Crazy, bad and dangerously good to know, the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA is exactly the kind of car that Australia’s old-school rev-heads understand and appreciate.
A powerful engine is hidden under the bonnet that can instantly turn the rear tires of this super sedan into smoke. Its low position, the wide tires and the serious spoilers signal the willingness to rumble even before the tailpipes speak.
Imagine a smaller, lighter, more elegant and faster HSV Commodore GTS and that is the essence of the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA. But even if HSV weren’t a RIP, Alfa Romeo’s real rivals would be Europeans. Similar sized cars from Mercedes-AMG and the BMW M Division are closer together in terms of size and sophistication.
The Alfa Romeo easily outperforms the Germans for power. No wonder; The two-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 is basically Ferrari’s current V8, minus two cylinders.
New connecting rods, faster rotating turbos and a titanium Akrapovič exhaust maximum output of 397 kW, an increase of around 20 kW compared to the version of the same engine in the Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde. There is a similar superiority over the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 of the Mercedes-AMG C63 S.
While it takes the engine a beat or two to hit its turbo-controlled stride, everything from relatively low revs to its 7,000-rpm-plus cut-out is all finely-toned elite muscle.
The high-revving rasp from the twin pipes of the Akrapovič exhaust is almost as impressive as the acceleration. Alfa Romeo claims that 0-100 km / h is just 3.6 seconds, which makes the Giulia GTA a good lead over the C63 S, M3 and M4.
The Alfa Romeo engine delivers its impressive performance via an eight-speed automatic from the German transmission specialist ZF and an electronically controlled differential to the wide rear wheels of the Giulia GTA.
In addition to the added power, there is less weight. GTA stands for “Gran Turismo Alleggerita”, Italian for “Lightened GT”.
The name also refers to a famous model from Alfa Romeo’s past, the 1965 Giulia Sprint GTA. This car used aluminum to cut the pounds. Instead, the new Giulia GTA relies on carbon fiber to save 100 kg of its empty weight.
Alfa Romeo already uses composites in the Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde, but the new GTA takes carbon intensity to another level. In addition to the roof and bonnet, the front bumper and guards, rear wheel arches, and most aero add-ons are made of carbon fiber.
The Giulia GTA wears massive Michelin tires on lightweight rims made of forged aluminum alloy. Carbon ceramic discs and massive brake calipers from the Italian brake specialist Brembo ensure that you stop. For better handling, the GTA has lowered the suspension and the wheels at a greater distance at the front and rear.
The GTAm – the additional letter for “modificata” – goes even further. The rear seats are deleted and a half roll cage is installed. This also applies to rear windows made of polycarbonate, carbon bucket seats with six-point belts as well as an adjustable front splitter and a larger, manually adjustable rear spoiler, both made of carbon fiber.
These spoilers as well as the front splitter, the rear diffuser, the side skirts and the underbody slats and ducts were developed in the wind tunnel by Sauber Engineering, Alfa Romeo Racing’s Formula 1 partner. Team drivers Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi tested the Giulia GTA during development.
Whatever advice they gave, it was good. The Giulia GTA is just awesome for driving hard on a track …
Light, but laser-accurate, the steering is really excellent. These big brembos are brutally efficient too. And the chassis inspires confidence when carving curves.
The engine works perfectly with the transmission, whether it is in auto or paddle. The abundance of grunts means that moving the rear end to adjust the curve lines is a matter of course for the Giulia GTA. This Alfa Romeo is a drifter’s dream.
It’s also excellent on the road. Despite its extreme looks, the Giulia GTA is a comfortable street car for everyday use … just one with exceptional performance. In this regard, it is far superior to the shockingly stiff Mercedes-AMG C63.
The catch? The Giulia GTA may be the best sports sedan in the world, but it’s going to be very, very expensive. Only 500 pieces are produced for the whole world (the customer’s choice determines the division between GTA and GTAm), so exclusivity is guaranteed. Only three examples for the GTA and 15 for the GTAm are on the way there. The price is $ 268,000 plus roads for the standard car and $ 288,000 for the two-seater – an even bigger shock than its unexpected size.
Large nuts required
According to Alfa Romeo, the Giulia GTA is the only street legal sedan in the world whose wheels are held in place by individual nuts. This note contributes to the Alfa’s racing aura.
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA
Price: From $ 268,000 plus streets
Engine: 2.9 liter V6 twin turbo; 397 kW / 600 Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic; RWD
Thirst: 10.8 l / 100 km
Power: 0-100 km / h 3.6 s
The post Drive the new Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA first appeared on monter-une-startup.
