The 147 GTA is Alfa's most focused performance car since the '70s.
There's no doubt it packs plenty of showroom appeal. The standard 147 is already a handsome car, but the GTA has been given an extra shot of steroids. A new front air-dam and an aggressive, pouting grille are matched at the rear by a honeycomb valance. You will want to drive it.
Alfa interiors used to be a hymn to cheap, nasty plastic, but the GTA is a big improvement. All the important surfaces - seats, wheel and gearstick - are wrapped in ribbed cowhide and even the plastics have taken a turn for the better. Rear room is limited but the GTA's cabin is a pleasant place to be and the hooded instrument cowls are a nice touch.
The 147 is based on a shortened version of the 156 sedan's platform and the GTA shares most of its hardware with the larger 156 GTA, including its 3.2-liter V6. Even in its darkest days, Alfa still made terrific engines and this is no exception. None of its rivals can match either of its outputs - 247 bhp and 221 lb-ft - or its glorious music.
This is one of the world's great V6s and to ply the redline is to revel in a glorious assault on the senses. Its deep, sonorous tone crescendos in harmony with the increase in thrust. The Alfa can comfortably outpace both the Ford Focus RS and the VW Golf R32. It hits 60 mph from rest in 6.1 seconds and tops 153 mph, aided and abetted by a six-speed gearbox.
The front tires fight a furious battle to transfer this power to the road. In first and second gear, it's a contest they often lose and torque steer is an ever-present affliction on poor surfaces. But that's not to suggest the Alfa's handling is poor. The excellent damping contributes to a level of body control that shames the larger 156. Only the nervous, anesthetized steering and the over-served brakes really compromise its dynamic appeal.
At #22,450 ($35,250), the Alfa is #2,445 ($3,840) more expensive than a Focus RS. Even the glorious V6 and lashings of leather cannot justify this deferential, and the Focus remains a sharper, more rewarding drive. But after the promising but unfulfilled 156 GTA, the 147 GTA proves that Alfa has the talent and the resources to start building decent cars again. Who knows? The 147 GTA may even signal a return of the glory days that never were.