Paolo Massai, the brand’s vice-president comments on GT
AGILE, STEADY AND reactive, as well as being particularly enjoyable to drive. These are just some of the comments coming from motoring journalists who have tried the new coup coupι. Paolo Massai, the brand’s vice-president, Engineering, confirms that : “Alfa GT is ready to win over the public”.
“We wanted to create a real high-performance coupι in the best tradition of Alfa Romeo, but also a car that was comfortable and elegant – says Paolo Massai, vice-president, Alfa Romeo Engineering – a car capable of winning over a whole new sector of the public: those who love sportiness and perfect dynamic handling, but who will not put up with the compromises that are typical of coupιs in terms of comfort and spaciousness”. To reach this goal, the Alfa Romeo design department employed its best resources, drawing on the brand’s tremendous technical know-how.
“Alfa Romeo’s engineers-testers – Massai goes on to say – are accustomed to making virtual studies and calculations of the car’s behaviour on the road, and then physically testing it on the track. The results of this dedication are already there for all to see: all the specialist journalists who have tried the Alfa GT have been very positive in their praise”. And, with a touch of pride, he adds: “Along with compliments about the car’s style and dynamics, which are not really anything new for a real Alfa Romeo, there has also been high praise for the car’s “concept”, for the idea of a coupι that is sporting yet comfortable, and above all there has been praise for the perceived quality”.
Quality in terms of performance, advanced technology and safety. “The entire chassis-suspension system – explains Massai – has been developed to offer the maximum, not only in performance, but also in active safety. And this is independent of the contribution made by the electronics. The suspension, tires and chassis have all been designed to avoid understeering. The Alfa GT is driven by the accelerator: release it and the car enters a bend even more easily, press it again on exiting the bend and the car realigns itself”.
And just to demonstrate the dynamic safety of the new coupι, there is a test that, as Paolo Massai says, removes any basis for doubt. A hand-brake turn skids the car to about 45-50 degrees: if you release the steering wheel and pedals, (simulating the behaviour of a driver who panics) the Alfa GT realigns itself in only two “movements”. A result that demonstrates how the VDC device is essential but not intrusive, and does not interfere with driving pleasure.
