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1988 AR Milano Verde owner here. Engineering tour de force. 3 liter Busso v6, 5speed MT, rear transaxle, de Dion rear suspension, in board rear brakes, brembo brakes. Recaro interior. Will be gifting to my son this year.

They are not the fried egg headlights. They appeared on the mk1 gt3 and are a proper coherent design, unlike the ones on the mk2, which were a reactive design to placate all the 911 porsche snobs who didn't like the fact that they appeared on the 986 boxster also. Those on the mk2 are a travesty compared to the mk1. As is the rear spoiler. The mk1 is a sculptured work of art. IMHO, obviously. It's all subjective.

wow...4 people to make a shitty video...cool cars thow

As a former Alfa 147 gta owner for 6 years I can say they are incredible cars when there running right, finding parts is a nightmare and when you do there Ferrari money to buy. Alfa decided it was a good idea to stick the ecu on top of the manifold cat at the back of the engine on the gta which meant the ecu would get cooked🤷🏼‍♂️My car was off the road for 3 months in the summer of 2024 because of the clutch master cylinder, could anyone find the part? NO! That’s just 1 of many times I couldn’t find parts. It was becoming a money pit too. I grew out of love with it and had to move it on. I had a gtv 3.0 V6 which was worse😡 I love to look at Alfas but never will I own another

i love the look but everything ends there,I'm talking from a former owner experience

So for the poorer petrolheads amongst us. What are the thoughts on an e46 M3 vs 996.2 C2?

As somebody who had worked in the motor trade for many years, and also actually confess to being a real petrolhead too (many who work in the motor trade are sick of cars after 8 hours+ a day working on other peoples, and drive sheds themselves). I have 'almost' bought many Alfa's, as they are good looking cars, and when you sit in one, even though the interior may be cheap quality they do feel 'special' and a nice place to be. I still have not owned one though. The disadvantages of cheap materials, and unreliability, combined with the fact they never really delivered the performance or handling that they promised (aside from a small number of models, the 4c, the Giulia quadrifoglio), just made me choose something else. I don't think anyone can say 'if you haven't owned an Alfa you can't be a true petrolhead' because there are so many really good cars that a 'petrolhead' could own instead, which are better than the Alfa equivalent. I'd like a Giulia GTV, but I can't afford one at this point in time, and I think my OG M2 qualifies as a true petrolhead's car anyway.

Isn't it time to move on from the mostly bs remarks in the name of entertainment on Top Gear 🤷🏽‍♂️

Had two, some of the best cars I have owned. Both 156 with V6 Busso, drove several other Alfas during the time, mostly fun cars

a true petrol head would avoid a new Alfa Romeo.

Are those double yellow lines your parked on, and yeah the money you save buying it, goes on fixing it

That gta has aged like a fine steak beautifully

Just bs rule made up by the top gear lot. Particularly Clarkson

I have not one but 10 alfas one of them 2005 147 gta selespeed 2019 stelvio quadrifoglio 2.9 1982 alfetta 2lt 1981 giulietta 2.0 1988 milano(75) quadrifoglio oro Also.i have 2009 maserati quattroporte s 4.7 v8 2023 fiat 695 abarth. Thanks guys for your program ❤

A lot of people wrongly believe that FWD cars cannot be good sports cars or compare to RWD sports cars. Its completely wrong. This belief almost doomed Alfa Romeo during the 90's even though the GTV, the 156 or the GT were absolutly brilliant.

Whoever came up with the saying “you’re not a true petrolhead if you’ve not owned an Alfa”, is an idiot. Why would I want to own a car that notoriously has/had problems with reliability, especially Italian wiring,

Yes, because they and like so many other European baubles, were so god-awful quality-wise that they absolutely flunked out of the North American market due to their utter inferiority.

People took entertainment show way too seriously. No, you don't need to own a specific brand to earn the name.

Automotive Art ❤

The trouble in the 90s was that Alfa Romeo was up against Sacco-era Mercedes and the golden era of BMWs. The Mercs were designed by an Italian, built by Germans without a budget, they were gorgeous things I''ve had 7 cars. An Alfa, then 3 Germans, then I've only owned Alfas since, daily driving a 4C for 5 years... Last week I moved country and bought my 4th Alfa, and I won't go back to having a garage without one.

This is a great series you’ve got going, so much information and learning more with each episode. What’s a good entry level Alfa to get a taste of what they offer? Looking forward to the next one!

Great video, learnt so much about Alfas. How do these compare with their M Car equivalent?

My first job was working in the parts department of a Fiat/Alfa dealership, I then when into Alfa sales and that’s where my passion for the Italian cars , especially Alfas started . I’ve had a couple of Alfasuds , a Sprint QV , 147 , 156, 2021 Giulia Veloce and currently I daily a 2006 GT and have a 1995 155 wide body which I’m restoring and swapping in a 3.0 24V Busso . I’ve owned a number of German cars , 3 series touring and an A6 Avant . All good cars but I always end up going back to Alfas . There’s just something special about them that I don’t get from other brands

Yes I'm a true petrolhead and never had an alfa romeo. Some people can't afford to own multiple cars just to say I had an alfa. FWD is not the best layout for a sports car and alfa was not making a good FR RWD car which is affordable since the 75 which is an old car that is expensive, old, and mostly rusty or needs restoration.

