Alfa Romeo Division loaned me a 147 GTA in Italy for two weeks when they
first came out. I put about 3000 K on it in those two weeks which
included several laps of the Targa Florio circuit and a climb up Mt.
Etna as well as hundreds of Autostrade miles at high-speed, driving in
towns and cities (including Rome) and on secondary roads. I found the
car to be perfectly tractable, comfortable, and easy to drive. It's
understeering characteristics are nowhere near as bad as I had been led
to believe by British magazine reports, and the car was quite
predictable under all circumstances (even when making parking brake
turns on the Targa Florio circuit - although if the car were mine, I'd
disconnect that damned electronic "chirp" which ensues any time the
parking brake is invoked). My only complaint with the car is the turning
radius. Steering travel is quite restricted when compared with one of
the 4-cylinder 147s, such as the 1600 model that Alfa loaned me the
previous year. You cannot turn around within the confines of a normal,
full two-lane road and a three point turn becomes easily a five or even
a six-point turn. While this is of no concern during normal driving
(where the ultra-fast, light steering makes driving hard a real
pleasure), it is, nonetheless, my harshest criticism of the car. The
acceleration, the overall good road-holding and very driver oriented
handling (as well as it's butch good looks) were a constant source of
smiles over the entire two weeks. I really wanted to take this puppy
home to California with me when my two weeks were up, but alas, we can't
buy or even privately import new Alfas here in the United States (so
much for the land of the free).