5 WAYS TO MAKE IT BETTER
1 FIT A DIFFERENTIAL
A front torque-biasing limited-slip diff erential is a highly recommended ugrade for V6 cars; it sharpens up the handling and reduces torque steer. Although pioneered on the 147 GTA and 156 GTA by nabbing the Q2 differential from diesel Bertone GT models, stocks from Alfa are in short supply. Quaife (quaife.co.uk) makes its own ATB version, which you can buy online for £858.
2 CHIP IT AND FIT A PERFORMANCE CAM Autodelta (autodeltashop.com) off ers a range of ECU remaps and performance cams for all 166 engines. A performance camshaft and an ECU remap can liberate an extra 20bhp (172bhp) from a Twin Spark and shave a second off the 0-60mph time for £1350. A similar setup on a 3.0-litre V6 summons 30bhp, so around 250bhp and a second off the 0-60mph sprint.
3 BORE THE ENGINE
If you want a lot more power, Autodelta can bore out a 3.0-litre V6 to 3.5 litres, taking power to 274bhp with the aid of Ferrari throttle bodies, gas-flowed cylinder heads, forged pistons and more. It’s not cheap – £7140. The 2.5-litre V6 can be bored out to 3.3 litres for the same price, yielding 248bhp. Autolusso (autolusso.co.uk) can bore the 3.2-litre V6 out to 3.8 litres, taking power beyond the 300bhp mark, at a cost of around £8000.
4 TWEAK THE SUSPENSION Autodelta off ers a few options for 166s. For the Twin Spark models, a set of 30mm lower sports springs will cost £234, while a full coilover kit with adjustable dampers and ride heights costs £1296. For the V6, Autodelta off ers 30mm shorter springs for £234. Bilstein (bilsteinsuspensionstore.co.uk) off ers two levels of dampers on TS models for around £150, and there are a range of fitments for V6s.
5 FIT A SPORTS EXHAUST A stainless steel exhaust system allows any Alfa engine to truly sing. Autodelta off ers a stainless steel centre and tailbox for both engines at £582, and even better news is that they conjure an extra 3-5bhp. Wizard exhausts (07807 035269) off ers even fruitier-sounding systems; prices depend on specification.