Cars

Alfa 147 TI 2.0 TWIN SPARK

The 147 is a compact Alfa Romeo model that was unveiled at the 2000 Turin Auto Show. It was introduced to the Japanese market from 2001, and thanks to the highly original styling and semi-automatic “Selespeed” that continues to be employed from the 156, the 147 has become incredibly popular despite its relatively high price compared to other cars in the same class. Together with rivals like the Audi A3, it has built a new genre of premium compact cars.

In 2004 the vehicle underwent a lot of minor changes focusing on the styling. The design of the new model was performed by Italdesign who also modernized the 156, and the area around the face was redesigned and an emphasis was placed on sharpness. At the same time, the design of the instrument panel and seat material were also changed, and for the “2.0 Twin Spark” grade which was their key model for increasing sales, suspension settings were changed as well.

Twin Spark refers to the 2 spark plugs per cylinder utilized on the vehicle, which in combination with the variable induction system, draws 150 ps out of the inline four-cylinder 2 litre engine. It also delivers flexible performance by producing maximum torque at a mere 2000 rpm.

In 2005 the “TI” name traditionally given to sports grade Alfa Romeos was brought back in an additional grade of the 2.0 Twin Spark. The suspension in this model underwent specialist tuning and some of the instruments are also different from the regular Twin Spark.