This is the one we've been waiting for the most from Alfa Romeo. Sure, the 4C is an absolutely wonderful two-seater, but it was never meant to be mainstream. Its production is limited to only 2,500 units per year. What we've been craving for is a proper Alfa Romeo return to North America with something that can truly turn up the pressure on the likes of the BMW M3. That car will be the all-new Giulia Quadrifoglio (QV).
Revealed earlier this year, the Giulia QV is, without question, the high-performance luxury sedan we're most excited about this coming year. Why's that? For starters, it's an Alfa. That's special right there. And second, there's a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 tuned by Ferrari under the hood. Total output is 530 horsepower.
For comparison's sake, the M3 comes powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder with 425 hp. Translation: the Giulia QV may not even be an M3 fighter; it could be an M3 killer. On top of that, it has a 50/50 weight distribution and power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. A dual-clutch gearbox will be optimal. Going 0 to 62 mph is expected to take only 3.9 seconds. Styling wise, the Giulia QV is drop-dead gorgeous from every angle. Its long hood, short rear-deck profile looks both muscular and refined. Although the wheelbase is the longest in its segment, Alfa Romeo proudly notes the Giulia QV still has one of the most compact bodies. Just look at those short overhangs as an example.
The front features an "Active Aero Splitter" that, according to Alfa Romeo, actively manages downforce. Out back there's that wicked cool-looking quad exhaust system and an aggressive diffuser. The design can't be mistaken for anything other than Italian. It's emotional and yet functional at the same time. We absolutely love it. This same passion transfers to the interior as well. According to Alfa Romeo, "everything is clean, essential and centers around the driver, such as the controls grouped on the small steering wheel designed to adapt to all driving styles." The dash is constructed out of carbon fiber, wood and premium fabrics.
While we're still waiting for some official performance times, we've been told the Giulia QV has lapped the Nurburgring with a time of 7:43, a full nine seconds faster than the BMW M4 (7:52). But let's put that into even further perspective. That supposed lap time is even faster than some of the world's best supercars, specifically the Lamborghini Murcielago and Lexus LFA. Right, we know, neither of those are brand new but still. This is a four-door sedan we're talking about here. That's damn impressive. We were told by Alfa Romeo at Los Angeles last November that an all-wheel-drive model with torque vectoring will be offered for the US as well.
Pricing will start at around $70,000 when it goes on sale sometime later on in 2016. Oh, and remember this: The Quadrifoglio is the top-of-the-line Giulia; there'll also be lower level models, the base of which will come packed with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Depending on the spec, it'll range in output from 200 hp to 276 hp. But it's the Giulia QV that we're excited for the most and you should be, too. Here's hoping there'll be no production delays this time around, as was the case with the 4C.
