A look back at the ultra rare Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0
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The Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0 was in production from 1981 to 1987. It was a period when Alfa Romeo struggled with design and mechanical flaws that seriously damaged the company’s reputation in the market. The Alfa Romeo GT, despite its 2.0 liters and 2.5 liters
The Giugiaroer engines suffered the same fate. The 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter variants had more or less the exact exterior design specs, but these cars were prone to less power output, seal failures, electrical issues, and breakdowns. trust issues. Primarily designed for racing and regular production, these cars lost podiums due to their weak setups compared to their rivals.
The GTV6 3.0 was primarily designed for Alfa Romeo in order to once again dominate the racing circuits. The GTV6 3.0 was developed as part of a collaboration between Alfa Romeo Italy and Alfa Romeo South Africa, Autodelta. Autodelta was the sports division of the Italian car manufacturer. The GTV6 3.0 was an instant hit and won the South African Touring Car Championship as a first step.
From 1983 to 1985, Alfa Romeo homologated around 200 GTV6 3.0 in road version, which makes them extremely rare. Here’s a look at the rare vehicle that saved Alfa Romeo from disaster.
The amazingly designed frame
The Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0’s main competitor in the South African Touring Car Championship was the BMW 535i which had a larger engine and a well-balanced body. To surpass this German rival, the engineers of Alfa Romeo completely revised the internal technicality of the car, which gave birth to an automotive marvel. While the exterior structure has remained almost identical to the 2.0L and 2.5L versions, the suspension system, brakes and transmission system have undergone major changes.
The GTV6 3.0s suspension system was directly inherited from F1 technology. The car’s front axle damping was fitted with double-wishbone torsion bars coupled with anti-roll bars and telescopic shocks. At the rear there was a laterally located Watts linkage coil spring telescopic suspension with anti-roll bar with DeDion tube. The wheels of the GTV6 3.0 were fitted with 269mm ventilated discs up front and 250mm discs at the rear. The next revolutionary change was the shifting of the transmission system to the rear. The GTV6 3.0 had a 5-speed transaxle integrated into the rear axle, which allowed the car to be perfectly distributed at 50:50.
It is a sporty body design
The GTV6 3.0 had a two-door coupe body with a sloping rear and front silhouette. The sloped hood leaned toward the slim front grille with round headlights on both sides, while the roof sloped past the B-pillar and continued to form the rear of the car. The front and rear bumpers were plastic, and the front turn signals were housed on the bumpers instead of the fenders. At the rear, the taillights and turn signals were integrated in two large groups on each side. The sleek, sloping design of the car allowed unrestricted airflow around the body, which was reflected in the car’s 0.39 aerodynamic drag coefficient.
As for dimensions, the GTV6 3.0 had a wheelbase of 94.49 inches with an overall length of 167.72 inches. Lengthwise, the car was not large, but it had a spacious interior due to the lack of a transmission system up front. The car was 65.51 inches wide with a 370-liter trunk for cargo. Configured for tracks, the GTV6 3.0 weighed just 2,465 pounds. Inside, the car could accommodate four people with fabric or leather upholstery. On the driving console, there was a sport-inspired three-spoke steering wheel with large analog gauges behind.
The improved engine power of the GTV6 3.0
For the GTV6 3.0, Alfa Romeo and Autodelta have completely overhauled the engine. The engine was configured entirely in South Africa, and Autodelta developed large cylinder heads, crankshaft, pistons, and cylinder liners to create the 3.0-liter V6. A larger valve was also used for the cylinders. In addition, the inclusion of Dellorto carburetors improved the engine performance to a significant level.
The end result was a 3.0-liter longitudinal V6 with 6 vertical DellOrto FRPA40 carburettors and 2 valves per cylinder. The engine was mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that propelled the rear wheels. Maximum engine power was 183 horsepower at 6,700 rpm and 195 lb-ft of torque at 4,300 rpm. This mighty V6 could take cargo from 0-60mph in just 7.8 seconds and sprint it to a top speed of 140mph.
The GTV6 3.0 is one of the rarest Alfa Romeos. Only 208 cars were made in its six years of production. So buying that car today would be as tedious as finding a needle in a pile of hay. This is not very common in auctions or on sites that sell classic cars. Although several websites list this car, verifying that it is an original is a whole other task altogether.
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