Unfortunately in the course of time Alfa Romeo kept away itself from the racing techniques. There isn’t any rear wheel drive system, a turbocharged petrol engine or a powerful V6 engine even. With a smart and astonishing move, Alfa represented the Q2 differential which we can attach to our 147’s or GT’s 1.9 litre JTDm engine.
We can easily reproduce the front wheel drive symptom. The less loaded wheel which moves in the inner arc swings. The more torque the car has, in the bigger arc this symptom comes forward. The very moment, when the less loaded wheel tries to swing and loose its grip, the slip differential directs the torque to the opposite sense. But don’t implicate it with the electric stability program (ESP), because the ESP works on the principle of full torque reduction or braking, while the Q2 directs the torque.
Of course Q2 has an effect on slippery (snowy, rainy, icy) roads and at the starting also. The process is the same: the torque finds the way to the best gripping wheels, and the car doesn't marks time with swinging wheels, but it go forth. The Q2 is mainly a TorsenB differential, which is mainly the same to the TorsenC which we can find in other Alfas.
The Q2 has the similar size as the standard differentials, but it's a bit heavyer. It doesn’t cause retardation, speed-up, consumption rising, or reduction. Its set-up isn’t very complicated; it’s a life-long designed spare part.
The split differential is very popular in the sport, but on the roads only few cars get this technique (Lancia Delta and Kappa Turbo, Honda Integra Typre-R, Civic Si and Rover 220 Coupe turbo) so it’s a real curiosity.
In out test we focused on the GT, because probably more costumer buy Q2 with a GT, and because we have long-time experiences from this model. We signed the normal GT with black, and the Q2 with red.
Good many people think that the GT is the coupe version of the 147, but in effect it’s the 156’s. However the typical Italian spare part swapping could be deceptive. The central console and the dashboard is the same as in the 147, but if we take a look at the car’s frames, it turns out that its length, the wheelbase and the track are the same as the 156’s. And there are the big doors and the fact, that the GT is wider than the 147 and its hood is flattened also.
Its body is designed by Bertone. At first sight the little details aren’t come into sight, we just see that the car looks pretty nice and its harmonic. If we have enough time to watch it, we can discover lots of classic and human-shaped features, and maybe the wacky rear lights would get a meaning too.
