Throwback Thursday: Alfa MiTo edition

"Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like" (thunderbee) 09/04/2014 at 17:22 • Filed to: None

2

27

Enter, my father's Alfa Romeo Mito 1.3 turbo diesel that I daily drove for the best part of a year after he purchased his Freelander. I hated the Mito and it hated me. When it wasn't suffering from a variety of electrical faults, the weedy engine and 'stirring the salad' gearbox made me want to get friendly with the nearest wall. Needless to say, I wasn't sad when we sent it back.

Still, it was very pretty...

Brian Silvestro > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 17:24

0

I love how MiTo look.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 17:26

0

"weedy engine"

My car has the same basic engine. My experience with it is nothing... nothing... nothing... lots of torque, shift. If you're thoughtful with your gear selection it's reasonably quick. If you shift too early it's pretty slow.

Saying that, the Mito has 200kg over my car so it was probably even worse.

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Brian Silvestro 09/04/2014 at 17:27

0

Agreed, a gorgeous little car! Although my friends all thought I was a toff for driving an Alfa at 17...

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Brian Silvestro 09/04/2014 at 17:28

1

Yeah, it's like 8C hatchback.

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 09/04/2014 at 17:29

0

In all fairness, it was good enough on the motorway which was where it saw most of its miles. Heavy beast though, so that's probably what ruined it for me. I'd love a shot in a Quadrifoglio Verde someday...

Brian Silvestro > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 17:30

1

Screw 'em! Alfas > all

Brian Silvestro > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 09/04/2014 at 17:31

0

CANNOT UNSEE

(and that is not a bad thing)

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Brian Silvestro 09/04/2014 at 17:31

1

Yeaaaaah! My buddy bought me an 'I <3 my Alfa Romeo' t-shirt as a joke birthday present, you should have seen his face when I actually wore it

Brian Silvestro > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 17:32

0

umm YES? That's awesome. And hilarious.

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Brian Silvestro 09/04/2014 at 17:34

0

I still have it somewhere, I'll have to dig it out and model for the 'Oppo Autumn Alfa' collection

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 17:34

0

Mine cruises really well and will hit 90mph without too much fuss. Economy nose dives once you pass 75mph though which kinda sucks. A 6th gear would make it a lot better.

I too would like to try out a QV. I've always loved the way the Mito looks, especially in red with a good set of wheels.

Brian Silvestro > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 17:35

0

The only relevant collection of clothing.

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 09/04/2014 at 17:37

0

Yeah that was pretty much the MiTo, just with more electrical faults!

I have to admit, they are very well sorted in the looks department. If I had to have a hot hatch of that size, I'd take the QV hands down

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Brian Silvestro 09/04/2014 at 17:39

0

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 17:42

0

My electrics all work flawlessly at the moment (touch wood).

I'd be between a fiesta ST and 208 gti in that class most likely. The QV apparently can't be ordered with a manual any more, which is a complete no go for me.

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 09/04/2014 at 17:45

0

Ah this one was a little shit, windows would go down when they felt like it, alarm went off spontaneously, start stop stopped altogether, warning lights up the wazoo...

I really want to like the FiST but I can't get past the looks; a drive might change that though. Totally forgot about the Pug!

It would be a toss up between the Corsa VXR and maybe a Fiat Abarth for me. I drove a VXR once, pretty bad at cornering but hilarious in a straight line!

Brian Silvestro > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 17:47

0

oh you fancy huh

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 18:00

0

Sounds like a proper alfa to me. A family friend had a really nicely optioned 159 and he had to get rid and buy a Golf because the dealer was 30 miles away which meant 60 miles of driving every time something went wrong... which was every other week.

Looks never mattered a whole lot to me and the fiesta ST is a really good proposition money wise. Tax is the same as my girlfriends 1 litre Micra, insurance would only be £200 more than my panda, economy is meant to be pretty reasonable. If I get a reasonable job out of uni I'll probably be looking at a used one. I mainly like the Pug on looks, for some reason I just really like the shape of it.

The fiat abarth looks like great fun but I'd need at least semi-useable back seats which it doesnt have. I cant bring myself to buy a corsa just because so many idjits in my town keep wrapping them around poles and racing around at 55 in a 30 with a blaring fart can. Even if the car is pretty good I'd feel funny about the crowd they attract.

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 09/04/2014 at 18:06

0

The folly of Alfa ownership!

I'm all about aesthetics, I buy stuff in a stupid 'form over function' way, but I've heard so many good things about the FiST I'm open to being converted!

