MOTORING
The Guilia Quadrifoglio (which incidentally is Italian for four-leaf clover) has catapulted the Alfa Romeo brand into unchartered territory with its powerful 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged 503-brake-horse-power engine. The V6 engine has not one but two turbochargers that launches it to over 190 miles per hour, and a 0-60 time of just 3.9 seconds. We sent motoring writer Nick Jones to try it out and gather his thoughts.
Firstly, the Alfa faces some stiff competition from the likes of the Mercedes Benz C63, the BMW M4 and the Audi RS4, all seriously fast saloons. Despite being heavily turbo’d, the Alfa doesn’t suffer from any lag whatsoever – instead, it delivers a button-sharp throttle response, coupled to the eight- speed automatic gearbox. Flick to manual option, and the
Alfa can be shifted using large aluminium column-mounted paddles and they work really well. As with many Alfas, one can use the Dynamic, Natural and Advanced efficiency modes (DNA) but it’s when you select the ‘race’ mode that things dramatically change. Everything firms up and as the
revs rise, and so does the bark it produces from the four exhausts, it also cracks violently on upshifts and goads you into further
exploitation. Thankfully, the brakes are up to scratch with drilled large discs fore and aft, with the yellow callipers and the optional ceramic versions better still. There is nothing wrong with the
way it handles either, as in race mode there’s little or no body roll and the clever rear diff sends power to the wheel that needs it most. Impressive still, the ride is not overly firm and feels supple and well damped - so much so it doesn’t suffer from a back- crunching thump. On the inside, the Alfa has gone
upmarket, the seats (mine had the carbon fibre ones) are among the most comfortable I’ve sat in in a long time and the pedals are not off-set. The carbon fibre theme continues with lots of the trim and the leather-wrapped dash is well appointed; the steering wheel feels
four-leaf clover
A true 72 business network November 2018
supremely race-like too. I do like the infotainment system
and the operation of it through the 8.8-inch colour screen where all the controls can be confirmed. There is also lots of room in the
rear, but surprisingly the rear seats don’t fold down or split – but the boot is a good size nonetheless. Against the might of the
(mainly) German opposition, one may feel the Alfa lacks in several areas to put you off from buying one – I’m not having any of that. Yes, the Alfa may suffer holding
up after, say, three years, in terms of residual values, but it represents one of the most entertaining, bonkers cars that I have driven in a very, very long time. Oh, and it’s cheaper than all the opposition and looks the part. Now where do I sign up? Yes, it’s that good.
FACTFILE
MODEL Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
PRICE OTR from £61,500
PERFORMANCE Top speed: 190mph 0-60 mph: 3.9 seconds Power: 503 horsepower
CO2 EMISSIONS 189g/km
COMBINED MPG 34.4mpg
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
