Alfa Romeo V6 engine
Encyclopedia
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
design made its initial début in 1979 in the Alfa 6
Alfa Romeo Alfa 6
The Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1979 to 1986.On its launch in 1979, the Alfa 6 was the flagship of the Alfa Romeo range...
. Introduced in 2.5 L guise, production engines would eventually range from 2.0 L to 3.2 L displacement. With modifications it is possible to increase engine displacement to 3.8 l (232 cu in). Initially developed in the early 1970s by Giuseppe Busso
Giuseppe Busso
Giuseppe Busso was an Alfa Romeo and Ferrari technical designer.Born in Turin, he graduated as an industrial designer, and In 1937 began working for Fiat in its aviation engine department....
, the original SOHC 12-valve design employed short push-rods to operate the exhaust valves in a design similar to that of earlier BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
/ Bristol
Bristol Cars
Bristol Cars is a manufacturer of hand-built luxury cars headquartered in Patchway, near Bristol, United Kingdom. Bristol have always been a low-volume manufacturer; the most recent published official production figures were for 1982, which stated that 104 cars were produced in that year...
engines. In 1993, the first DOHC version of this engine appeared powering the Alfa Romeo 164.
The Alfa Romeo V6 has been also quite popular in "kit car" type vehicles like the Ultima GTR
Ultima GTR
The Ultima GTR is a sports car manufactured by Ultima Sports Ltd of Hinckley, Leicestershire, England, and described by commentators as a supercar. The car is available both in kit form and as a "turnkey" vehicle. The design is mid engined, rear wheel drive layout, with a tubular steel space...
, Hawk HF Series and DAX. and is also used in the Gillet Vertigo
Gillet
Gillet is a Belgian automobile manufacturer, started in 1994 by former racing driver Tony Gillet. The company produces the Vertigo sports coupé, an ultra-lightweight 'bespoke' and hand-built sportscar...
sports car. In August 2011 the EVO magazine wrote the original Alfa Romeo V6 was the most-glorius sounding six cylinder road engine ever.
2.0
A 2.0 L (1997 cc) version was introduced in 1983. Both carburettor 132 PS and fuel injected versions were available from the start.A 2.0 turbocharged version, derived from the 3.0 L 12v, was introduced in 1991 in the Alfa Romeo 164 with 210 PS. The engine has a 80 mm (3.1 in) bore and a 66.2 mm (2.6 in) stroke.
Applications:
- 1983–1986 Alfa Romeo Alfa 6Alfa Romeo Alfa 6The Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1979 to 1986.On its launch in 1979, the Alfa 6 was the flagship of the Alfa Romeo range...
- 1984–1987 Alfa Romeo 90Alfa Romeo 90The Alfa Romeo 90 is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1984 and 1987.Designed by Bertone and introduced at the 1984 Turin Motor Show, the 90 was pitched between the Alfa Romeo Alfetta and the Alfa Romeo Alfa 6, both of which were soon discontinued after the 90's...
- 1991–1997 Alfa Romeo 164Alfa Romeo 164The Alfa Romeo 164 is an executive car with saloon body, produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998.The 164 was re-badged as the 168 for the Hong Kong and Malaysian markets, as the number "164" had a very negative connotation , and "168" has quite the opposite The Alfa Romeo 164...
(2.0 L turbo) - 1995–2001 Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderAlfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo GTV and Alfa Romeo Spider were two sports cars produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1995 to 2006....
(2.0 L turbo) - 1998–2002 Alfa Romeo 166Alfa Romeo 166The Alfa Romeo 166 is an executive car that was produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1998 and 2007.The car was designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under the control of Walter de'Silva, and was facelifted in 2003.- History :...
(2.0 L turbo)
2.5
The original engine displaced 2.5 L (2492 cc) and produced 158 PS. It was a 2-valve per cylinder design with a single belt-driven camshaft per cylinder bank and six carburettors fitted.Fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
was added for the 1983 Alfa 6, which produced the same 158 PS. The 2-valve engine ended its life in the Alfa 155
Alfa Romeo 155
The Alfa Romeo 155 is a compact executive car produced under the Italian Alfa Romeo marque between 1992 and 1998.-Design:Built to replace the 75 and based on the parent Fiat Group's Type Three platform, the 155 was somewhat larger in dimension than the 75 but evolved its styling from that of its...
, where there were two series for this engine, the 2.5 L developing 166 PS. Differences between them were small and only on torque and power delivery producing exactly the same horsepower.
Applications:
- 1979–1986 Alfa Romeo Alfa 6Alfa Romeo Alfa 6The Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1979 to 1986.On its launch in 1979, the Alfa 6 was the flagship of the Alfa Romeo range...
- 1980–1986 Alfa Romeo GTV6Alfa Romeo AlfettaAlfa Romeo GTV redirects here. For 916 series GTV see Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo Alfetta is an Italian rear-wheel drive executive saloon car and fastback coupé produced from 1972 until 1987 by Alfa Romeo...