The Fiat would be useless on practicality, but a whole load of fun I reckon, sort of like the Clio V6 I saw in Winchester today.

I... can't talk; I have a fart can on my Corsa. But it's not that loud, honest! I think the community and the image would stop me getting another Corsa, every other owner is a fucking moron who 'finks he can drive proper good m8' and people will make assumptions if you drive any kind of VXR which is a shame.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 18:13

0

I tend to be reasonably sensible with my purchases, hence the boxy, small, economical car. That's kind of dictated by me being not so well off at the moment though. It's at least decent for its class and not painfully slow.

I need to test drive more of these cars, I doubt they'd be happy about handing the keys to a hot hatch to someone who clearly cant afford one though. I'll have to wait til I'm earning I suppose.

I can't stand fart cans haha. I like the idea of sleepers where the car is faster than it looks so they go against my interests really.

The Corsa community seems pretty bad. My cousin had one and he got 3 tickets (speeding twice and texting) in a year. He drove like a knob. My girlfriends neighbour has one too, it's been written off twice in a year and a half. Obviously that isnt representative of everyone but there does seem to be more idiots attracted to corsas than most other cars.

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 09/04/2014 at 18:20

0

I'm the opposite I'm afraid, totally impulsive. Test drove a few cars, found I could get the Corsa in yellow and black *gasp* - SOLD.

I asked for it to have a nice rumble, couldn't have it screaming like half of them out there as it's my daily driver. Plus I do site visits for work, so I have to at least try to look professional.

Gotta agree with you there, it's one of the worst I've encountered. The car itself it's fantastic, I love mine and it's much better off leaving it mostly standard, but most owners are only interested in slamming and cheap HID kits. It reflects poorly on the few of us decent Corsa drivers, though I've had nothing but love for mine thus far

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 18:32

0

To be fair on the impulsive thing I was planning on getting an old 106 or something around the £1'000 mark and ended up doubling that because the Panda had a full length sun roof and a nice stereo system, because listening to metallica with the roof open on the 3 sunny days a year. Also 15 more hp and twice the torque of a 106.

I suppose having a bit of noise from the car would make it a little more engaging. I've gotten used to mine sounding like a tractor at idle and dead silent above 2000rpm though, so a quiet car wouldnt bother me too much unless it was something sporty like a proper hot hatch.

Oh god the mods some corsa drivers do. Blacked out tail lights so I cant tell when you're indicating, check. Stopping at every speed bump and taking every corner at 5mph because ruined suspension, check. Random ebay fake carbon fibre wrap pasted on every trim piece, check.

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 09/04/2014 at 18:38

0

The old 106's are cool, my college film teacher had a Rallye! I can see how the pure diesel torque would be favourable though.

It was my one 'chavvy' modification I allowed myself, besides my single illest decal which is offset by my Shirokuma Cafe sticker. I know people probably look at it like 'typical Corsa driver' but it's so much fuuuuuun!

We are the worst for mods, next to old school Saxo drivers. I've seen Corsas with lambo doors, Porsche twists, garish paint combos and so much more that I can't unsee. The shame!

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 18:53

0

I wouldve jumped at a rallye or gti, sadly I could only afford a 1.1 which is still fun but a little low on power for me and I probably would've had to fit a half decent head unit and speakers.

I can't really comment on chavvy, I'm halfway through painting some tiny rust spots, (because OCD) so there are spots of primer all around the bootlid handle and on the bonnet. Looks pretty low rent at the moment haha.

Oh god the saxos that were around in the early 2000s *shudder* I don't think even the corsa crowd is that bad.

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 09/04/2014 at 18:59

0

Their value has started to climb again, sadly, which likely means I won't own one anytime soon.

Eh, the Panda has that cutesy yet rugged look to it though you're just enhancing it!

Oh wow , that uh... that was a Saxo at one point? Did it get stung by a horde of bees? You really can't Fast n Furious everything.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like 09/04/2014 at 19:41

0

Yep an unmolested 106 gti is worth a fortune these days. It's one of those modern classics you could pick up now, look after, and sell for more than you paid in a few years.

Yep that was a saxo or a 106, hard to tell. I hope it's been put out of its misery by now.

Thunderbee - Has the engine that kids like > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 09/05/2014 at 03:47

1

It's sort of annoying, all the small cars I grew up idolizing like the Nova GTE, 106 Rallye, Golf GTi Mk1 etc are all on the rise.

Wow, that is terrible. Sadly I remember when that was every other small hatch on the road. Hopefully a small fire has fixed the problem.