30.08.2010 SPECIAL CENTENARY SERIES ALFA GT SET TO SENT THE BERTONE COUPÉ OFF IN STYLE

ALFA ROMEO GT COUPE 3.2 LIMITED EDITION (100TH ANNIVERSARY)
ALFA ROMEO GT COUPE 3.2 LIMITED EDITION (100TH ANNIVERSARY)
ALFA ROMEO GT COUPE 3.2 LIMITED EDITION (100TH ANNIVERSARY)
ALFA ROMEO GT COUPE 3.2 LIMITED EDITION (100TH ANNIVERSARY)
ALFA ROMEO GT COUPE 3.2 LIMITED EDITION (100TH ANNIVERSARY)

Alfa Romeo is eking out sales of the Bertone-styled GT Coupé by creating a new special series to celebrate the brand's 100th anniversary this year, available in limited numbers it will also come fitted with the outgoing "Arese" V6 engine.

The Alfa Romeo GT Limited Edition features 18-inch alloy wheels (taken from the model's options list) with red brake calipers squeezed in behind, and the revised cosmetic exterior detailing continue with satin effect door mirrors and front grille while it also comes with rear parking sensors as standard. The style makeover continues in the cabin, with the aluminium sports pedals, sports leather seats, leather steering wheel and black instrumentation - all are stylish and timeless. Four exterior body colours are available on this special version: Black (solid), Alfa Red (pastel), Ice White (pastel) and Atlantico Blue (metallic), while inside it comes with a slightly revised black leather interior.

Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2003 before arriving in the Italian showrooms at the beginning of the next year, the GT Coupé was styled by Bertone, one of the final jobs for the design house before a court restructuring process loomed. A much-loved design, the GT Coupé was based on the platform and mechanicals of the 156 Sportwagon (with the dashboard and a string of other components being taken from the 147). It was, however, overshadowed by the arrival soon afterwards of another Alfa Romeo sports car, the Brera – although, with its athletic looks and more dynamic chassis, the GT Coupé had its own legion of fans who rated it above the Giugiaro-designed coupé.

At the heart of this new "GT Limited Edition" model is Alfa Romeo’s iconic 240 CV 3.2-litre quad-cam V6 (the Brera, by contrast, suffered from being equipped with the less-regarded GM-sourced 3.2 V6). The ‘Arese’ V6 catapults the GT Coupé from standstill to 100 km/h in just 6.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 243 km/h, while maintaining a more-than-respectable combined fuel consumption figure of 12.4 l/100km. Built at Alfa Romeo’s long-time factory at Pomigliano d'Arco near Naples (alongside the Alfa 159 and 159 Sportwagon), the GT Coupé’s production has trickled to almost a standstill, and with the plant set to switch to building the next-generation Fiat Panda from late next year, its demise is imminent.

The GT Coupé Limited Edition is being sold worldwide by Alfa Romeo's dealer network with even distant new car markets such as Australia getting 100 examples of the sports car while South Africa is selling 30 units; each one is individually numbered for the respective market with a somewhat clumsy plaque mounted on the either side of the front wing.

The GT 3.2 Coupé Limited Edition comes with all the well-specified standard equipment list of the GT 3.2 Coupé, including six airbags, ABS with EBD, Traction control (ASR) and Stability Control (ESP), remote central locking, fully adjustable steering wheel with remote audio controls, trip computer, ski tunnel, front armrest with recess, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, rear PDC, front passenger seat height adjustment and Bose Hi-Fi system.

On top of this standard equipment and features the GT 3.2 Coupé Limited Edition includes a number of components that have been drawn from the model's usual options list, fitted as standard in this case: 18-inch, 5-spoke wheels (with 225/40ZR14 tyres), sports leather seats with red stitching (leather seats are standard on the regular 3.2 but the design is new for the Limited Edition), Blue&Me (handsfree Bluetooth, media player with USB port and voice commands), red brake calipers, satin metallic finish mirrors, grille and door handles, "Visibility Pack" (auto headlights and wipers) and "Internal Pack" (aluminium sports pedals and sports instrument cluster).
 

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