2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

A base MSRP of $74,245 will get you behind the wheel of the Giulia Quadrifoglio, but do bear in mind that this price excludes tax, licensing, registration, and a destination charge of $1,595. The Mercedes-AMG C63 S is priced at a nearly identical $74,600.

Competing with the Quadrifoglio's engine for this car's crowning achievement, is the work that has been done to make it handle as sensationally as it does. The combination of rear-wheel-drive, quick steering, and a clever torque-vectoring differential endow the Alfa with a range of dynamic potential that leaves the outgoing BMW M3 thoroughly shaken.

Responses from the steering approach telepathic levels and despite it being quite light to turn, there's no shortage of feedback through the thin-rimmed wheel. Then, there's the ideal 50:50 weight distribution and adaptive dampers. It all just feels incredibly progressive, entertaining, controllable and forgiving. While an AMG 63 S or M3 is quick to induce oversteer, the grippy Alfa - running on Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires - gives you more options at the limit. And because there's so much more feel through the steering and chassis, it's that much easier to make small adjustments. In the Alfa, the eye-widening moments are a result of the car being able to deliver exactly what you ask of it. In the twitchy M3, these moments are more because the car had other plans. The Alfa's delicacy is what separates it from its chief rivals.

Switch from Race mode to Natural mode using the DNA Drive Mode Selector, and the Alfa surprises with a compliant ride quality, with the car successfully shielding occupants from unpleasant bumps. It's not luxury-car smooth, but considering what it can do on a track it's mightily impressive. The Giulia Quadrifoglio is one of the greatest driver's cars and in the context of a four-door sedan, possibly the best ever.

While BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer a tiered structure to their high-performance M and AMG ranges (Competition and S versions are the most powerful, respectively), Alfa Romeo offers just one Quadrifoglio for all super sedan duties. This is telling, because it honestly doesn't feel like the Quadrifoglio needs another layer to its performance, its astonishing dynamics or its personality. In these areas, the Alfa is a spectacular car, capable of both blinding acceleration, and stupendous agility and feel through the corners. That it does all of this while turning heads with its alluring design is a bonus. On the downside, the cabin feels a step behind in aspects like space utilization and quality. It's far from intolerable, but at just shy of $75k, the standards are understandably high. However, none of this can fully detract from the Giulia Quadrifoglio's many plus points. We'd advise you to follow a meticulous preventative maintenance schedule and take the plunge.

While the racing seats and carbon ceramic brakes make sense on the track, their appeal is limited and the price to pay for them is considerable. Instead, consider the worthwhile Driver Assistance Dynamic package - it fills in the few gaps in the Giulia's list of standard safety gear, and is reasonable value at $1,200. A wide array of wheel designs and exterior color choices also provide more customization.

Both rear-wheel-drive beasts with over 500 horsepower (in the case of the C63 S) at their disposal, the Alfa and the Mercedes nevertheless feel dramatically different on the road. The AMG is a brute, its grumbly V8 giving it the feel of a hot-rod, but it can also acquit itself remarkably well in the corners. Yet, it's the Alfa's delicacy that makes it so easy to fall in love with; where the AMG will occasionally make you wonder what's going to happen next, the Quadrifoglio communicates every nuance of the experience to the driver. As a four-door luxury sedan, the C63 wins with a much better cabin, improved tech, and more space for both passengers and their baggage. The Mercedes is also likely to prove more dependable in the long run. In a classic game of pros and cons, the AMG is likely to have more plusses on its side, but the Giulia is the more captivating performance machine and, considering what they were designed for, that's hard to look past.

With the all-new BMW M3 currently in development, should you save a considerable amount of cash and consider an almost-new F30 M3 over a new Quadrifoglio? On the M3's side is a proven recipe for success, with several generations of the 3 Series paving the way before it. A 425 horsepower twin-turbo inline-six (444 hp with the Competition package) provides potent performance, although the Alfa is ultimately faster. Even if you do go for the Competition pack, the F30 3 Series - and the M3 by extension - fundamentally lacked BMW's hallmark fun-factor from behind the wheel, leaving many a driver cold. This is precisely the area in which the Quadrifoglio excels. The M3 is fast and capable, but doesn't engage you in the same manner as the Alfa. And as versatile an engine as the M3's is, it doesn't match the Alfa's for character. As these are performance cars, we consider these aspects to be more important than the BMW's extra space and superior build quality. It's the Alfa that takes it - for now.