & pinion, power assisted
 Turns, lock-to-lock		3.2
Suspension, front/rear: upper & lower A-arms, torsion bars, tube shocks,
anti-roll bar/De Dion tube on trailing arms, double Watt linkage, coil
springs, tube shocks, anti-roll bar

Performance:

0-60 mph, sec			7.5
Standing 1/4 mile		na
Top speed, mph		133

That's it.  I swear I saw one pictured on the Internet for sale a few years
ago, it was in Florida.

- -Frank

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