Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 Twin Spark

I bought my 156 2.0 JTS Veloce as a one year old pre registered car with 10,000 miles and at the time did consider the Diesel JTD 150 version but in all honesty the heart and soul of an Alfa is not a diesel unit and never will be. The 2.0 JTS is a work of art, pumping out 178 Bhp and willing to rev round the clock if desired, which is frequently when I go out. The engine has that beautiful Alfa rip and burble when getting the foot into the pedal it is difficult holding back a smile driving down the country lanes, where the car is very much at home. I can't fault the handling, the turning circle is not too great but who cares it is quick and responsive when asked, point in the direction you want to go and obliges without a fuss. The driving position is superb, it is clearly designed for the driver, it looks good, everything is at hand and is easy to reach, it feels very much like you are sitting in a cockpit, white clocks, silver surrounds and gear stick, red lights in the back ground make it all very tasteful and maintain the sporty image of owning an Alfa. The interior of my car is excellent, I have light grey leather upholstery with black door and dashboard panels again very tasteful. The car is loaded with airbags, side, back, front, everywhere. The music system is superb C-D player etc good quality sounds. Fuel consumption is good surprisingly, considering the speeds and revving the car gets at times, I'm usually averaging about 32mpg but this week that's up to 34, very little town driving that's why. Space wise the boot is surprisingly spacious and in the back is fine, filling the window washer is a pain though It's tucked away with a small opening for the water, I use a funnel. My previous experience of Italian machinery was with Ducati and Moto Guzzi motorcycles, lots of heart, style and charisma. The Alfa is the same. I love it, my wife and kids love it, what else can I say.