2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

The Giulia was designed from the outset to be a machine with fine handling, with every model striving for that perfect 50/50 weight distribution. As a result, the Quadrifoglio has been gifted numerous carbon body panels in order to offset the weight of the larger engine. This careful planning and attention to detail have paid off, with a car that is agile, nimble, and every other adjective you can think of for something that dances lightly. The steering is quick, responsive, and direct. It's also full of gorgeous feel that communicates what the front tires are doing back to your hands. Coaxing the QV into a slide is not difficult, and once achieved, playing with the throttle allows for progressive changes in the angle that are easy to manage. The QV gets adaptive dampers too, and if you put it in Race mode, where the stability control is deactivated, everything firms up to contain body roll, yet you can still drive on normal roads without feeling your kidneys bounce. Not only is the chassis brilliant, but the suspension has been tuned perfectly, making this a joy to drive daily, as well as on the track. The brakes are the only let-down, as they are devoid of feel. The optional carbon ceramics will stop the car on a dime, but you have to put faith in them rather than let your foot tell you what's going on.

The 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is a flawed vehicle, with a troublesome trunk, sub-par interior space for rear passengers, and a brake setup that is less than perfect in terms of feel. In other cars, that can be a problem. In other, older Alfas, that would be what Alfisti refers to as character and charm, and it's a lack of perfection that makes an Alfa more rewarding in the areas that it excels. In this case, we can overlook the flaws, not because of some misguided passion or fanatical obsession, but because the rest of the car is so damn good. The steering is absolutely sublime. The engine sounds fantastic and provides incredible power and acceleration. The chassis is magnificent. The suspension is composed and supple. Essentially, this is the real M3 beater, and for once, Bavaria is on the back foot. There's a new benchmark, and it's from Italy.

There isn't much competition for the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio these days, particularly since we don't have a 2020 BMW M3 to compare it to. One of the cars that has already been updated and is excellent is the Audi RS5 Sportback. It starts at a considerably higher price of $92,500, but it's 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 is paired to an all-wheel-drive system. It has a gorgeous interior with more high-quality materials than in the Giulia, and thanks to its Sportback hatchback-like cargo area, it can hold a lot more luggage - 21.8 cubic feet without the seats down is a massive improvement over the Alfa's estimated 12 cubes. On the downside, the engine only produces 444 hp, although torque is identical to the Alfa's 443 lb-ft. It's also a lot less fun for the hooligan thanks to its point-and-shoot quattro system, although the Audi is the fastest in terms of 0-60 sprint times. For us, the Audi RS5 Sportback is a brilliant car that can manage being a daily driver just as well as it can manage going fast, but the Giulia QV offers so much more in the way of raw thrills.

One of the cheapest luxury performance sedans here is the Mercedes-AMG C63, with a base price of $68,100. It has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 469 hp, but if you opt for the C63 S, that gets pushed up to 503 hp with 516 lb-ft of torque. While the power figure closely matches that of the Alfa, the price tag in this format does too, with base prices here starting at $75,700. The trunk is a similar size to that of the Alfa but the opening is easier to use. Inside, legroom and headroom are similar, with the Alfa offering slightly more of the latter. So which is better? Well, the Merc has numerous options for extreme levels of customization throughout the interior, and more high-tech options are available than in the Alfa. Essentially, the Merc is likely to be more luxurious and relaxing daily while still offering plenty of performance. Hardcore driving enthusiasts will prefer the Alfa, however, as its balance and agility are all but unrivaled.