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Alfa Romeo unveil 2016 Giulia Quadrifoglio M3-Fighter

25 June, 2015

Alfa Romeo have revealed their latest entry to the four-door super-saloon battle — the Giulia Quadrifoglio. Expected to face off against the likes of the BMW M3 and Jaguar’s new XE, the Italian machine boasts an impressive Ferrari-tuned all-aluminium 510hp six-cylinder engine capable of projecting it from 0–100kph in a brisk 3.9 seconds.

Offered in either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the Guilia Quadrifoglio has the versatility to impress any driver, regardless of their skill set, behind the stitched-leather steering wheel. Torque vectoring, 50/50 weight distribution, lashings of weight-saving materials, and what Alfa Romeo themselves term as ‘the most direct steering on the market’, are characteristics that set it up to be a very competitive entry to the performance sedan market. 

The Quadrifoglio nameplate and ‘cloverleaf’ badge on the front fenders are a nod to Alfa Romeo’s extensive motorsport history — both better known for their association with the brand’s involvement in events like Targa Florio and championships like Formula 1. Recent times have seen Alfa Romeo revive the cloverleaf as a symbol for some of their range-topping cars.

While only images and video of the Quadrifoglio have been released, further information about the other models in the Giulia line-up should not be far away. 

If the images aren’t enough, check out Alfa Romeo’s release video below and listen to the exceptional noise the Giulia’s ‘Ferrari-inspired’ engine makes. What do you think; can this be a match for the best from Stuttgart and England? 

ROTARY CHIC

Kerry Bowman readily describes himself as a dyed-in-the-wool Citroën fan and a keen Citroën Car Club member. His Auckland home holds some of the chic French cars and many parts. He has also owned a number of examples of the marque as daily drivers, but he now drives a Birotor GS. They are rare, even in France, and this is a car which was not supposed to see the light of day outside France’s borders, yet somehow this one escaped the buyback to be one of the few survivors out in the world.
It’s a special car Kerry first saw while overseas in the ’70s, indulging an interest sparked early on by his father’s keenness for Citroëns back home in Tauranga. He was keen to see one ‘in the flesh’.
“I got interested in this Birotor when I bought a GS in Paris in 1972. I got in contact with Citroën Cars in Slough, and they got me an invitation to the Earls Court Motor Show where they had the first Birotor prototype on display. I said to a guy on the stand, ‘I’d like one of these,’ and he said I wouldn’t be allowed to get one. Citroën were building them for their own market to test them, and they were only left-hand drive.”

Tradie’s Choice

Clint Wheeler purchased this 1962 Holden FJ Panelvan as an unfinished project, or as he says “a complete basket case”. Collected as nothing more than a bare shell, the rotisserie-mounted and primed shell travelled the length of the country from the Rangiora garage where it had sat dormant for six years to Clint’s Ruakaka workshop. “Mike, the previous owner, was awesome. He stacked the van and parts nicely. I was pretty excited to get the van up north. We cut the locks and got her out to enjoy the northland sun,” says Clint. “The panelvan also came with boxes of assorted parts, some good, some not so good, but they all helped.”