Alfa Romeo 164L

To DIE-HARD Alfisti, the news that the 164 was to be a front-drive car was absolutely earth-shattering. Unlike the Milano that preceded it, you can't pitch the 164 into a turn and then exit in your finest power-on, opposite-lock imitation of Tazio Nuvolari.  But the chassis 164 chassis is incredibly rewarding to drive. Starting with the basic platform shared with the Saab 9000, Fiat Croma and Lancia Thema, Alfa went its own way with different suspension design, chassis tuning and styling, while retaining  the very best thing of the Milano, its 3.0-liter sohc V-6.

And what an engine it is. Though a little soft on torque at low rpm, the Alfa's 183-bhp V-6 climbs to its 6500-rpm redline with a vengeance, peaking at 185 lb-ft. at 4400 rpm, making truly satisfying mechanical sounds all the way up. And the gearbox, despite its recalcitrant engagement of reverse, is a joy, with a rod-actuated gearshift linkage that manages to feel mechanically direct yet operates with a light touch.

Though at 3325 lb. the Alfa is the heaviest car of the pack, it's one of the most stiffly sprung and feels as if it has the least body roll. But don't equate this firmness with a lack of suspension compliance; the 164 exhibited leechlike roadholding when negotiating the twisty parts, with near-neutral handling (no doubt helped by shifting some weight rearward with a trunk-mounted battery) and impressive grip. Nor is it so stiff that a cross-country trip would be uncomfortable. Aiding and abetting the suspension are steering and braking systems with the same enjoyable mechanical honesty that the engine and transmission exhibit.

If a sore spot exists, it's the interior or, more precisely, the driving position. One needs an extra-long set of arms and a correspondingly stubby set of legs to deal comfortably with the steering wheel and pedal locations, seemingly a trademark of Italian cars. The steering wheel, which telescopes but doesn't tilt for adjustment, obscures a large portion of the tachometer for anyone who stands more than 6ft. tall. But the seats are comfortable and properly bolstered, and the rear-seat passengers, in addition to enjoying  a decent amount of space, have the niceties of pull-up sunshades and a storage box built into the shelf behind the seats.

And then there's the 164 subtle wedge shape, handsome from any angle, and looking like nothing else from the front with its distinctive triangular grille dipping into the bumper. Many of us were taken by the styling and handling, but turned off by little flaws in the interior - a sunroof that rattled in the vent position, the shoddy trap door that swings up when the console-mounted parking brake is set, the wobbly feel of the look-alike rows of buttons for the ventilation system on the dash, the electric seat-height adjustment that refused to work. But Alfa owners have always put up with the little eccentricities to enjoy the sporting attributes of their cars, and so the tradition continues.
Vancouver B.C. Car Info
vancouvercarinfo.com/
Wpg Auto Dealer

Road Test: Toyota Corolla GT-S

Now it burns rubber at the other end.
Toyota is in many ways the General Motors of Japanese carmakers. It has the largest share of its domestic market, it sells its cars through five distinct divisions, and it offers a comprehensive range of vehicles, from entry level turbo scooters to mid-engined sports cars to heavy-duty trucks. With so many nameplates to sell and so many market segments to cover, some sharing of powertrains and platforms is inevitable - if for no other reason than to keep the parts numbers from over loading the computers.
The latest move in this direction is a common, front-drive platform for all three new models in the 1988 Corolla lineup: the revamped four-door sedan, the new five-door wagon, and the formerly rear-wheel-drive two-door coupe. (The carried over Corolla FX models share some of the new line's components but are built on a different platform.) The induction of the GT-S coupe and its SR5 sister into the front-drive fold may come as sad news to fans of opposite-lock powerslides and parking-lot doughnuts. In truth, however, shifting the coupe's tractive power forward hasn't dramatically altered their personalities or shrunk their performance envelopes.
The SR5 remains the wallflower coupe, while the GT-S is the one with the fun moves, All the new Corollas benefit from stronger engines, though. Last year, the GT-S, along with the FX16 and the MR2, was equipped with a twin cam, four-valve-per-cylinder engine, while the other Corollas had single-overhead-cam motors. This year, all the new models are powered by twin-cam engines; the lower order Corollas now have 90 hp on tap, while the GT-S, with a freer-breathing head and port fuel injection rather than a carburetor, has 115 hp under its hood. For trivia buffs, the engine in last year's GT-S produced three less horsepower, the extra power in the new model is a result of minor induction tuning and new fuel injectors. The GT-S is further distinguished from the other new Corollas by disc brakes at all four wheels (the rest have drums at the rear), a gearbox with a taller first gear and a shorter final-drive ratio, variable-ratio rack-and-pinion steering (the others get a straight ratio), and bigger wheels and tires.
The front drive platform common to all the new Corollas gives the GT-S and the SR5 a slightly longer wheelbase than they had last year, up from 94.5 to 95.7 inches.
Both models are longer and wider, too, and their rooflines are a remarkable three inches lower. The new coupe body has a more pronounced wedge shape and a cleaner overall look; although the genetic link to the previous model is unmistakable, the package is clearly evolving in the right direction. As the sportier of the two coupes, the GT-S wears rocker-panel extensions, a rear spoiler, and "GT-S Twin Cam 16" decals on both doors. The GT-S and SR5 both have pop-up headlights, while the rest of the line gets fixed lamps.
The GT-S' interior is a comfortable, sporty environment, but we regret to say that we've seen it all before. Although massaged and freshened up the cabin is distinctly familiar both in its general layout and in its design details. Since the car is all new this year, the feeling of dejavu is a little eerie.
Not that there is anything really wrong with this interior, Hyundai would kill for the GT-S' cockpit. Itemize the pieces and everything looks aces. The steering wheel is thick and grabable; the shifter works flawlessly (the GT-S is available only with a five-speed; the analog instruments including a wildly optimistic 150-mph speedo, are eminently readable.
Vancouver B.C. Car Info 
vancouvercarinfo.com/