The Bertone GT coupé remains the cult car for many Alfisti, and what can we say about the GTA version, developed by Autodelta just 60 years ago! Let's discover this "Ampia", which means wide, ample, generous. It is the work of Harse Autocraft, a restoration company based in southern Ontario, Canada, and in business since 2014, to whom we already owe Alfa Romeo 4C Speedster. Now that's a change from the Americans and Australians. Well, Harse has made a specialty of restomodding this iconic model!
The model discussed in this article is based on a Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV from 1973. The company first presented a restomod 2000 GTV in an intense green livery, a unique, custom-made "green forest". Following this, they embarked on a "full carbon" project.
Carbon life
The donor Alfa Romeo GTV has been stripped down and overhauled from top to bottom, mainly to eradicate the rust that had taken its toll. This car features the first production Widebody kit entirely in carbon fiber, molded from the original green car with steel body. Numero Uno is equipped with numerous Ampia-style parts, such as the custom front grille, titanium suspension and a 2.0L in-line 4-cylinder engine with double overhead camshafts.
The colors of the Ampia livery highlight the carbon fiber. The Ampia signature can be seen on the flanks, where the Ampia name and Alfa Romeo coat of arms appear as holographic logos against the backdrop of the carbon livery. The coat of arms, in black, also appears on the hood. At the rear, the trunk opens electrically and features lighting. Here again, the trim is in carbon.
Weight savings were also achieved by using perspex for the windscreen, rear window and quarter windows. The bumpers have been dropped for good, to give it a GTAm look, and the front end features a polished aluminum Scudetto and a honeycomb grille. The Halo double headlamps are LED, while the grips and side marker lights are GTA-style, and the fuel filler cap is competition-style.
The refurbishment also includes 15-inch alloy wheels with signature center caps and Falken Azenis RT660 rubber gussets. According to its manufacturer, the Azenis RT660 is an extreme-performance summer tire with a motorsport-inspired tread compound. The lowered suspension features an Alfaholics front geometry kit, Alfa Classic adjustable rear springs, Koni shock absorbers, an aluminum T-bar and drilled and chamfered rear trailing arms. In addition to far superior handling in bends, this restomod version promises hellish braking thanks to Wilwood brake calipers, drilled and grooved discs, and Alfaholics master cylinder.
Classic ambience preserved
The interior retains the elegance and classicism of the original, enhanced by black leather with fabric accents for the contoured rear bench and front bucket seats, as well as a gray microfiber headliner and perforated black vinyl floor mats with contrasting diamond stitching. A Bluetooth stereo receiver concealed in the glovebox provides access to modern connectivity without betraying the period ambience, and allows sound to be broadcast via Kenwood speakers. The superb MOMO Prototipo steering wheel, carbon-fiber center console and woodgrain frames for dashboard and instruments are also worthy of note.
On the mechanical side, timing is now chain-driven with hydraulic tensioner. The assembly has been balanced and forged with high-compression pistons. Two Weber 40 DCOE 32 carburetors feed the heart of the beast, which is now rated at 180 hp, transmitted to the rear wheels via a lightened aluminum flywheel, a reinforced Sachs clutch and a manual 5-speed gearbox, all for less than 900 kg... A lot of fun!
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