Alfa Romeo made a huge statement at the LA Auto Show, unveiling their high-performance 2017 Giulia Quadrifoglio sedan, which will take on the BMW M3, Mercedes-AMG C-Class and many others.
The Giulia Quadrifoglio will be built in Italy on an all new rear-wheel drive architecture that is expected to offer a 50/50 weight balance and a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio of around 7 pounds per horsepower.
That power comes from a Ferrari-derived bi-turbo V-6 available with both a manual and automatic transmission. With its 3,600 pound curb weight, this will make the Giulia Quadrifoglio the most powerful Alfa Romeo production car ever.
The 2.9 liter engine is expected to accelerate the Giulia Quadrifoglio from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 191 miles per hour. Its 505-horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque comes by way of direct-injection and a peak boost 35 psi.
Ferrari engineers also sought to save fuel when the engine wasn’t going full bore with cylinder deactivation which allows it run on three of its six-cylinders in addition to an auto-start-stop system on automatic transmission models.
With a six-speed manual and all of the Giulia Quadrifoglio’s specs in hand it was able to achieve a 7:39 Nürburgring lap time. This Alfa Romeo says makes it the fastest production four-door sedan in the world – at least on the ring.
Making it light for its size and power ratings, the Giulia Quadrifoglio has carbon fiber construction of its hood, roof, drive shaft, as well as the active aero front splitter and rear spoiler. Aluminum is used widely in suspension, doors and fenders.
Wheels are 19-inch staggered units with 8.5-inch wide at the front and 10-inch at the rear which you can really see. They frame huge Brembo brakes, 15.4-inch front and 14.2-inch rear, which are available in carbon-ceramic versions if you have the dough.
A new electro-mechanical “integrated braking system” will be the first of its kind in a production car, eliminating many of the traditional pieces of hardware for a full computer controlled experience they say will not only be more adjustable, but work better. We’ll see.
This will all be dialed in to the drive mode controls which encompass all things from the adjustable dampers to torque vectoring, steering feel to throttle mapping, and stability control.
But these are the highlights of the top-end launch model. Following later will be the full-line of Giulia sedans more affordable including a 276 horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder entry-level sedan. All-wheel drive will also available in time.
But first, the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio will arrive in the states in late summer of 2016 with a starting MSRP at around $70,000.
