The Alfa Romeo V6 engine (also called the Busso V6) is a 60° V6 engine made by Alfa Romeo from 1979 to 2005. It was developed in the early 1970s by Giuseppe Busso, and first used on the Alfa 6 with a displacement of and a SOHC 12-valve cylinder head. Later versions ranged from and had DOHC 24-valve valvetrains. The original design had short pushrods for the exhaust valves in a design similar to earlier Lancia Fulvia engines. The first DOHC version was in the 1993 Alfa Romeo 164, with an aluminium alloy engine block and head with sodium filled exhaust valves.
The Alfa Romeo V6 has been used in kit cars like the Ultima GTR, Hawk HF Series, and DAX, as well as the Gillet Vertigo sports car and the Lancia Aurelia B20GT Outlaw. In August 2011 EVO magazine wrote that "the original Alfa Romeo V6 was the most glorious-sounding six-cylinder road engine ever,"EVO Magazine August 2011 page 77 and has been called the "Violin of Arese" or "Alfa's Violin". The Alfa Romeo V6 engine has also been used in ice resurfacer made by engo Ltd. in Italy.ICE PROFI: Engo 270 SX | ICE PROFI, accessdate: 26. October 2019
12V, two valve
2.0 A version was introduced in 1983. Both carburetted and fuel-injected versions were available from the start.ELABORARE: Motore Alfa Romeo V6 — ELABORARE, accessdate: 14. September 2018
Applications: 1983–1986 Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 1984–1987 Alfa Romeo 90
2.0 Turbo A turbocharged version, derived from the 3.0 L 12v, first with total digital management, was introduced in 1991 in the Alfa Romeo 164 with .Boitier Rouge: Alfa Romeo 164 : la meilleure des « Tipo 4 » ? | Boitier Rouge, accessdate: 14. September 2018 The engine has a bore and stroke of . It was mainly intended for domestic market, due to Italian law at the time taxing cars with engines with larger displacement than two liters at a higher rate.
Applications: 1991–1992 Alfa Romeo 164 1992–1997 Alfa Romeo 164 Super 1994–2000 Alfa Romeo GTV 1998–2000 Alfa Romeo Spider 1996–2000 Alfa Romeo 166 Super
2.5
The original engine displaced and produced . It was a 2-valve-per-cylinder design with a single belt-driven camshaft per cylinder bank and six carburettors. The engine has a bore and stroke of .
The Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection was added for the 1983 Alfa 6, which produced the same . The 2-valve engine ended its life in the Alfa 155, where there were two series for this engine, the developing . Differences between them were small and only on torque and power delivery producing exactly the same horsepower.
Applications: 1979–1986 Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 1980–1986 Alfa Romeo GTV6 (Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 2.5) 1984–1987 Alfa Romeo 90 1985–1991 Alfa Romeo 75/Milano 1992–1997 Alfa Romeo 155 1993–1996 Fiat Croma 1987–1989 Rayton Fissore Magnum V6 1982 AC 3000ME MkII PrototypeThis AC 3000 ME MkII Prototype Is The British Lancia Stratos You Never Knew You Wanted • Petrolicious: This AC 3000 ME MkII Prototype Is The British Lancia Stratos You Never Knew You Wanted • Petrolicious, accessdate: 26. January 2020
2.8 Gleich In 1982, the German Alfa Romeo dealer and tuner Gleich offered a 2.8 conversion of the GTV6 2.5 engine. Dieter Gleich was sure that engine displacement enlargement is still the best and, for the life of the engine, the healthiest way of tuning. The engine capacity was increased to nearly 2.8 liters by using new bushings and custom-built forged Mahle pistons while the compression ratio was raised from 9.5 to 10.5:1. The 2.5 liter was rebored to . Total displacement was . Power produced were at 6,300 rpm and torque at 4200 rpm.Classic Cars: Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.8 specificaties en info — Classic Cars, accessdate: 14. September 2018
The magazine "Sport driver" tested a 2.8 Gleich powered GTV6 in June 1982: "After engaging the first gear and a somewhat careless step on the gas pedal you get a touched feel to the epiphany GTV6 shot, accompanied by the typical Alfa Romeo exhaust sound. It was a pleasure. The fact was the sprint from 0 to is not further under the seven-second limited by a tricky-to-be-shifted five-speed gearbox. The really vehement propulsion waned only when the speedometer mark has left behind. Another eye-opening experience awaits when you realize that the lightning speed to 7000 rpm rotating in any gear pinion even in fifth gear still from 1500 rpm is completely smooth."
