[alfa] re: GTV V8

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In AD9-0782 George Graves writes "The Alfetta, is, I believe, a heavier car
than the Montreal - - " Perhaps, but only if published data is wrong. Alfa's
figures give 1270 kg for the Montreal, 1090 kg for an Alfetta GTV 2000, 1210
kg for a GTV 6. They do also give the Montreal a 10 km/h edge over the GTV 6
in top speed, with a shorter stroke engine producing more power at a higher
RPM with the same rear end ratio. Again by Alfa's figures, the Monty had 4.05%
more displacement than the GTV 6 but weighed 4.95% more, so the modest
difference in acceleration noted by Larry Dickman Jr. should not be a great
surprise. I don't have anything on the weight distributions or sprung/unsprung
weight ratios of the cars, but I wouldn't expect the Monty to have much of an
edge on the road or track except in glamour, prestige, panache, pizazz,
presence, opulence, amenities, exclusivity, and all that.

Joe Elliott wrote "Autodelta was going to build an Alfetta with a lightweight
aluminum chassis and a Montreal engine - - " Aluminum chassis? I wonder. The
33 Stradale had a light alloy chassis, and the GTA had alloy panels on its
core steel structures, but "a lightweight aluminum chassis" under (or within)
an Alfetta shell (or 'silhouette' simulation of an Alfetta shell) would have
been quite a trick in the seventies, even for Autodelta.

Not that the Montreal engine isn't a magnificent piece of work- I just feel
that it and the car are mismatched: a great engine in a dated styling
exercise.

John H.
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided