'03 Alfa Spider

[Luca <nodoubt@xxxxxxxxx>]

Yesterday, sunday, it was a very beautiful day. Sunny, warm.
I was pretty tired (worked 0800-2130 or 2200 the whole week, saturday
included) so I was lazying at home, watching the MotoGP races, doing nothing.
My girlfriend wanted to go somewhere, so she kicked me and made me popping up
my comfortable couch :-)
It was a day worth a ride on the motorcycle, but it was 10 days I didn't fired up
the 75 Turbo, so I told myself to wake up and drive the beast a bit.

We were at the point I had the car out, I was back to life, but we didn't know
what to do. My gal just wanted to move around (she came out a stressful week as well)...
so I said "let's go to drive a spider".
She put a face like "naaa, I didn't mean another motor oriented day, I wanted something
more relaxing".
I kept up my idea and drove to the Alfa dealer.
Yesterday, in ITaly, Alfa dealer had that open door days, due to the introduction of
the brand new (well, just restyled) alfa Spider.
My girlfriend thought we wouldn't have driven the car: ok, the dealer knows me (one of
their showroom is where my alfa mech got the workshop), but they already gave us the
156GTA once, and they know we wouldn't buy any car right now. I basically ignored
her advice, but I thought I just hang around w/o disturbing these alfa guys while working.
I thought to just stop there and have a sight of the car.
We arrived there, got off the Turbo walked in and all I heard was
"Ciao Luca!!! Wait 10 minutes... the car is out on a test ride, then
you can get it!" ... and I didn't ask 'em for it! :))))
We alfa chatted a bit and then... the car came back with the previous
tester.
And... off we went on this spider. Needless to say I was focused on the open
top thing. I never owned nor drove an open car. My 1st spider experience.
My girlfriend was so excited. 1st experience for her as well.
She definitely say she WANTS a spider someday. ;)
Apart the summer feeling, the exactly 2 seats way to think (it's the perfect
car to show off: he on leather driving gloves at the wheel, and she
all sexy with long air on the wind... exactely as we were yesterday, ha!)...
apart all these new overwhelming feelings I loved the thing.
The FWD could sound boring, we know, but this thing handles really FAST. 
It is reactive!
It's easy, not so soft at all... it copies the tarmac 100%, gives
feedback. The engine was a 2.0 JTS. I never tested this brand new engine line,
and I was really impressed! The lump revved up to 7K!! And it's
a 4 cylinders!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOW! :-))))))))) 
The power is enough, 165hp, but it doesn't put down a load of torque pushing
you back on the seat. It just revs up, push hard, w/o being extreme, making
it a pretty enjoyable car, but also a pretty easy car. If you can afford
it, and want to buy a nice car to your sweet half... but don't plan to send
her to death on a RWD over reactive old styled alfa: well this is the answer.
We really loved the toy!!!!!!!!
Compared to the previous serie, this offers a new engines range, like this 
2.0JTS and the 3.2V6 GTA one, and a brand new look, with a really sexy front
end making it pretty aggessive. I love it, really.
It was definitely a really nice experience!!!!
Comfort is great, standard equipment is good (ASR, you can switch it off, RADIO w/ CD,
A/C).
The car is low. You take seat quite close to the road, but for a taller guy like me
there's the risk to have the top of the head still exposed to the wind, above the
windshiled. I didn't see any wind deflector, so better carrying an alfa hat along
with leather driving gloves.
Trunk is ok, for this class of car, and the exhaust note is pretty nice (for 
a car that matches the latest emissions laws).
Definitely a car I would buy right way. ... just if I could afford it ;-)

Luca


"When the chosen people 
 grew more strong, 
 the rightful cause at length 
 became the wrong." (John Dryden, Absalon and Achitophel)

937, '87 Alfa 75 Turbo, '90 Alfa 75 1.8ie, '75 Benelli 500 Quattro, RM250
http://members.xoom.it/nodoubt73
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided