This Alfa Romeo taunts Ferrari GT3: discover the 400hp Alfetta GTV6!

Ian Stapleton is a British driver specializing in championships dedicated to the Alfa Romeo and classic/Italian cars. It is often associated with an ultra-modified Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 (also known as GTV6), used in championships such as the BRSCC Alfa Romeo Championship, Alfa Romeo Challenge, HITEK Alfa Romeo & Italian Intermarque Championship or Special Saloons & Modsports.

The GTV6

The Alfa GTV6 coupé was launched at the end of 1980 and featured the fabulous 6-cylinder 2.5 engine developed by Giuseppe Busso. The coupé was extrapolated from the Alfetta sedan, which was characterized by its torsion-bar front axle, rear-axle-mounted gearbox (transxale) and Dion bridge. The coupé's seductive, taut lines and streamlined interior were designed by Giugiaro. On the GTV6, the 2.5-liter V6 was tucked under the hood thanks to a boss on the hood, making this over-engined version unmistakable. The GTV enjoyed a successful sporting career in both touring and rallying, with the exploits of Yves Loubet in the Groupe A (3rd in the 1986 Monte Carlo) and Jacques Panciatici in the Groupe N.

A transformed V6 Busso 

Back to our monster of the day. Stapleton's GTV6 is a 1982 Group A, originally built by Terry Duruy for the British Touring Car Championship. Early in its career, this car received technical support from Autodelta. Driven by Paul Smith during the 1984 season, it underwent major modifications with the addition of two turbos, before being retired in 1987.

Taken over by Stapleton in the 2000s, it has undergone several years of meticulous preparation by specialists such as Peak Alfa. The engine has been beefed up, as the new V6 engine, derived from a 164, has benefited from an increase in displacement to 3779 cm³ (3.8 liters) 24 valves, for a power output of around 400 hp at 7300 rpm. Weighing in at under a ton, around 980 kg, the modified GTV6 is a formidable performer!

Visually, Ian's GTV6 receives the obligatory panoply: wide front spoiler, racing rear spoiler, side skirts, diffuser. However, while the GTV's design is familiar from the rear, the front end is rather puzzling, with the strange graft of a 147 grille and modified headlights! A little Frankenstein's creature, then, for this Mad Max-like car, which stands out for a funny little detail: an inscription on the stern reads "this vehicle is limited to 240 Km/h".

It taunts GT3s

This GTV6 enabled Ian Stapleton to "giant-kill" (beat much more modern and powerful cars, such as Ferrari GT3s in certain events). He owned it for many years, with livery evolutions (e.g. green/black at one time). In 2017, for example, he regularly beat F430 GT3s at Brands Hatch, drawing cheers from the public.

He has achieved several victories and podiums in the Alfa Romeo championships, including three consecutive wins at the end of 2013 and victories in 2017 at Thruxton. In 2024, his GTV6 supercharged 3.8L finished 2nd in the HITEK Alfa Romeo & Italian Intermarque championship, entered in the Modified class. He has also driven other Alfa cars (such as a 4C more recently in some championships), but the GTV6 3.8 remains his signature car. He owns a collection of several GTV6/Alfetta GTs (up to 8, according to some sources).