Alfa Romeo 166 3.0 V6

We are now heading into some dangerous territory here. I mean really dangerous. This is the car writer's version of wandering into a minefield. Full of nukes. I am about to write about an Alfa Romeo. And not just any old Alfa, either. This is an Alfa that essentially defines what we as car people love about Alfas. Which means this post is going to twaddle on about 'soul' and 'passion' and 'character', without really talking about what buyers and people in general want to know: Will it break down? Is it going to cost an arm and a leg to put fuel in it? How often will I have to put fuel in it? How much will my insurance people demand when I ask for some theft and breakdown cover?

Well, lets get one thing clear first. I can answer those important and altogether crucial questions in no fewer than four words: Yes. Yes. Consistently. Loads. So is this job done? Can we dismiss the Alfa Romeo 166 as a sales failure and a car that you can walk away from easily? Well, yes and no. Yes the Alfa is a huge sales failure and yes, it is a car you can easily walk away from. To the untrained eye at least, the 166 is just another executive sedan with a plush interior and a relatively high price tag. To car people, it represents the classic Alfa fail. I can almost hear those fools that play golf, who end up in BMWs saying "Yeah yeah, looks all nice and pretty but that thing's front wheel drive and has an inefficient engine and it'll loose value like a cassette player, blah blah, you should look into this Beemer I've got, blah blah..."

What really annoys me about these clowns who think they know better, is that they only look skin deep. You may think they have a point about the Alfa 166 being all show and no go. In fairness, they do. Its front wheel drive and this configuration is not the best for a large car with a large engine. This said engine (a 3.0 litre V6) is indeed inefficient, scoring only 2 stars out of 5 for fuel economy, using the NZ Fuelsaver website. On NZ$100 of petrol, it will only take you around 360km, way less than its rivals will. It will also need regular servicing, which will no doubt be expensive. The car itself, being essentially a front wheel drive Fiat platform, will indeed lose value like a piece of technology. Pay tens of thousands of dollars for it now, and in a few years you'll be struggling to shift a good one off your driveway for a few grand. But this, of course is completely missing the point.

Alfa Romeos in general have such a high level of style and comfort, one simply doesn't care about the dodgy powertrain or the depreciation. These feelings are amplified in the 166. One look at the plush leather seats straight from the studios of an Italian furniture craftsman, and the intricate Italian timepiece inspired dials, and you instantly forget about the insurance and the fuel being guzzled away up front. That said, you'll be forced to fork out even more to pay for petrol just so you can hear the engine sing. At 6500 rpm, that 3.0 litre V6 effortlessly performs an aria, giving you and any pedestrians in the vicinity a performance worthy of the Teatro alla Scala Opera House.

I guess its been said thousands of times before, but why not reinforce the point? Alfas are about aesthetics. Sight, sound and touch come before driving dynamics or the pursuit of speed and lap times. Intelligent people buy BMWs and Audis because they fill certain needs and requirements in a methodical and efficient way. Passionate people buy Alfa Romeos because they believe in a manufacturer that dares to think beyond performance and fancy technological pursuits, in order to make the driver feel better, and most importantly, happier.

Audi S6

Is it ever possible to have one car? This question is likely to be laughed at by most, brushed away by others, and actually thought about by very few indeed. It all depends on your income, I'm guessing. Those with more important things to direct the finances to, are going to argue "Why on Earth does someone need more than one car?" Those who have busy lives will argue "How can you bear to be without two cars?" Families are increasingly splitting up for most of the day, only seeing each other at the crack of dawn and the late of the night. Two cars, it would seem, is a necessity. Finally, there are those who are rolling in it. Big pay-rises, large inheritances, perhaps even an aristocratic title or two. And of course, there's the lottery winner. The odd one out in the world of wealth: This person has had it thrust upon them by a random series of numbered balls in what looks like a transparent spin dryer. These people have so much money, of course they're going to have more than one car; possibly more than five! There will be the usual combination of vehicles lined up in the garages. An economical hatchback or saloon, possibly a supercar or two and perhaps a convertible for the summer. But what if you could only have one car. One car to do all the jobs that your collection of wheels could do. One that was a daily driver, a supercar, a thriller and an economical supermarket-shopping-carrier. What happens then?