Applications: 1982 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 2.8 Gleich
3.0 SA (Autodelta) The original 2.5 engine as used in the Alfa 6 was bored and stroked by Autodelta, the former Alfa Romeo racing department to match the racing rules for South African and Australian championships. Bore was increased from to and a new crankshaft stroked to . The total displacement was and it's a totally different engine from the later that powered the 75/Milano models. It was, too, a 2-valve-per-cylinder design with a single belt-driven camshaft per cylinder bank and six carburettors. Special camshafts and carbs were used giving a power figure of at 5800 rpm. Torque was at 4300 rpm, while compression ratio was 9:1.
Only 174 complete GTV6 3.0 SA cars were produced in 1984, plus 68 more in 1985. The last ones built were fitted with electronic fuel injection.
The 3.0 GTV6 was sold in South Africa in 1983–1985, predating the release of the 3.0 L displacement to the rest of the world.CAR magazine: CLASSIC BUY: Alfa Romeo GTV6 (1982–1985) — CAR magazine, accessdate: 14. September 2018 This engine was an Autodelta hand made conversion based on Alfa Sei 2.5 carbureted engines enlarged to bore and stroke of .topCar magazine online: Alfa 3.0 GTV6 | topCar magazine online, accessdate: 14. September 2018
Applications: 1984–1985 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 3.0 SA
3.0 Pulled by the racing success of the 3.0 SA engine and looking for more power to boost 75/Milano sales in countries like USA, Alfa Romeo introduced a production version of the 3.0 engine. Bore was , as the 3.0 SA, but stroke was increased to . The total displacement was . As the previous engines, it was a 2-valve-per-cylinder design with a single belt-driven camshaft per cylinder bank. The main difference with the racing 3.0 SA was the use of modern L-Jetronic fuel injection system by Bosch. Power figures vary from to at 5800 rpm, with compression ratio 9:1.
This engine was modified for transverse placement in the 164 and fitted with a high-performance camshaft and low-restriction exhaust, producing in standard form, when a catalyzer was added in 1991, with the Cloverleaf version producing .
The same engine was fitted to the SZ and RZ — ES30 Zagato, but even more finely tuned with wilder cams and high compression pistons to a further .Fast Classics: Alfa Romeo S.Z. | Fast Classics, accessdate: 26. October 2019
Applications: 1987–1991 Alfa Romeo 75/Milano 1988–1997 Alfa Romeo 164 1989–1991 Alfa Romeo SZ 1992–1994 Alfa Romeo RZ 1992–1994 Lancia Thema 1993–2000 Alfa Romeo Spider 1994 Alfa Romeo GTV
24V, four valve
2.5 24V
A four-valve version was introduced in 1997 with the Alfa Romeo 156. The engine now produced . In 2001, the V6 was uprated to .Fiat Chrysler Automobiles EMEA Press: New Alfa 156 and Alfa 156 GTA — Press Releases — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles EMEA Press, accessdate: 14. September 2018 The 166 used a slightly detuned version to make more low rev torque. This engine version was awarded as the International Engine of the Year in 2000. The engine has a bore and stroke of , the same as the two-valve.
Applications: 1996–2005 Alfa Romeo 156 1996–2007 Alfa Romeo 166
3.0 24V
The engine was upgraded to dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder in 1993. Due to this and other refinements, this engine produced for the regular 1993 Alfa Romeo 164, with and in the 164 QV with its engine producing on the Q4 model which in its final production run in 1996, it got reduced to but with increased torque.Quattroruote.it: Listino ALFA ROMEO 164 (1987–1998) — prezzi, caratteristiche tecniche e accessori — Quattroruote.it, accessdate: 14. September 2018 The final run of 3.0 V6 engines in the GTV, Spider and 166 range, produced in the Euro 3-compliant version. The engine has a bore and stroke of , the same as the two-valve.
