The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, a real dark horse in the luxury sports sedan segment, has been on market since 2017 and has garnered rave reviews from journalists and car enthusiasts around the world. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, parent company of Alfa Romeo, having big ambitions for the famed Italian brand, recently invited us to their legendary proving grounds in Chelsea, Michigan, to put the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and its 505 horsepower through its paces on a closed course.
The Quadrifoglio’s power is delivered through a 2.9L twin-turbo V6 derived from Ferrari’s own F154 V8 engine. It produces 505 horsepower at 6,500 RPM, and 443 lb-ft. of torque at a very usable 2,500 RPM. A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission is tasked to deliver all of that power to the rear wheels, and Alfa Romeo claims it will sprint from 0-60mph (96km/h) in 3.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 307km/h. Having the opportunity to push it on the autocross circuit, we can confirm the Giulia Quadrifoglio does accelerate with ferocity and our butt dyno tells us that it is a fair bit quicker than the outgoing F80-generation BMW M3 (reviewed here).
Setting the Alfa Romeo DNA system to “Race” sharpens up the response of the Giulia and turns off all of the driving aids, including its ESC stability control and ASR Anti-slip Regulation systems. This turns the Giulia into an agile beast with a tail that loves to wag. The exhaust system opens up to its loudest setting under “Race” mode and rewards drivers with deep and thunderous roars, as well as loud crackles in between shifts and off throttle. Alfa Romeo engineers’ hard work in creating a car with a perfect 50/50 weight distribution did not go unnoticed either, as we thoroughly enjoyed the beautifully balanced chassis in the corners, and the communicative steering rack that completes the driving experience.
Styling wise, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio looks like nothing else on the street today. That is because, unfortunately, there simply are not many Italian designed sports sedans in North America. The Giulia’s design is a work of art, with perfectly balanced proportions and aggressive body curvatures. The upside-down triangle grille with the Alfa Romeo logo pays homage to the company’s classic models, and the four-leaf clover badge on the front fenders, exclusive on Quadrifoglio models, is brought back from Alfa Romeo’s racing days. The oversized painted brake calipers, carbon fiber lip spoiler, rear diffuser, and quad exhaust tips also do an excellent job in announcing its capabilities to the world.
The Giulia’s centre console is angled towards the driver, with a sporty carbon fibre and leather steering wheel and a red start/stop button on the bottom heading up the cockpit. The interior has more leather and carbon fiber trim, with red contrast stitching on the dash and around the leather and Alcantara wrapped seats. The front seats feature oversized side bolsters that performed admirably even when the G-Forces were strong. The 8.8” infotainment system is controlled by a rotary dial next to the DNA controller, and the Giulia Quadrifoglio comes standard with a Harman-Kardon premium sound system.
The 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio starts at $92,540, including destination charges. For 2019, Alfa Romeo is introducing a special limited edition NRING (for Nürburgring) edition for both the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models. The Giulia Quadrifoglio NRING model features Circuito Grey matte paint, carbon fiber mirror caps and front grille, an exposed carbon fiber roof, dark 19” aluminum wheels, serialized number plaque, and optional Sparco carbon fiber frame racing seats. There will be total of 110 examples built between the two NRING models, and only five of each will be offered in Canada.
See Also:
2018 BMW M3 Competition Package
