Conference terri::cars_uk

    	Anyone got any more details about this car.
    
    	I'm looking at a second hand v6turbo, and wondered if anyone
    	has more details, and any hints as to what to look out for when
    	buying a used turbo car (as it'll be the first i would have 
    	looked at). Alternativly, has anyone got a copy of the April 
    	1991 CAR magazine which they could photocopy the GTA test for 
    	me? The only info i found was from CAR stating;
     
    	FOR - Ravishing looks, riveting ride.
    	AGAINST - Built like a kit, the AIRFIX kind.
	SUM-UP - Terrific value second hand.
    
    	Doesn't really help me much!
    
    	Thanks in advance,
    
    					Lewis.
    

    
    Lewis,
    
    It really is an underrated car - with excellent composure on the
    road and a very smooth, refined, engine. As you say, the cabin
    is cheap and very tacky, but it seems well stuck together - the
    ones I've driven haven't rattled.
                                    
    One point when buying; ask (enthusiastically) if the car has
    been modified - a chipped version, or one with modified suspension,
    may not be what you want. Its a fairly easy car to drive, but
    see take note of how the owner drives it:
    
    	- Does he double declutch (there's a lot of torque to transmit)
    	- Does he use more revs than necessary (there's no need to use
    	  more than about 4500 revs in normal swift motoring)
    	- Does he use the power of the engine before giving it chance
    	  to warm through, or turn the car off while the turbo is still
    	  very hot?
    
    I may know of one for sale - G reg, red. Only problem is, you may
    have some competition...
    
    William.
    

    William,
    
    The trouble is that this particular car is at the moment sitting in
    a car-lot in the local Renault dealers so i won't be able to tell
    how the previous driver drove it.
    
    It's a 1986 with 105,000kms (that's approx 75,000 miles - i'm in 
    France) on the clock. The door edges appear to have been touched up
    pretty badly, but the rest of it looks ok - anyone got any opinions
    on buying this car with this kind of mileage on it? It's selling
    for �11,000 which kind of makes it in my league - insurance would
    be no problem, it's rating is a couple of groups below the Jeep.
    
    Basically, i'm looking for a sporty car (not convertable) which
    looks a little different to everything else on the road... got my
    eyes on an Integrale aswell... although this really is a eye
    catcher.
    
    Thanks for any info.
    
    Cheers,
    
    				Lewis.

    
    If it was in Britain it'd be expensive, although that may not be true
    in France. 
    
    I've seen it compared favourably (in terms of driver appeal) with 
    the Porsche 911 in magazines, but have never driven either. It won't 
    rust like a Porsche, though! :^)
    
    Mark

    
    The new Alpine is on the road. Saw 3 in convoy near Boulogne last week.
    
    I'm an A310 V6 fan. Recently, very nearly bought a pretty '80 car, all
    straight, for 8k pounds equivalent. Only chickened out because a job
    move went quiet.
    
    GTA's can be bought cheaper in the UK than in France. Great fun, &
    there are usually a couple in the back of Autocar each week.
    
    I've got several roadtests & articles on various Alpines, mainly in
    French.
    
    Colin Osborne @ WLC DTN 830 1415

    Thanks to everyone who replied to me, specifically Rik Watson, Jon
    Oliver and George Ton.
    
    Unfortunately i went for the pre-arranged test drive yesterday and
    the salesman didn't want to let me drive it.
    
    So i said fine and walked straight out. I can't be wasting my time
    with people like that.
    
    So i went and took a 944 for a drive... and was _most_ impressed. 
    Anyone care to give me a few hints on buying an '85 944? Either off
    line or in note number 50.
    
    Cheers,
    
    				Lewis.

    
    Lewis -
    
    Amongst the bumph I have sent you is a group test of GTA vs 911 vs 944.
    From Fast Car in '86 or '87, but the conclusions stand. They gave the
    GTA the nod in most areas.
    
    Colin

    	Thanks Colin, i'll look out for that.
    
    	Cheers,
    
    				Lewis,

    To make sure about the engine ask for compression check for all 6 cyl.
    Is it a 2.5 ltr, 200bhp version ?
    
    In straight line the V6 Turbo is fast. Brakes are good. When cornering
    you won't be able to follow a Porsche 911 (I mean, a well driven one)
    because 1) the braking is not quite as the 911 and 2) you'll notice the
    engine is located higher (higher CofG) in the Alpine than in the 911,
    but I must say that the V6 turbo is fun to drive on country roads.

Heh Lewis,

If you've got this kind of money to burn, you can buy me much beer in France

:^)

You should have asked to see that salesman's manager and given him a
lot of stick. You may have got a nice discount out of it :^)

    My French isn't good enough yet to start complaining! ;-)

	Well after much deliberating, and umming and ahhing i finally made
	a choice and chose the 944 (i suppose the main reason being the
	saleman didn't want me to test drive the GTA). I pick it up on the 
	20th (to give me time to remove the stereo and alarm from the Jeep).
	I'll probably pop along to the GTA salesman and show him that he
	missed a sale. Hopefully this will encourage him to get his arse
	in gear.

	Will continue this in the Porsche note (50.*).

	Thanks to everyone who supplied help and photocopies, it was really
	appreciated.

	Cheers,

				Lewis.

    
    Did anyone tape the Top Gear programme on French Sports Cars yesterday?
    I was overseas & missed it ......would appreciate a VHS copy for a day.
    
    Colin 830 1415 

    
    
    The blue car was yummy...
    
    and for those colour racists out there who think the colour is
    irrelevant....the venturi

    
    re: Renault & Venturi 
    
    There was a 1/4 page feature on the same two cars in yesterday's Sunday
    Telegraph. I did not read it though.
    
    Mike H.
    

Daft question, but is the GTA a two seater or a 2+2?

Rupert

    Its a 2+2 (More like 2 + 1�). However as it suffers (?) from having the
    engine where the boot should be there is precious little space for
    storage...
    
    	Rik - not that I wouldn't like one.

I've got two small children - so it should be OK. If it's the same as the 
space in a 911, it'd be OK.

Still just a pipe dream at this stage tho'.

Rupert

    Just like the 911 you should always load the front if you intend to do
    some fast driving.