- 1984–1987 Alfa Romeo 90Alfa Romeo 90The Alfa Romeo 90 is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1984 and 1987.Designed by Bertone and introduced at the 1984 Turin Motor Show, the 90 was pitched between the Alfa Romeo Alfetta and the Alfa Romeo Alfa 6, both of which were soon discontinued after the 90's...
- 1985–1991 Alfa Romeo 75/MilanoAlfa Romeo 75The Alfa Romeo 75, sold in North America as the Milano, was a compact sports saloon / compact executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1985 and 1992...
- 1992–1997 Alfa Romeo 155Alfa Romeo 155The Alfa Romeo 155 is a compact executive car produced under the Italian Alfa Romeo marque between 1992 and 1998.-Design:Built to replace the 75 and based on the parent Fiat Group's Type Three platform, the 155 was somewhat larger in dimension than the 75 but evolved its styling from that of its...
- 1985–1996 Fiat CromaFiat CromaThe Fiat Croma is a nameplate used for two automobiles produced by Italian automaker Fiat, one a large family car built from 1985 to 1996 and the other a cross-over wagon built from 2005 to 2011.- Fiat Croma :...
- 1987–1989 Rayton Fissore Magnum V6
Four-valve
International Engine of the Year
The International Engine of the Year is an annual competition for automotive industry internal combustion engines, judged by a panel of automobile journalists from around the world. It is organised by the United Kingdom's largest technical motoring, aerospace and traffic management publication...
in 2000.
The engine has a 88 mm (3.5 in) bore and a 68.3 mm (2.7 in) stroke.
Applications:
- 1997–2005 Alfa Romeo 156Alfa Romeo 156The Alfa Romeo 156 is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155...
- 1998–2007 Alfa Romeo 166Alfa Romeo 166The Alfa Romeo 166 is an executive car that was produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1998 and 2007.The car was designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under the control of Walter de'Silva, and was facelifted in 2003.- History :...
3.0
The 2.5 L engine was bored and stroked out to 3.0 L (2959 cc) for the 1987 75/Milano VerdeAlfa Romeo 75
The Alfa Romeo 75, sold in North America as the Milano, was a compact sports saloon / compact executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1985 and 1992...
, where it produced 185 PS, still with 2 valves per cylinder. This engine was modified for transverse
Transverse engine
A transverse engine is an engine mounted in a vehicle so that the engine's crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the long axis of the vehicle. Many modern front wheel drive vehicles use this engine mounting configuration...
placement in the 164
Alfa Romeo 164
The Alfa Romeo 164 is an executive car with saloon body, produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998.The 164 was re-badged as the 168 for the Hong Kong and Malaysian markets, as the number "164" had a very negative connotation , and "168" has quite the opposite The Alfa Romeo 164...
and fitted with a high-performance camshaft and low-restriction exhaust, producing 192 PS in standard form, 184 PS when a catalyzer was fitted in 1991, with the Cloverleaf version producing 200 PS. The same engine fitted to the SZ was tuned to a further 210 PS. The engine has a 93 mm (3.7 in) bore and a 72.6 mm (2.9 in) stroke.
Applications:
- 1987–1991 Alfa Romeo 75/Milano
- 1989–1991 Alfa Romeo SZAlfa Romeo SZThe Alfa Romeo SZ or ES-30 is a high-performance limited-production sports car/road-concept car built between 1989 and 1991 with partnership via Centro Stile Zagato, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and Centro Stile Fiat...
- 1992–1994 Alfa Romeo RZ
- 1992–1994 Lancia ThemaLancia ThemaThe Lancia Thema is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia between 1984 and 1994, and one of four cars to share the Type Four platform alongside the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000...
- 1988–1992 Alfa Romeo 164Alfa Romeo 164The Alfa Romeo 164 is an executive car with saloon body, produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998.The 164 was re-badged as the 168 for the Hong Kong and Malaysian markets, as the number "164" had a very negative connotation , and "168" has quite the opposite The Alfa Romeo 164...
- 1995–2003 Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderAlfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo GTV and Alfa Romeo Spider were two sports cars produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1995 to 2006....
Four-valve
Alfa Romeo 164
The Alfa Romeo 164 is an executive car with saloon body, produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998.The 164 was re-badged as the 168 for the Hong Kong and Malaysian markets, as the number "164" had a very negative connotation , and "168" has quite the opposite The Alfa Romeo 164...
, with 230 PS and 276 N·m (203.6 ft·lbf) in the 164 QV with the Euro 3 engine producing 232 PS on the Q4 model which in its final production run in 1996, it got reduced to 228 PS but with increased torque. The final run of 3.0 V6 engines fitted to the GTV and 166 range, produced 220 PS.
