ALFA Romeo's competition Giulia Sprint GTA blazed a trail of success across the racetracks of Europe in the '60s and '70s.

It took three consecutive wins in the European Touring Car Championship in 1966, 1967 and 1968 -- and it deservedly occupies a proud position in the annals of international motorsport.

Today, 37 years later, as Alfa Romeo is once again preparing to defend its European Touring Car Championship crown with a new racing GTA, the company is also introducing two good-looking, high performance, sporty road cars that combine a glittering motor racing pedigree with high quality contemporary engineering -- the new 156 GTA and 156 Sportwagon GTA.

These cars have been designed to enhance everyday driving experiences with a true racing feel and authentic driving satisfaction, and they both go on sale here in right-hand drive, on May 2.

Taking as their base the revised Alfa 156, Alfa Romeo's engineers developed an exciting specification for the GTA, including a brand new 3.2 litre V6 24V engine, completely new suspension geometry and settings, a much more powerful braking system, more direct steering, new gearboxes (a six-speed manual and a six-speed Selespeed unit featuring Fl-derived technology), and sporty new 17in alloy wheels.

The aim was to offer thrilling performance and very quick responses in terms of dynamics, ride and handling.

All the design changes eschew ostentation and the car's appearance is the result of uncompromising technical alterations to the chassis and mechanical assemblies.

Wider, lower and more assertive to the onlooker, partly thanks to substantial 225/45 tyres on new 17ins wheels, the cars are nevertheless entirely recognisable.

Ten body colours are available for the GTA, comprising seven metallics, two pastels, and Nuvola Red, an iridescent shade exclusive to the model.

For the majority of the 156 range, active safety now includes VDC, (Vehicle Dynamic Control). VDC maintains the dynamic stability of the vehicle, intervening in extreme conditions to help the driver control the car.

To achieve this result, the system constantly monitors tyre grip, and if the vehicle slides, it cuts in to recover direction and stability. And should the driver change down suddenly in conditions of poor grip, an MSR system kicks in, restoring torque to the engine to prevent a slide caused by locked wheels.

The new Alfa 156 also has emergency brake assistance, know as HBA, (Hydraulic Brake Assistance), which helps the driver during "panic" braking, guaranteeing maximum deceleration, regardless of the force exerted on the pedal.

To optimise visibility in all driving and weather conditions, the new 156 can be specified with xenon headlights and automatic alignment correction, which provide a more intense light and greater efficiency than normal halogen lamps, as well as lasting twice as long.

On the passive safety front, window airbags are now standard equipment on all versions.

These bags drop down along the windows to protect occupants' heads in the case of side impact.

They are more protective on the Alfa 156 than in some other applications, because they always assume the right position, inflate faster and are less invasive for passengers.