Alfa Romeo 164 - beautiful in many ways
It happens to people that they like to complicate everything that surrounds them. They do not notice that life itself is already complicated enough, and there is no need to confuse it even more. They live in hope "for a better tomorrow", forgetting that what is "here and now" can also be beautiful. You just need to look at it differently. They don't understand that tomorrow may never come.
The same applies to cars - they always dream of the best, without being able to appreciate what they currently have. The exception in this case is the owners of... Alf Romeo. This special group of people, in love with this unique Italian marque, celebrate their cars above anything else that runs on earth. It doesn't matter whether they are lucky enough to drive the latest Giulietta, the controversial MiTo, the beautiful 159 or the aggressive Brera. In fact, even owners of a 164-year-old Alf think their car is the best they've ever driven. Born optimists, or rather lucky ones, struck by a virus... of happiness transmitted along the asphalt road.
Model 164 is a special design in the history of the Italian manufacturer: decent, massive, fast in all variants and, in my opinion, unfortunately, not the most beautiful. Of course, I understand that for such a statement I can get a big whip, but I hasten to explain why, in my opinion, “doubtful beauty”. Well, currently produced alpha versions age very slowly. For example, model 147 or 156. More than 10 years have passed since their debut, and they still look like the drawing boards are gone the day before yesterday. On the other hand, the older models of the Italian manufacturer, due to their rather angular nature and less refined style, age faster than many other designs.
Model 164 debuted in 1987. In order to reduce development and implementation costs, the same floor slab was used not only in the Alfa 164, but also in the Fiat Croma, Lancia Thema and Saab 9000. Styling studio Pininfarina was responsible for the exterior design. The result of the work of designers and stylists in hindsight looks unattractive. Powerful headlights, the manufacturer's logo forcibly fused into the front belt, and the mask, flat as a tailor's table, do not stand out in any way. Delicate side ribbing and an unexpectedly large glazed surface hint at the brand's athletic roots.
Despite the archaic appearance of one Alfie 164, it is impossible to refuse it - aggressiveness. Despite the fact that the car is rapidly aging and stylistically stands out against the background of any modern trends, it has retained its unique style. Equipped with massive aluminum wheels, it can look really intimidating.
The interior is a completely different story. Although the claws of time have left a clear mark on Italian construction, the level of equipment and finish of the car, even today, pleasantly surprises. Impeccable seats, pleasant to the touch velor or leather upholstery and very rich equipment make up for the stylistic shortcomings of the exterior. And this space - traveling by car, even with five full passengers on board - is a real pleasure.
But the best thing about this type of car is always under the hood. The base two-liter Twin Spark unit had almost 150 hp. This was enough for the car to accelerate to 100 km / h in 9 seconds. Over time, a 200 hp Turbo version was added. In his case, the sprint to 100 km / h took only 8 seconds, and the maximum speed “beat” 240 km / h. For lovers of V-shaped engines, something special was also prepared - the three-liter engine at the initial stage reached a power of more than 180 hp, and later in production it was enriched with another 12 valves (24V in total), due to which the power increased. up to over 230 hp (versions Q4 and QV). Equipped in this way, "Alpha" reached the first "hundred" in just over 7 seconds and could accelerate to a maximum of 240 km / h. Fuel consumption, as usual, was a taboo subject. As you might guess, with dynamic driving, the results at the level of 15-20 liters were not something extraordinary. However, for fans of the brand, the sound coming from under the hood is worth all the money.
Another page is written in the history of Model 164, which not everyone remembers. Well, Alfa Romeo was about to return to motorsport. For this purpose, a power unit was developed, marked with the symbol V1035, which was placed under the hood of the discussed Alfa 164, marked with the suffix "pro-car". Well, almost “discussed Alpha 164”. This 10-cylinder miracle of technology straight from the Formula 1 races went under the hood of a car that only looked like a serial Alfa 164. In fact, the car underwent modifications that allowed it to reduce its weight to the standard 750 kg. Low dead weight combined with over 600 hp engine. resulted in incredible performance: 2 seconds to 100 km/h and a top speed of 350 km/h! In total, two copies of this car were built, one of them is in the hands of a private collector, and the other car adorns the halls of the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, reminding that the Italian manufacturer knows how to remember himself extremely exquisitely. Sometimes. And how can you not love the cars of this brand?
