Miguel Sánchez
In some cities in Spain there are people who know hybrid taxis as "Old killer". Although the term may at first seem somewhat insulting ... It has an explanation based on the popular wit that is in this country to invent "Nicknames" o "Nicknames". This cars -Normally Toyota Prius- They are so silent in the city that you do not notice how something weighing more than 1.300 kilos passes by your side.
Well, there are cars with which the acoustic issue is very different. Far from sounding less than a gentle spring breeze, there are engines that are made to roar from the rooftops. A truly hypnotic roar for all of us who are motorsport lovers and who, like conductor Von Karajan, we feel it is one of the best symphonies in the world.
Of course, while the Austrian director was referring to a V12 Ferrari… Today we are going to propose to raise the speakers with the sound of a V6 Alfa Romeo. Specifically with the 155 V6 IT, the last one - until the Quadrifoglio returns to Formula 1 this same 2018 - a great competition project born within the brand. Turn up the speakers because the roar ... More than spectacular, it is simply beautiful!
155: THE CAR WITH THE ALFA ROMEO WAS CLAIMED
Alfa Romeo 155. Said like that, without further ado ... It doesn't look like one of the brand's most iconic models. And well, it really isn't. In fact, although its design has an undoubted style and in general it was a profitable model for the company… It did not make the most purists very funny. Driven by the need to save production costs, Alfa Romeo replaced in this model its usual rear-wheel drive with a front-wheel drive that you could only replace with a total one in the Q4 version. This last, although misunderstood, was already a true past ...
Now If you put the name V155 TI (Turismo Internazionale) behind the 6, things change a lot! Because suddenly you happen to be in front of one of the greatest Italian racing beasts, a transalpine engineering prodigy who culminated his golden days in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) with a record that yields data such as the 12 victories out of a total of 20 races in 1993, His first year of competition!
But Why Germany? The answer lies in the regulation for touring car racing that the FIA introduced in 1993. It established only two possible segments: Class 1 and Class 2. Each of the various national championships had to adhere to one regulation or another; In this scenario, and showing a certain prudence, most of the countries were assigned to the most restrained segment: Class 2.
However, the Germans were bolder and opted for the Class 1: a regulation with the folio almost blank where as long as you do not go beyond the six cylinders, the 2.500 cc and very few aerodynamic modifications above the axle of the wheels ... You could do almost anything you wanted. There Alfa Romeo saw the possibility of vindicating itself, especially when it came with wounded pride after a mediocre time in F1 and a desperate and strange attempt in Indy Car.
It was time to demonstrate all that Alfa Romeo was capable of. And boy did he do it! In fact, perhaps it was his swan song before embarking on the long “crossing of the desert” that he has finally left behind thanks to models such as the successful 156, the 159, the GT, the rabid and current 4C or the new Giulia.
AN OUTSTANDING ENGINE
Come on, take a breath, here we go. All-wheel drive inherited from the Lancia HF Integrale, longitudinal front engine located just in front of the front axle almost hitting the underside to place the point of gravity as low as possible, six cylinders at 60º with short stroke pistons to F1, 24 valves, displacement of 2.498 cc and 420CV at 11.500 RPM, six-speed gearbox and a power-to-weight ratio set at 0.
Just reading it… It's already overwhelming. And it is that the engine with which Alfa Romeo motorized this marvel is still one of the great technological milestones of the brand. A mechanical jewel on which engineers like sergio limone - linked for decades to Abarth, Lancia and Alfa Romeo- they could be talking for hours.
But calm, in The Escudería we know when we have to shut up to let the engines speak. And the thing is, that of the Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI is one that we could be listening to for hours. Anyway, surely if hybrid taxis had something that sounded the same ... They wouldn't call them "old killer"!