Applications:
- 1993–1996 Alfa Romeo 164Alfa Romeo 164The Alfa Romeo 164 is an executive car with saloon body, produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 1987 to 1998.The 164 was re-badged as the 168 for the Hong Kong and Malaysian markets, as the number "164" had a very negative connotation , and "168" has quite the opposite The Alfa Romeo 164...
- 1995–2003 Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderAlfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo GTV and Alfa Romeo Spider were two sports cars produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1995 to 2006....
- 1998–2005 Alfa Romeo 166Alfa Romeo 166The Alfa Romeo 166 is an executive car that was produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1998 and 2007.The car was designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under the control of Walter de'Silva, and was facelifted in 2003.- History :...
- 1994–2001 Lancia KappaLancia KappaThe Lancia Kappa is an executive car produced by Italian automaker Lancia. It replaced the Thema as Lancia's flagship model in 1994 and was itself replaced by Lancia Thesis in 2001. It shared its platform with the Alfa Romeo 166 and was available as a saloon, estate or coupé...
- 2001–2002 Lancia ThesisLancia ThesisThe Lancia Thesis is an executive car produced by Italian automaker Lancia between 2002 and 2009. It was available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines ranging between 2.0 and 3.2 litres, in both straight-5 or V6 configurations. Its appearance was based on the 1999 Lancia Dialogos...
- 1998–present Gillet VertigoGilletGillet is a Belgian automobile manufacturer, started in 1994 by former racing driver Tony Gillet. The company produces the Vertigo sports coupé, an ultra-lightweight 'bespoke' and hand-built sportscar...
3.2
Applications:
- 2002–2005 Alfa Romeo 156 GTAAlfa Romeo 156The Alfa Romeo 156 is a compact executive car introduced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Alfa Romeo 155...
- 2002–2005 Alfa Romeo 147 GTAAlfa Romeo 147The Alfa Romeo 147 is a small family car produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo from 2000 to 2010. The 147 was voted European Car of the Year for 2001, beating the Ford Mondeo and the Toyota Prius....
- 2004–2007 Alfa Romeo GTAlfa Romeo GTThe Alfa Romeo GT is a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 2003 and 2010. A total of 80,832 units were produced. The GT was introduced in March 2003 Geneva Motor Show and it came for sale in Italian markets January 2004...
- 2003–2005 Alfa Romeo 166Alfa Romeo 166The Alfa Romeo 166 is an executive car that was produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1998 and 2007.The car was designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo under the control of Walter de'Silva, and was facelifted in 2003.- History :...
- 2003–2005 Alfa Romeo GTV & SpiderAlfa Romeo GTV & SpiderThe Alfa Romeo GTV and Alfa Romeo Spider were two sports cars produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1995 to 2006....
- 2003–2006 Lancia ThesisLancia ThesisThe Lancia Thesis is an executive car produced by Italian automaker Lancia between 2002 and 2009. It was available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines ranging between 2.0 and 3.2 litres, in both straight-5 or V6 configurations. Its appearance was based on the 1999 Lancia Dialogos...
Production end
The V6 production ended in 2005 at Alfa Romeo Arese PlantAlfa Romeo Arese Plant
The Alfa Romeo Arese Plant was a plant area where Alfa Romeo had its head office for more than two decades prior to 1986 was known to be. After Fiat Group purchased Alfa Romeo in 1986, Arese became one of the assembly plants of Fiat Group. The factory is in the Province of Milan in the Italian...
; a stock of five thousand was built, to be used in Lancia Thesis, Alfa 166 and Alfa GT models. The engine was replaced in the 159
Alfa Romeo 159
The Alfa Romeo 159 is a compact executive car produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 2005 and 2011. The 159 was introduced in production form at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show as a replacement for the successful Alfa Romeo 156. The 159 uses the GM/Fiat Premium platform, shared with...
and Brera
Alfa Romeo Brera
The Alfa Romeo Brera is a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 2005 and 2010. The Spider roadster was produced between 2006 to 2010. Both cars were manufactured by Pininfarina. Only 12,488 units of Spider and 21,786 units of Brera were built. Production of both models...
by a new 3.2 L V6 unit combining a General Motors-designed engine block with Alfa Romeo cylinder heads and induction. British automotive engineering
Automotive engineering
Modern automotive engineering, along with aerospace engineering and marine engineering, is a branch of vehicle engineering, incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the design, manufacture and operation of motorcycles, automobiles,...
company Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
was keen to buy assembly lines of the Alfa Romeo V6 engine, but the Italian company did not want to sell it. The last version of 3.2 L engine was Euro4 compliant, so it would have been possible to produce it a couple of years more. The engine designer Giuseppe Busso died only a couple of days after the last engine was produced in Arese.
Further reading
- The Alfa Romeo V6 Engine High-Performance Manual, Jim Kartalamakis, Veloce Publishing, ISBN 978-1845840211.