Great insight and education on the brand. Brilliantly made video brimming with authenticity. Keep them coming

Great comparison of two under appreciated and misunderstood cars! Good job guys

I owned an E46 M3 for 6 years and they can cost a good bit to get sorted. Rod bearings, Vanos lockdown, and subframe reinforcement needs to be done to all of them if you want piece of mind. Parts for the M3 were somewhat similar to the 2011 Boxster I own. Many of the parts on the GT3's are also shared with the 986 and 987 and cost for parts are very similar and in line with what you would pay for the M3... I never owned a 996 GT3 but I did get to drive one for a track day at Zandvort. It was a great car and on track has higher limits than the M3. With that said the M3 does handle really well and I had fastest time of day with my mildly modded M3 at the last Corvette club autox event. The only issue I had with the M3 is it just felt like a waste to drive on the street. Maybe if I had better roads around me it would make a difference but the car begs to be driven harder than most to make it engaging. The E46 is the best looking M3 with a great engine but I would always pick the GT3 without question.

Pinki lai really messed up.

The 996 and E46 M3 have the best analog/modern recipe. They feel old school with some of the modern day comfort. I owned an E46 M3 and now own a manual 996 C2. Though not as epic as the CSL and GT3 I have come to the conclusion that the E46 is much easier to drive on the limit, you really can't go wrong in a corner, it obeys obeys obeys. The 996 on the other hand with its rear engine setup and not much weight up front needs you to be much more alert and you need to be more precise when driving close to its limits. The 996 also feels much more alive, you feel everything and the chassis is a proper sports chassis.

911 for me vs ANY car, especially a 911 GT3 in speed yellow. Always nice hearing those that know, the 996 is quickly earning the respect they deserve. Just found the channel, great conversation, good luck!

Classic

I love this great video

guys, a great mates get together

I love this format! I felt like I was hanging out with my car enthusiast friends while watching this.

Porsche does own VAG…Porsche SE the holding company which is still owned largely by the Porsche family…Porsche SE owns VAG, VAG owns Porsche motors, Lamborghini, Skoda, Bugatti etc…

Completely different perspective for us Americans across the pond. We couldn’t even get a CSL…

It's interesting, I grew up listing after the M cars, specifically the e60 m5. It seems to be the natural progression of M enthusiasts to move on to Porsche, and specifically the gt cars. I was lucky enough to own the M5 CS and I now want to buy it back. I drive a manual 992 gt3 touring currently. So, fun to see these comparisons of older but similar cars.

The manual vs SMG argument has nothing to do the SMG, and everything... EVERYTHING is to do with irrational bias for manual boxes. The m3 manual is/was a horrible box. If it wasn't warmed up it was undriveable. If it was warmed up it was so hard to get get gears, that it was more jerky than an SMG. If you ever sat in the passenger seat while the driver was struggling to get from 1st to 2nd to 3rd around town, you'd think you were in a bad auto.

Road: CSL Track day: GT3

The 996 will never be loved. 997 steals its limelight everytime

This here is a great comparison of two iconic cars in the 2000’s. As an E46 M3 owner myself I love seeing the CSL’s in video and hope to see one in person one day!!

e86 Z4M coupe is the spiritual successor to the e46 M3. Same S54 (updated for durability) but 200lbs lighter.

I have a 996.2 GT3 and an E46 M3 that has been modified to be "nearly" like a CSL - it has the wheel carriers, suspension etc. Whilst these cars are often compared, I don't think they're in the same arena if I am totally honest. The GT3 is next level over the M3. The engine, the gearbox, the chassis, its just "better". Clarkson put it well - BMW at it's very best is not quite as good as Porsche, at it's very best. Not to take away from the M3, because if I could only have one - it would be the CSL. More usable, more of the time. The GT3, especially 996, was as close as the road cars got to the race cars. They are not overly nice cars to be in for a long period of time.

Really enjoy this format, great watch! (also love the Gran Turismo music in the background lol). Just out of interest, where was this shot? Looks like a great photo location!

What a good video! Thanks for this gem!

Two great cars. I owned a 996.1 GT3 Club Sport for many years with a few modiifications upgrades including a Manthey K400 upgrade and was the best car I've owned by far. Loved the E46 CSL too, it was just the SMG gearbox that stopped me buying one.

Fight fight fight fight hahahaha

The gt3 engine is much more special. It’s a Motorsport 964 block. Dry sump. Has nothing to do with the m96 other than both are flat 6s. E46 m3 is a neat road car engine shared with the CSL. M4 CSL is special. Give it time like we have the m3 CSL.

Very entertaining, and informative from an owners points of view. Two very iconic vehicles of the time. That said I’d go GT3 given the choice, that Mezger engine is simply amazing, thank you

Great discussion