Alfa Romeo's 155 sedan was popular with enthusiasts because of its mix of sport and comfort. So for the next generation car, the 156, Alfa Romeo made sure it gave its core customers what they wanted... and then some. When it was unveiled in 1997, the 156 surprised many with its bold new looks, With a nod to the classic Giulietta and Giulia models, the styling was a fusion of 4-door body and 2-door coupe that took sports-sedan…
Alfa Romeo’s 155 sedan was popular with enthusiasts because of its mix of sport and comfort. So for the next generation car, the 156, Alfa Romeo made sure it gave its core customers what they wanted… and then some. When it was unveiled in 1997, the 156 surprised many with its bold new looks, With a nod to the classic Giulietta and Giulia models, the styling was a fusion of 4-door body and 2-door coupe that took sports-sedan design in a whole new direction.
And the theme continued on the inside. The coordinated black interior incorporated classic styling motifs from yesteryear while still incorporating modern visual cues to excite its passengers.
The redesign led by Giorgetto Giugiaro was unveiled in 2003, and featured modifications to the front and rear-ends. It kept original cues from Walter Da Silva’s neoretro design while giving it forms more in line with the GT and the upcoming 159/Brera.
The 156 is not just a pretty face, however. Its handling far exceeds what its front-wheel-drive layout may suggest, thanks to an unconventional suspension setup.
At the front, this car features a unique double-wishbone suspension, with a very direct and communicative steering feel.
At the rear, a special Alfa Romeo asymetrical multilink layout is fitted, granting it passive 4-wheel steering, noticeably helping the car rotate under lateral load.
All of this is combined with a well-tuned VDC electronic system acting on all 4 wheels independently to correct oversteer and understeer at all times, while allowing for a satisfying amount of slip angle.
The sum of these parts is a surprinsingly fun and communicative car. This Assetto Corsa rendition is prone to oversteer in corner entry, which is normally tamed by the VDC system, absent in this mod.
From 2003 onwards, the engine choices spanned from a 1.6-liter Twin Spark inline-4 to a 3.2-liter Busso V6 engine in the GTA.
This specific model is equipped with a 1.8-liter Twin Spark inline-4. Twin Spark engines are naturally aspirated engines notable for their dual spark plug layout (one main and one complementary) granting them enhanced low-end torque and fuel efficiency thanks to a closer-to-ideal combustion.
In combination with it’s 16 valves and Camshaft Phase Variator, this engine manages to produce 140CV and redlines at just over 7000 rpm, while featuring impressive fuel economy in the order of 4.6L/100km at 80km/h.
The already exciting sound the engine delivers is enhanced by an aftermarket Ragazzon exhaust on this model.
Noteably, the 156 was the first ever car to feature Comon Rail injection, a system developed by FIAT to enable extremely high injection pressures.
This car was the FIAT group’s flagship model in 1998 and received critical acclaim, winning many awards including the European Car of the Year.
The 156 passed the baton to its successor model the 159 in 2005, but it still stands as a prime example of classic Italian motoring.
The exact model of this car is the 156 M.Y.2002 BZ/DS (2001-2005).
Original mod by Bastian Cataldi.