An Unexpected Surprise: The Luxury and Performance of Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
The 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio was recently dubbed the Best Luxury Performance Car of the year by New York Daily News.
It’s sort of a surprise when you consider other cars in the luxury segment. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio beat out the BMW M2, the Mercedes AMG models, and even the Cadillac CTS-V.
So the honor is quite an accomplishment for a car brand most people didn’t know existed in America.
Dramatic Style
From first glance, there’s something special about the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. It isn’t like all the other sedans that have an outward refinement somewhat disconnected from performance and luxury.
It’s all tied together seamlessly. Jaguar-esque hood lines drop into a sporty scowl in the front end. The grille is a love-it-or-hate-it feature. You choose.
The body lines then sweep back, bumping up over the rear wheel wells into the compacted trunk area. The fenders are like frames for the stunning wheels the Giulia Quadrifoglio rests on. so there’s nothing about this car’s outward appearance that attempts to deceive you of its intentions.
The style continues to impress as you open the door and slide inside. Heavily bolstered seats tell you what this car is about to do when you start it, but you’re still taking in the sights.
Color accents are placed in all the right spots, curving dash lines rise to the gauge pods, and carbon fiber – real carbon fiber, not appliques – are integrated into the seats. Even the luxurious leather-wrapped steering wheel screams performance with the integrated push-button start.
Friends, the looks are just the beginning.
The 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Is Meant for the Road
The base Giulia has a 2.0-liter, 280-horsepower engine. The Quadrifoglio however, has a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 under the bonnet with 505 horsepower. That’s best-in-class for those who are keeping tabs, even better than the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG S.
Also best in class is the performance it generates. Thanks to its 443 lb-ft of torque, the Giulia Quadrifoglio rockets from 0 to 60 mpg in 3.8 seconds. The top speed is a toupee-popping 191 miles per hour.
The 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia QF set the fastest time for a four-door sedan at the acclaimed Nurburgring too. It achieved a lap time of 7:32. Only 36 cars have set faster lap times: all coupes, and most supercars.
Dynamic Handling
There’s nothing like knowing you can toss a car around on the road without fear of losing control. While maintaining a “driver’s car” feel, the Giulia QF incorporates the highest end of driver assistance that you’d want in a performance luxury car.
Alfa DNA Drive Mode Selection adjusts the suspension to the driver’s wants and needs. If you feel like cruising the Pacific Coast Highway on a Sunday afternoon, then Advanced Efficiency setting or Natural mode are likely best.
Ripping down the highway after a long day at work? The Dynamic setting has more responsive throttle, braking and steering, and even gives the exhaust a throatier pitch.
Or, if you want the full experience, there’s Race mode. You’ll be in touch with the visceral side of your Giulia QF. Push your car to its limits and enjoy the feedback from the road in your steering and pedals.
Chassis Development
It’s what you don’t see that makes an impact as well. The Giulia Quadrifoglio utilizes carbon fiber for the hood and roof, displacing the weight much lower to the ground. The driveshaft utilizes carbon fiber as well, reducing rotating mass for increased performance and responsiveness.
Then there’s the front splitter. The only four-door car in the world to have an active aero front splitter. When additional downforce is needed, like in turns and when braking, the splitter lowers to add an up to 220 lbs of downforce. Naturally, it’s also made of carbon fiber.
Luxury Included
It’s not the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia QF in a nutshell, but there are definite aspects of luxury. The Alcantara and leather-wrapped interior is simply stunning along with the aluminum accents. So there’s no doubting its premium nature anywhere.
In the center console, you’ll find a BMW xDrive-style knob controller for the 8.8-inch infotainment system. 3D GPS Navigation with voice control and all the typical audio options including Bluetooth are included.
A 12-way power seat including thigh adjustments makes the high-bolstered seats comfortable for just about anyone. Of course, those seats and the steering wheel are heated.
There are a bunch of customizable interior options, like contrast stitching, colors, Recaro seats and such. In light of what the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio has under the hood, any configuration inside is quite acceptable.
With its base price sitting at $72,000, it is safe to say the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio would be an excellent alternative to anyone looking at an M-Series or AMG model. Ravishing looks, class-leading performance, and true Italian-made luxury performance, no need to look than the 2017 Giulia Quadrifoglio.
