Stelvio Quadrifoglio

Make
Alfa Romeo
Segment
SUV

Last year Alfa Romeo rolled out special NRING editions of both the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio. At the time, they were only launched for the European, Middle Eastern and African markets. But now, at the 2019 New York Auto Show, the Italian automaker has announced they're coming to North America as well.

Both sedan and crossover are distinguished by a series of equipment and aesthetic enhancements to set them apart from the "standard" Quadrifoglio performance models – not the least of which is the special Circuito Grey paint job.

The special editions also feature an array of carbon-fiber accents – from the back of the red-stitched Sparco racing seats and the dashboard trim to the side skirts, wing mirror caps, and front badges. The steering wheel is wrapped in leather and Alcantara and comes with (you guessed it) more carbon trim to match the special shift knob. And the carbon-ceramic brakes by Brembo are available as an $8,000 option on the NRING edition.

What doesn't change is the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, kicking out 505 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels (or all four wheels on the Stelvio) through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

All that muscle will send the Giulia Quadrifoglio rocketing to 60 in 3.8 seconds and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio in 3.6 seconds. More to the point, though, the sedan lapped the Nordschleife in 7:32, and the crossover in 7:51.7.

That was enough for the Stelvio to claim the record as the fastest production SUV ever to lap the Green Hell, which was the impetus for these special editions in the first place. And though the crossover title has since been supplanted by the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S, popular demand prompted FCA to bring the special editions across the pond.

Where 108 individually numbered examples of each were offered overseas, dealers on this side of the Atlantic will distribute 110 units, split (55/55) between the Giulia and Stelvio.

Watch this space for further pricing and availability information – along with details on the perks. The 216 customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa each got a matching 1:18-scale model of their car to go with the real thing, along with a set of driving gloves, a soft-shell jacket, bag, cufflinks, a set of diving shoes, and – best of all – a specialized driving course at the Nürburgring.