Applications: 1991 Alfa Romeo Proteo concept car 1993–1997 Alfa Romeo 164 1994–2000 Lancia Kappa 1996–2003 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000–2003 Alfa Romeo Spider 1996–2007 Alfa Romeo 166 2001–2008 Lancia Thesis 1998–present Gillet Vertigo (Vertigo also used a 3.6 L and 3.9 L version)
3.2 24V
In 2002 Alfa Romeo introduced the 156 and 147 GTA with a version of the V6 with and of torque. Later this engine was also used in the Alfa Romeo 166, GTV, Spider and Alfa Romeo GT in a slightly detuned form .Fiche technique Alfa Romeo 166 3.2 V6 240 BLACK LINE 2007: Fiche technique Alfa Romeo 166 3.2 V6 240 BLACK LINE 2007, accessdate: 14. September 2018 The engine has a bore and stroke . In Lancia this engine produced .Fiat Chrysler Automobiles EMEA Press: NEW ENGINES FOR THE LANCIA THESIS — Press Releases — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles EMEA Press , accessdate: 14. September 2018
Applications: 2002–2005 Alfa Romeo 156 GTA 2002–2005 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 2002–2004 Alfa Romeo GTV 2002–2004 Alfa Romeo Spider 2003–2007 Alfa Romeo 166 2003–2010 Alfa Romeo GT 2003–2009 Lancia Thesis
3.5 24V In December 2002, at the Bologna Motor Show, Alfa Romeo displayed a 156 GTAm prototype, built by N-Technology, with 3458cc. The power was increased to 300 PS at 6,800rpm. The engine had a bore and stroke of 97 mm x 78 mm. This version never came to production, and it was based on N-Technology's experience racing the 156 GTA Super Touring.
Application:
2002 Alfa Romeo 156 GTAm N.Technology
2.5 DTM Alfa Romeo raced, in early 1990s, a 2.5-litre engine based on Busso's 60º V6. The engine was substantially revised and had a difference bore and stroke from the 2.5 standard engine, respectively, 93 mm x 61.3 mm, and making 420 bhp (313 kW) at 11,800 rpm with a torque of 294 Nm. Alfa Romeo, during the 1993–1996 era of DTM/ITC, racked up an incredible thirty-eight victories of a total of eighty-nine starts. The V6-engined machine also qualified on pole nineteen times and set the fastest lap in forty-two races.
Application:
Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI.
Later, Alfa Romeo also raced a development of the Peugeot, Renault, Volvo 90° V6 engine, with 490 PS at 11,900 rpm, in the 1996 DTM Championship.YouTube: Limone Racconta: La verità sul motore Alfa 155 V6 Ti + 156 e Fulvia Concept — Davide Cironi (SUBS) — YouTube, accessdate: 26 July 2018
Other 24V displacements
Alfa Romeo worked on other displacements, specifically a 2.8L (2846cc), with 88 mm bore (same as the 2.5 liter engine) and a 78 mm stroke (same as the 3.2 liter engine). According to Alfa Romeo engineers, there were considerable gains, especially in torque. However, this engine never made it into series production. Some private workshops work on these engines to obtain larger displacements (and power outputs), with diameters of 101 mm (3.75L) or even 103 mm (3.9L).
Engine applications — Table LayoutEngineCylinder Head12 valves24 valvesVersion2.02.0 Turbo2.52.8 Gleich3.0 Autodelta3.02.53.03.2Bore8088939393889393Stroke66,268.368.372.072.668.372.678.0Capacity1 9962 4922 7842 9342 9592 4922 9593 179LongitudinalAlfa Romeo Alfa 61983–19861979–1986Alfa Romeo GTV6 (Alfetta)1980–198619821984–1985Alfa Romeo 901984–19871984–1987Alfa Romeo 75/Milano1985–19911987–1991Alfa Romeo SZ1989–1991Alfa Romeo RZ1992–1994TransverseAlfa Romeo 1641991–19971988–19971993–1997Alfa Romeo 1551992–1997Alfa Romeo GTV (916)1994–200019941996–20032002–2004Alfa Romeo Spider (916)1998–20001993–20002000–20032002–2004Alfa Romeo 1561996–2005Alfa Romeo 1661996–20001996–20071996–20072003–2007Alfa Romeo 156 GTA2002–2005Alfa Romeo 147 GTA2002–2005Alfa Romeo GT2003–2010Fiat Croma1993–1996Lancia Thema1992–1994Lancia Kappa1994–2000Lancia Thesis2001–20082003–2009
Production end