ap Sportfahrwerke proudly presents their new coil-over kit for the Alfa 159 with the motto  „Low with style“. But before we talk about suspensions lets take a look at the car itself. Cuore Sportivo, bella Macchina – all that and more was said and poetized about the Italien brand. For me, personally, Alfa is one of the few car-makers which really stands out of the masses of look-a-like cars in a avery positive way. Clearance, to much gas milage, a cheap plastic switch, trunk a little smaller than the competition? Who cares! I only see style and elegance, I smell Italien designed leather and the Mediterranean sea. And than I turn on the radio and Eros Ramazotti puts his spell on me and instead of being in a grey industrial area somewhere in Germany it feels like driving through a curvy mountain road in Tuscany, oliv gardens on both sides of the road. Just press the start button, ignition and all the magic starts to happen….

Before I dream to much, lets go back to reality and some hard facts. The midsize car was built from 2005 – 20011. Customers could choose between many different engines and between the wagon or the sedan. Like any other car which has to compete with Audi A4, BMW series 3, Mercedes C-class – the Alfa needed to bring many options and features to the table. Looking at the 7 years of production time, the car was offered with non less than 13 different engines. diesel or petrol. A 3.2 liter engine with 260 hp, which was a little thirsty was top of the list. But I am sure that the Alfa also offers good comfort and sportiness with the smaller engines with a better gas/millage. Of course, I needed a test car to prove that.

Till Rosenkranz, famous auctioneer for classic cars, owner of http://www.trendy-car-outlet.de and of the Oldtimer Boutique here in Kissing/Bavaria was kind enough to provide me such a car. A freshly rehashed Alfa 159 with the 1.9 JTS engine was waiting for me.

My test car is a 2006 model with 94.990 km. But the „rubino red color“ is still sparkling bright in the sunlight and the black „Poltrona Frau“ leather also looks younger than I thought it would be. First impression – nice ride! And right, here comes the first big surprise, you can buy it for only 7899 Euro. The prices for the 159 are pretty low at the moment and you will get „much car“ for „less money“.

I enter the car and at first it feels a bit tight for a guy like me, almost 2 meters tall. But surprisingly, knees and head have enough room and after a while it feels kind a cosy behind that driver oriented cockpit. The seats are still comfortable and not worn out and the dash pad is also in a good condition and not to old fashioned. On my way to a nice little lake nearby the car shows it`s other advantages. It feels smaller and more maneuverable that it`s actually is and even the 160 hp feel a bit faster than 9,7 seconds from 0-100 km/h.

In times when cars get bigger and parking lots get smaller, I definitely like handy cars. In addition to this you get a climate control system, a cd-radio with 8 speakers and an ok sound, heated seats, cruise control, parking sensors as well as a multi-function steering wheel. And the original 17 inch wheels aren`t that bad either. All that sums up to a lot of luxury for a small budget.

In any case the Alfa 159 seems to be a great car for people who like to pimp their rides. You get a sporty and elegant car with a good brand name and a timeless shape for your money. Unfortunately the german after market does not offer that much for Italien cars and is mostly focused on German, Japanese or US-cars. That is why ap offers a brand new coil-over kit for the Alfa 159, starting at 682 Euro. The dynamic character of the car will be increased dramatically and the handling will also be approved. On the front axle, a continuous lowering of 20 – 50 mm can be set by the millimeter directly on the galvanized steel strut. At the rear, the thread of the strut allows a lowering range of 25 – 55 mm within the parts-certificate. Read more at another ap Blog Story http://blog.ap-sportsuspensions.com/?p=2634

So, in case you are looking for a sporty and fancy sedan with some great tuning options which also won`t look out of style for many years to come, maybe the 159 is exactly the car for you. In any case, the ap coil-over kit is a perfect match fort the „Bella Macchina“ with the „Cuore Sportivo“.

Text: Andreas Leffler
Bilder: Andreas Leffler