The M means multijet direct injection, while the others have electric direct injection.
Did you have the 120 or 150 hp version, post some pictures of the ride!
I can't be sure. It was a 1.9 but the hood release was not functioning...which my conspiracy mind attributes to the rental agency to prevent tampering. Here are some pics.
What a trooper that car was, i loved it! Got me through the worst of italy...naples....without breaking a sweat. Same can't be said for me though. I'm sure avanti can attest, but Italian driving is NOT for the faint of heart.
About the driving gloves, it was below freezing so I was wearing them before I got in the car. Just felt good to drive in them so I left them on
I'll give a brief "road test" of the car.
I'll start by talking about the styling, because it is impeccable. Guigaro really did a good job on this one. Looks very exotic, but does not lose purposeful look that it has. The interior is a continuation of that sort of form following function theme as everything is laid out nearly perfectly (for the driver at least) and the secondary gauges located in the main console are just awesome to look at. Its very comfortable too, shrinking even all day long journeys, never making you ache or go numb anywhere you shouldn't.....
Ride and handling. Now this is the very first Alfa I've driven, but I can safely conclude that it is full of....soul and passion. Minor bumps in the road are felt only, and very accurately, in the precise steering. Larger imperfections (there were some curbs and speed bumps hit a bit too quickly) far from shake the car out of composure. You feel it, but the car shrugs it off and absorbs most of the discomfort for you. Turn in is as sharp and predictable and the steering effort is absolutely perfect; enabling absolute control of the front end. I never pushed the car too hard (unfamiliar roads) so I really have no way of knowing how it handles at the limit but body roll is controlled very nicely and there is plenty of grip to go around. Pedals are placed ideally for spirited driving, and heel and toe is only hampered by the (very) slow revving engine.
Braking feel is about as good as I've ever felt, not to hard or soft and the brakes are fairly strong although I did detect some fade going down a mountain road rather "enthusiastically," but that is completely suspected of a normal car. Again I never pushed to hard so it is difficult to say how good the brakes really are.
Engine. To me this was the only downside. It was a diesel, so the faults are obvious and I won't delve into them; you guys already know. The fuel economy was better than I expected, I averaged 41mpg at 90mph for 300 miles on the autostrada, which is definitely impressive considering how much weight it was lugging around! Power was adequate and the car probably was faster than all the panda's, punto's, and multipla's running around so I doubt a streetlight battle would be humbling, however impossible that proposition would seem. The shifter feels great and the action is the same, very smooth and mechanical feeling, although you get 3rd sometimes when you want first. (had an embarrassing stall because of this) I wish the gear ratios were more linearly spaced, the way its setup can make downshifting tricky, but not impossible.
Everything on the 159 just sort of comes together and forms one hell of a car. I was sad to have to turn it back in. It has reaffirmed by conviction to getting a car with handling and braking prowess over raw power so I think I will be looking for an Integra GSR. If anybody is considering buying a 159....do it. I can't imagine how good a GTA model would be.