Alfa Romeo Spider 1750 TBi: Nippy, stylish and charismatic

1.697113-3449157299 — The Alfa Romeo Spider is a beautiful piece of car design by Pininfarina. Image Credit: Supplied

As fans of the always hilarious and more often than not controversial American cartoon Family Guy may recall, articulate yet homicidal infant Stewie Griffin once gave equally articulate family dog Brian Griffin a performance review using the ‘compliment sandwich' technique, with predictably amusing consequences.

Apparently this is a legitimate way of conducting such a review in management circles, where the reviewer offers the reviewee something positive, before suggesting something they can improve on and finishing with another positive.

It may prove to be the ideal way to review the new Alfa Romeo Spider 1750 TBi — a model that runs the gambit of positive and negative attributes.

So here goes… The new engine is an excellent performer. Previously available with a choice of 2.2-litre or 3.2-litre V6 petrol or 2.4-litre diesel units, Alfa Romeo has added a new 2.0-litre diesel and 1.7-litre turbocharged petrol unit to both the Spider and Brera ranges.

A notably advanced engine, the petrol unit uses direct injection, variable valve timing and a turbo to produce 200bhp at 4,750rpm and a peak of 320Nm of torque at an almost unbelievable 1,400rpm. The result is an engine that delivers across the rev range and proves easy to live with on a high speed cruise and around town.

Using a short throw six-speed gearbox, the engine proves well suited to the Spider — in-gear acceleration is strong and performance is refined with turbo-lag minimised.

Unfortunately, economy is not particularly impressive. The new petrol engine, and the 2.0-litre JTDM diesel unit for that matter, was introduced to offer high performance with lower emissions. The 192g/km CO2 emissions figure is fixed as far as road tax is concerned, but the stated 34.5mpg combined fuel consumption figure proves hard to achieve in the real world. Even on a long run with minimal town driving, fuel consumption of 30mpg is a more reasonable target to aim for.

On the plus side, the Spider's styling remains phenomenal. Few cars in this price bracket are as capable of turning heads, even though the convertible model has been available for a number of years in this form. The roof drops almost as quickly as the jaws of passers-by, and the mini-supercar styling is equally attractive top up or down.

On to round two, and the first point is really an extension of the last; the Alfa Romeo Spider is a model brimming with charisma. Equipped with the optional leather seats, the interior of the Spider really does exude an aura. The Pininfarina exterior styling is complemented by the classic two-seat interior. Little touches such as the Benzina gauge and the scrolling dial digital odometer add a great deal. The driver-focused cockpit features central pods angled towards the driver's seat and a sporty driving position with a neat, short throw transmission.

The Spider really needs this charisma though, because ride and build quality remain questionable. With the roof in place, the chassis feels considerably less taut than in the Brera sister model and with the roof down the scuttle shake is very noticeable, reducing the pleasure of driving on a twisty B-road, particularly when equipped with larger diameter optional alloy wheels and low-profile tyres.

Wind noise at motorway cruising speed is louder than drivers of modern convertibles, particularly folding-hard tops, will have come to expect. A non-functioning interior passenger door pull and a sticking fuel gauge were also insights into the traditional Alfa quality issues that many will have hoped the Italian manufacturer had put behind them.

Finishing on a positive note, the Spider proves a remarkably practical car for a two-seater convertible. There's a large boot that's not affected by the canvas roof being folded and still boasts room for a space-saver spare wheel beneath the floor. Two cubby holes behind the seats offer additional storage.

A piece of flawed genius, the Alfa Spider retains its instant classic appeal and offers marginally reduced running costs without loss of performance in 1750 TBi form. For many drivers, its charisma and looks will be enough to outweigh the rough edges, but with so many stylish and well built drop tops out there, it's certainly no clear cut decision.

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