2001 Alfa Romeo GTV Lusso review from UK and Ireland

None as yet. Relatively recent acquisition. Front tyres seem to be wearing heavily on the inside - I'm not worried though, this is an Alfa trait.

Having had 3 happy years with a 156 I decided to trade up to a GTV for something more sporty. My original plan was to get a 2.0TS, but having had a test drive in a used 3.0 V6, I knew there was only one car for me.

Let's get something straight, to live with one of these you have to be prepared to make compromises. Back seats are totally useless, boot is tiny, visibility is awful, the turning circle is terrible and running costs are significantly higher than most cars on the road.

So, what's the payback? The driving experience! The engine and gearbox are simply magnificent. When I picked the car up, I could scarcely believe the performance and the soundtrack from that classic engine. The 6 speed gearbox means that in the majority of situations you merely have to put your right foot down and the instantly responsive throttle launches you forward at break neck speed. Unfortunately the brakes are not quite up to the same level of performance and although the stopping power is there, they don't instill you with the level of confidence you would like in a car like this.

The icing on the cake is that it's all encased in a fantastic looking body work sporting tremendous 17" alloys and some delightful design touches (e.g "alfa romeo" embossed inner sills, red brake calipers, polished exhaust outlet pipes and retro air vents). This car stands out from the "TT" herd like no other.

In short, this car is built around the driver. Don't buy one if you are going to get irritated by lack of practicality, reliability glitches (although it feels well screwed together to me) and running costs because that is not what this car is about. If you are the type who likes nothing better than to go for a sunday afternoon drive to nowhere in particular purely because you want to enjoy the drive and want something stylish, individual and rare then this could be the car for you!