Alfa brings out the big Romeo...

Alfa Romeo has experienced a comeback of sorts in the last decade, particularly when it comes to the Australian market. 2002 looks to be yet another big year, thanks to a couple of trump cards in Alfa's hand.

The first was the refined Alfa 147 hatch, which scooped the prestigious European Car of the Year award in 2001. To learn more about the 147, click here. The second trump card is the top-of-the-range Alfa Romeo, sporting everything the marque prides itself on - including performance.

When the new Alfa Romeo 156 GTA arrives in Australia, it will contend the manic Honda Integra Type R's mantle of the fastest front-wheel drive, thanks to all the attention Alfa has put into its re-jigged V6 powerplant.

Under the GTA's polished bonnet lies a new 3.2-litre, Alfa-made six-cylinder mill. Boasting quad cams and a 60-degree vee configuration, the base engine used for the GTA is actually Alfa's warm 3.0-litre V6. As such, the GTA's powerplant has been stroked to the tune of about 200cc and the extra capacity difference is surprising.

The crankshaft and pistons were tweeked and the stroke lengthened to increase the cylinder capacity, while the standard four valves-per-cylinder have remained the same. The GTA gets a new engine oil radiator for better cooling, remapped fuel-injection systems and the intake and exhaust ports have been retuned, offering a huge upturn in performance.

Now the engine creates a rather imposing 184kW of power @ 6400rpm, which is quite a feat when you consider all of this power is transferred to front wheels only. With some 300Nm of torque, it's easy to see why this Italian sports-saloon completes the 0-100km/h sprint in just 6.3 seconds, compounded by a wallet-scouring 250km/h top speed.

But more than just raw torque and high power levels, the new GTA offers performance in a rather understated package. For an Alfa, it's quite flamboyant, but put it up against other performance-oriented vehicles and this looks more like a sexy family car.

And perhaps that's one of the most impressive things about the new 156 GTA - the fact that Alfa didn't add massive rear wings and use a whole new sports chassis, where one would have to shoe-horn himself into the drivers seat, as opposed to just stepping in.

Instead you get a mildly enhanced bodykit, which spells out that this is not your ordinary Alfa, but not a fire-breathing nitro-powered menace to society, either.

The front end is particularly sweet, with a low front spoiler incorporating a huge mesh-covered air-dam, flanked by large spotlights. Spin the car around, and the rear-end gets a similarly low-slung rear skirt, which helps improve aerodynamics. Side skirts complete the picture and for those who want it, a rear wing is optional.

Wearing large, extra sticky low-profile tyres on 17-inch alloy wheels, the GTA will offers more precise handling than its stable mates, further reinforced by the redesigned power-steering function. The 156 GTA has just 1.75 turns, lock-to-lock, the shortest rotation of any Alfa.

The GTA has also seen an upgrade in the transmission department, with the six-speed manual offering an "oversized" clutch, as Alfa Romeo calls it, perfect for dropping! There is also a choice of the F1-inspried Selespeed transmission, which is also a six-speed variant controlled via steering wheel-mounted paddles.

With completely revised suspension and brakes, the GTA offers a well-rounded package, though early reports from Euro testers allege the drive is way too stiff, giving the occupants a rather jumpy and jittery ride around town and on less-than-perfect roads.

It's fitted with all-new bushings, changed damper and spring settings plus a lower overall ride height. Hauling the GTA in are large 305mm ventilated discs up front, with 276mm discs at the rear, each clad with Brembo calipers. Alfa Romeo claims that the new brakes offer much improved stopping distances while reducing brake fade resistance.

Inside, the GTA offers up traditional Italian comfort, with elegant, yet sporty horizontal bar leather bucket seats up front. You get drilled aluminium pedals, bold speedo and tacho dials and probably a lot more, which has yet to be confirmed for the local release.

It was almost four decades ago that the Alfa's unstoppable Giulia Sprint GTA hit the scene, literally blowing all opposition away. It won the European Touring Car Championship in 1966, 1967 and 1968. It took out the honours in the gruelling six-hour Nurburgring race and the other four-hour Sebring drive as well. With such pedigree, Alfa is grooming the GTA for entry into the 2002 European Touring Car Championships as well as Alfa Romeo showrooms right across the globe in what will be an assault both on the track and off.

The Alfa Romeo 156 GTA will arrive in Australia for sale in August and though no price has been given, expect to fork over about $90,000 or so.