italiaspeed.com: 77th GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW AND ACCESSORIES

The symbol of Alfa Romeo engineering excellence

Derived from the familiar Alfa Romeo 2.4 JTD 20 valve ‘Common Rail’ engine, the new unit has 5 cylinders in line and is the most powerful engine in the JTD multivalve Multijet family, with a specific power output of 84 bhp/litre. It offers numerous advantages. First of all, it is appreciably quieter during the heating stage, depending on revs and ambient temperature. It is also extremely powerful (147 kW - 200 bhp at 4000 rpm), with generous torque (400 Nm – 40.8 kgm at 2000 rpm).

There are four valves per cylinder, activated via hydraulic tappets and rocker arms by the twin overhead camshaft. Several changes were made to the engine to boost performance, to increase engine torque at low revs, and to eliminate noise and vibration. For example, the Common Rail system adopted on the 2.4 JTDM 20v envisages two new automatic control strategies for the setting and balance of the injected diesel fuel, which reduce noise and vibration.

The engine includes several interesting components, such as the cylinder head with small stem inlet valves to increase the quantity of inlet air, con rods of fractured steel with a new shape that increases mechanical resistance to the strong stress created by the increased power, an inlet manifold fitted with a throttle valve on one of the two inlet ports of the cylinders to control the turbulence of the air entering; a throttle valve to prevent shaking if the engine stalls, and an intercooler that is highly efficient thanks to its shape and position in the car, to guarantee the optimal temperature and density of the inlet air.

The electronic EGR exhaust gas cooling system has also been modified; the lubricating circuit has a new oil pump and an external air/oil heat exchanger to cool the oil, while the water pump on the cooling circuit is also new. In other words, a long list of improvements and changes that have produced a reliable, powerful engine which is sparing on fuel. Excellent results, achieved thanks to different engine control settings, an increase in the direct injection pressure to 1600 bar, and new turboblower settings. The turboboost is provided by a turboblower with variable geometry turbo that helps to improve power delivery, but also generates very high torque even at low engine speeds. In fact, 90% of peak torque is available between 1750 and 3500 rpm.

All the strong points of the Alfa Spider

The open sports car has always played an important role in Alfa Romeo tradition (from the Giulietta Spider in the 1950s, going on to the Duetto, and the Spider launched in the 1990s) because it has always represented ‘freedom and excitement’ in a car.

The powerful 200 bhp 2.4 JTDM 20v engine is now available on the Alfa Spider family, and combined with a sporty 6-speed gearbox the new turbodiesel-powered convertible model has made its world debut this week at the Geneva Motor Show.

The new model is born with this same spirit, as the natural evolution of the many open sports cars produced by Alfa Romeo in its long history, cars that are exciting and enjoyable to drive, combining fantastic styling with the performance of powerful, elastic engines. And the new Alfa Spider is no exception, but confirms the ‘essential, simple’ character of a true sports car, combined with the technological superiority of the ‘new Alfa breed’.

Developed by Pininfarina and the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre, the model immediately catches the eye for its unmistakable ‘Italian elegance’, and absolutely unique, unrepeatable styling that promises enjoyable driving in true Alfa tradition. Although the front is consistent with the latest generation of cars from Alfa, the new model also continues the stylistic evolution of the Alfa Romeo sports cars that have made motoring history. The car’s flowing lines seem to invite the spectator to follow them all round the car’s perimeter with its clean, uncluttered lines. The sides are rendered more dynamic by the concave surface that cuts through it, and ‘muscular’ wings reveal their racing credentials without losing any elegance or stylistic lightness. And finally, the rear end is made lighter by the ‘fins’ and the rounded shape of the boot and bumpers.

Inside, the Alfa Spider’s passenger compartment is welcoming and highly sophisticated, thanks to the use of luxury materials and other outstanding features (which are standard depending on the version): from dual-zone automatic climate control to steering-wheel-mounted radio controls, VDC, Cruise Control, a map navigator with bird-view function and the Blue&Me® system.

The car is offered in two outfits, and the customer can also choose between two JTS petrol engines (2.2 delivering 185 bhp, with a 6-speed mechanical gearbox or the new robotised Selespeed gearbox, and 3.2 V6 Q4 delivering 260 bhp, and combined with a mechanical 6-speed gearbox or the new 6-speed automatic transmission), or the new 2.4 JTDM 20v 200 engine delivering 200 bhp, combined with a sporty 6-speed mechanical transmission.

The new car guarantees both the character of an Alfa and excellent dynamic performance thanks to a high double wishbone suspension layout at the front and a Multilink system at the rear. The Alfa Spider combines superb comfort with a sporty stance and an evolved ‘Alfa Romeo Q4’ four-wheel drive system (available on the 260 bhp 3.2 V6 Q4 version). And in the safety field, the new Alfa Romeo Spider is fitted with the most sophisticated electronic devices to control the car’s dynamic behaviour, from the braking to traction.

These are the winning features that enabled the new model to win the prestigious ‘Cabrio of the Year 2006’ title on its debut (at the Geneva 2006 Motor Show), awarded by the ‘Comité Cabriolet’ jury made up of 23 specialist journalists from 12 countries. Recently, the Alfa Spider also won the ‘Auto più bella del Web’ title promoted by infomotori.com. From September 1 to December 31, 2006 readers of this online motoring magazine sent in over 100,000 votes; out of a shortlist of 21 models, the Alfa Romeo sports car won the overall title and came first in two of the ten categories: Women and Open cars.

The Alfa Spider is safe, powerful and beautiful, and represents another step forward in the field of the open sports car, a segment in which Alfa Romeo has always been a force to be reckoned with. The new car was designed to embody uncompromising quality. This concept guided all stages of the car’s development, from its very conception, through the innumerable tests that the car was subjected to, right down to manufacture. Quality on the Alfa Spider is also expressed in the choice of luxurious materials in the interior, in the fine tuning of the Alfa Romeo engines to obtain the highest levels of performance, sound and comfort, and the optimisation of the sophisticated suspension system.

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08.03.2007

Antonio Baravalle, the CEO of Alfa Romeo Automobiles, presented the brand to the media in Geneva, and during the press conference he emphasised the great progress that has been made