A sports car of decided personality and flair, yet also a cutting-edge car in terms of equipment, power units and mechanicals. This was the brief given to the Alfa Romeo engineers and technicians.

To achieve its goal, Fiat deployed its best resources and ensured that maximum quality and reliability standards were applied throughout the product development and construction process.

It also developed a profitable co-operative relationship with its outside suppliers and some Group Companies including Teksid, Magneti Marelli and the Fiat Research Centre.

Teksid

Through its subsidiary Meridian Technologies Inc., Teksid produced the magnesium underfacia beam for this vehicle in its Verres plant (AO). It is used on right hand drive and left hand drive versions.

This technology offers many benefits: magnesium beams have a great capacity to absorb vibrations and, because the parts are made in one piece, the likelihood of squeaking inside the car is considerably reduced. Because magnesium products are also 60% lighter than equivalent steel products, this keeps fuel consumption down. They are also fully recyclable.

This is one more sign of the continuing link between the Alfa Romeo brand and technological innovation.

Magneti Marelli

Magneti Marelli's contribution to the New Alfa 147 can be summarised as sportiness, comfort and safety. More specifically, the new model adopts the latest version of the Selespeed robotised gearbox, a shining example of Magneti Marelli's engineering prowess whose first appearance on a mass produced model was on an Alfa Romeo.

The Selespeed is a power-assisted gearbox that is directly derived from Magneti Marelli's experience with Ferrari in Formula 1. Due to its versatility, reliability and accessible price, its use has now been extended to more sporty models such as Alfa and Maserati and even small and medium-small capacity cars.

The New Alfa 147 is equipped with a Magneti Marelli infotelematic system that incorporates a satellite navigation system, radio, CD player, dual band GSM handsfree phone and voice commands. The system is equipped with a 5" TFT colour display (active matrix) for the best image clarity and definition.

Magneti Marelli also developed the body computer that performs a great number of functions aimed at the direct or indirect control of power loads and communication with other on-board control units (such as the Immobiliser, lighting controls, remote control signal decoding, mileometer and fuel level signal processing etc.).

Magneti Marelli also supplies the suspension system complete with the tried and tested double wishbone system at the front and a MacPherson strut layout at the rear. The suspension system is appreciated for its driving precision and prompt responses and offers improved comfort on the new version.

Fiat Research Centre

Innovative procedures are required to build cars that offer extraordinary no-holds-barred performance - or any successful car for that matter. We allow our sporty Alfa customers to guide the design of their dream car, hand in hand with the designer and tester.

The outcome is a brand new car concept that offers considerably more dynamic performance, driving satisfaction and comfort than its competitors under all service conditions and for all drivers - along with the greatest safety, quality and reliability.

The Fiat Research Centre customised its own innovative design procedures to the distinctive traits of the Alfa Romeo brand and conveyed them to the team that designed and produced the new model. Some of these are described below.

For the vehicle

• quality Indices (QI), that allow the vehicle's technical features to be correlated to customer perceptions so that the car can be tailored to its customers in accordance with corporate brand values;

• setting-deployment-achieving targets, that take customer targets and translate them into technical design targets for the various vehicle systems: engine, suspension, body, interiors etc;

• multidisciplinary structural optimisation, used to optimise the design to create efficient structures that offer maximum performance and minimum weight;

• crash and biomechanical procedures, that afford the passenger compartment cell the best possible occupant protection and ensure the car front end is compatible with vulnerable subjects (pedestrians, cyclists etc.) in compliance with current and future legislation;

• computerised fluid flow dynamics, that allows car aerodynamics to be optimised for improved fuel economy and wind noise while also ensuring the best possible design in terms of internal comfort and well-being as determined by climate and air quality;

• NVH (Noise-Vibration-Harshness) methods, aimed at minimising noise and vibration to ensure a comfortable, noiseless passenger compartment under all driving conditions to reduce stress and benefit the driver's health and alertness;

• car dynamic processes (handling), a traditional trait of Fiat, Lancia and Alfa cars, allowing a satisfying, predictable drive in all speed, manoeuvring and grip conditions via careful design of the suspension and controls (steering and brakes);

• physical and cognitive ergonomics, backed by virtual reality for more effective design of spaces, interior systems (seats, facia etc.), main and secondary controls, moving parts and communication interfaces to ensure that driver-vehicle interaction is considered at the design stage.

For the engines

The basic design layout of the 1.9 M-Jet 16v engine and its subsequent distinctive high-performance customisation are determined by innovative technologies and computing procedures that allowed the development of:

• multipoint injection systems for Diesel engines that inject fuel directly into the combustion chamber (Multijet);

• engine control strategies and settings designed to optimise performance, emissions, fuel consumption and comfort simultaneously;

• direct petrol injection to ensure a stoichiometric mixture;

• thermal dynamic flow simulation of the combustion process in petrol and Diesel engines;

• structural analysis of critical power unit components with the aim of improving reliability and acoustic/vibrational comfort.