The Fleet

liking the alfas as their both 2.0l, is one faster than the other?
the bikes look cool , im not a bike fan tho lol

Not a lot in it, really - at least at legal speeds. Top-end, the 156 is quicker as it's much more aerodynamic (not hard, really....)

Not much in it from 0-60, but the 75 is much more flexible (2.0lt 8v twin-cam in the 75 vs 2.0lt 16v twin-cam in the 156 - 75 is all alloy, 156 has an iron block, 75 has 148bhp, 156 has, as I recall, 155bhp) - but the 75 is a good few hundred kilos lighter.

Handling is the thing that separates them - the 156 is awesome for a FWD car (most journalists rate them as one of the all-time best handling FWD cars), but you can never beat RWD with a transaxle (ie. rear-mounted) gearbox.

I'd not call the BMW 'cool', it's big, comfy and would survive the holocaust. The Ducati is slow, for a bike, with only around 72bhp from 750cc, but it's the sweetest handling bike I've ever ridden. Sounds absolutely amazing, too.

niceone 2 pretty sweet cars. u got a favourite between the 2?

Hmmmm.

I'd have to say the 75 - had it for about 7 years now and spent a small fortune on it. Pretty much all that's left to do is to replace the headlining now, and have the driver's seat re-padded.

However, the 156 (which I ran as a company car for a year) has the Selespeed gearbox, which makes you feel like a driving hero with its 'blipped' downshifts. Also has Bose audio and a kind of yellow-ish tobacco colour Momo leather interior. Really amazingly nice car.

The 75 will always be special to me - this is why I bought my 'cento - the 75 is far too valuable (to me) and rare to risk on track days these days. It's a long-term 'keeper', can't see me ever selling it.

sweet , to be honest, i dont think iv ever seen a 75 in the flesh on the road, they must be actually pretty rare do you ever take it to classic shows or anything?
the 156 sounds very nice . i bet the cento is boring compared to those to!

Yeah, I've done a few shows with it. Bristol Auto Moto Italia and the Valleys Classic and Sportscar Club heritage run and show usually.

I wouldn't say the 'cento is boring - it's different. 'centos will always be a little bit special to me as I bought a nearly-new 'cento Sporting the week after passing my driving test (took it late, as I was a biker first, driver second).

I think everyone always has a soft spot for their first car.

cool, il have to get some pics of my dads classic. he has a mercedes 500 sec, with a 'carat by duchatalet' kit. only 200 made with the kit, thats been to a few local shows, no national ones though.

the4 centos quite a nice little car, my cousin had the 899cc one though, and it is gutless. the 1.1 isnt a bad little car though. but yeah everyone has a soft spot for their first lol

Oooh, a Carat Duchatelet. Lovely old barge.

'Pimpin'

do you know anything about them? i have been trying to find out more about them, but i emailed the company and they were bought out (cant remember what year) and they dont have any records or anything for the 80s when it was made. shame, its a cracking looking car, but we dont know much about her lol. all i found out from the guy we bought it off was that 200 were made with the kit on, but not sure if it was 200 500sec's or 200 mercs of all types thats all we know really, not much info on the net lol.

swap the 156 for a 155
like the 75, still not sure on the looks of them, though a neighbour used to have a late model in metallic black which i seem to remember as looking excellent though maybe didn't look so dated then?, think it was a V6 too. though was too young to know about cars much then. :bang:

would also like to know how they got 148bhp out of an 8valve 2litre. i get the same with my 16v Fiat unit. i know the alfa has a variator as well and being older had different emmissions regs, but even with a cat they made 148 which is impressive!!

I've had a 155, much prefer the 156....

The old Alfa twin-cams are amazing engines - I suspect the power is due to a combination of less strict emissions and the variator. Even the cars without a variator are pushing 130bhp.

I'm sure that, with a cat, they're down to 140bhp, though.