Dubbed the Giulia Quadrifoglio, this car “embodies the core elements which have made Alfa Romeo one of the world’s best-loved automotive brands distinctive Italian design; innovative powertrains, perfect weight distribution, unique technical solutions and the best weight-to-power ratio,” The Giulia Quadrifoglio (cloverleaf in Italian) is powered by twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter engine used in the Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans.
The Giulia Quadrifoglio delivers 85 hp more power than the BMW M3 (425 hp), which also is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter engine. The hottest variant of the Mercedes-Benz C class, called AMG C63 S, has the same power as its Alfa rival but uses a much larger engine: a twin-turbocharged 4.0 liter V-8..
The Giulia Quadrifoglio has the fastest acceleration in its class. The car goes 0 to 100kph in 3.9 seconds, compared with the BMW M3’s 4.1 seconds and 4 seconds for the Mercedes AMG C63 S. The Alfa will be offered only with rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission. A carbon fiber hood and roof help reduce weight to about 1,500kg.
The Giulia Quadrifoglio will go on sale in Europe early next year and it is the first model in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ 5 billion euro relaunch plan for Alfa that aims to increase the money-losing brand’s annual global sales to 400,000 by 2018 from 70,000 last year.