( Worldcarfans) - On June 9 and 10 the public will be able to examine and try out the Alfa 147 Murphy
Powered by the sparkling 120 bhp 1.9 JTDM, the car has exclusive Light blue Crystal bodywork, 17" alloys and a chrome-plated exhaust terminal. The grille, whiskers and wing mirrors all have the same satin-effect finish, while the Murphy
Inside, the sporty effect is even more refined, underlined by an original leitmotiv that links the car world to the world of yachts. The result is a blue and cream colour combination that lightens the interior, sporty leather seats with blue side strips and a cream seat, and the Alfa logo embroidered in red on the head restraints. The red coulisse on the gaiters of the gear lever and hand brake knobs and on the document pockets of the seats gives an extra touch of refinement. The kick-panels decorated with the M
Available with a 5-door body and a list price of ¤ 24.690 on the road, the Alfa 147 Murphy
The elegant, sophisticated Alfa 147 Murphy
TechArt's press and marketing man Ralph Niese has learned the car backwards and provided a master-class in the company's subtler yet similarly equipped Cayman GT.
VarioPlus suspension works in harmony with PASM and drops the car 25mm with the keen setting engaged and all that space in the arches has made room for 8.5x20" wheels at the front and 12x20" rears. So the sheer grip is ridiculous, especially in the high speed bends when that monolithic rear wing helps reap 20 per cent more downforce. I pushed harder through each and every bend, safe in the knowledge that there was more grip than power.
This car would take a 911, almost any 911, to pieces on the right road just because it is the proverbial knife in a corner. Porsche hobbled the original Cayman to keep the natural order and the 911 at the top of the food chain. It's amazing how little it takes to reverse that process and create a real gem of a car.
It's a near blueprint perfect sportscar. Mid-engined as they should be, rear drive but held on rails by a raft of downforce, mechanical grip from oversized tyres and natural chassis composure.
Beyond second gear, where its possible to provoke the Widebody out of line and into an artful drift that can be held on the throttle more or less at will, the car will just stick like the smaller Lotus, carving a line through the bend with surgical precision and no slip. Held deep within the race seat it's a unique driving experience, purely on the fingertips and the throttle, you barely need to think about braking and stock steel numbers show that you don't need the expensive ceramics to rein in such a light car.
At €125,000 it's just as pricey as a GT3 and you've got to have a stable of cars already to be the type to invest in one of these. But for those with a sense of fun and the money to indulge it, TechArt has perverted Porsche's own brand of justice and put the Cayman at the head of the food chain and into the realm of R-rated thrills.