You buy a sports-sedan of course! Who doesnt know this? I'm sure even the most automotively-challenged of us could work out the fact that when you want an all-in-one car, buy something that has four doors, a big boot and an even bigger engine. Now, I must point out that this title cannot simply be given to any old fast sedan. Suzuki for example were advertising their Kizashi model as a sports sedan. Its worth noting that this car was fitted with a 2.4 litre four cylinder engine and was styled with what looks like the help of Salvador Dali; with that melted rear end and stupid front headlight arrangement, this car does anything but quicken the pulse when you look at it. In the Kizashi's defence, however, it was built with a rather sophisticated suspension set-up and power was sent to all four wheels. But, how can one call this a sports sedan with such a whimsical engine?

Then there's the Ford Mondeo ST220. With only 25 or so in New Zealand, its highly unlikely you'll be in the position of buying one. But if you are, bear this in mind. Whoever is selling it will undoubtedly call it a sports sedan. And indeed, it does meet some of these qualities. It had a whopping great 3.0 litre V6, and a very plush yet sporty interior. It also had a proper six-speed manual gearbox and in liftback form, it could swallow all the rubbish for the tip and then take five people to a dinner party in style afterwards. But a word of warning. Ford may have fitted a race engine. They may have fitted a sporty interior. But they seemed to have forgotten about the driveline. The suspension was the same as it was on the 2 litre model. Power was sent to the front wheels. All that effort and the ST220 ended up being a slightly better looking Zetec model, with a large engine.

So what IS a competent sports sedan? The Audi RS4, the BMW M3 and the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG all seem like ones to go for, but these are really just entry level versions of the cars I am about to recommend. If you do have the funds, it is well worth going up the sports sedan pyramid.

Audi S6 4.0 TFSI

Of course, it is best to go German here. Jaguar has tried to make sports sedans in the past, but most haven't really taken off. Maserati's Quattroporte is brilliant, but lacks the practicality and ease of use required in this market segment. It does however sound much better than all its rivals, and is better looking, and thrills more. But for all round use, the Quattroporte falls behind.

And so we come to the one that this post is all about. The Audi S6. What an all-rounder. The S6 has always seemed like a knee jerk reaction to the BMW M5: Same high powered style engine thrown into a sedan and eventually an estate body. Same garnish of tasteful spoilers and air vents on the sides. Same addition of just about every single gimmick and luxury piece of equipment. So this makes both cars exactly the same, surely? Wrong. The Audi and the BMW are in fact, very different. Whilst the Audi is very fast and very good looking, the BMW has an air of refinement and luxury that is sort of missing from the Audi. The BMW has perfect 50/50 weight distribution and rear wheel drive. It also has the pedigree of many generations of M5s.

BMW M5

The S6 on the other hand is more of a fast version of the Audi A6. But even with a similar engine to the M5 (a twin-turbo V8 of approximately four litres), there is over 100 bhp difference between the Audi and the BMW. And the S6 has less. And lets not forget that the powertrain is different, with Quattro four-wheel-drive fitted to the Audi, and traditional rear wheel drive fitted to the BMW. What does this mean? Basically, the M5 is more fun to drive. But if you're after safety and security (especially in the wet) I would opt for the Audi.

Is it ever possible to have one car? Of course it is! You just have to choose the right one. I believe that either the Audi S6 or the BMW M5 would be perfect all rounders, if all you were allowed was one car. Whilst the M5 is a focused, hard edged racing saloon; the S6 is a much tamer, and in my eye better looking, beast. And personally, I couldn't live without the safety and security of the rally-proven Quattro drive system. In conclusion, if you were allowed only one car in your garage, choose between the BMW M5 or the Audi S6.