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? 

The actual Formula One

Seeing, in a shed in Hamilton, New Zealand, the Darracq 120 racer that Louis Wagner, also a pioneer aviator, drove to victory in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race felt a little like finding a Rembrandt at a garage sale.
For historical significance, I’d say this car ranks with Ray Harroun’s Marmon Wasp, the first Indianapolis 500 winner. Unlike Harroun’s Wasp, which has been lovingly cared for at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum over the years, this historically pivotal machine wound up half a world away from its home in France and, to most of the motoring world, largely forgotten. Sadly, so is the story of how the car got to Aotearoa in the first place.
More often than not, a racing car that is a few years old is regarded as obsolete and relegated to a shed somewhere. As far as racing drivers and team owners at the cutting edge of the sport are concerned, the cars are virtually worthless at that point. They can’t be driven on the street; at best they can be reconfigured for lower levels of the sport, so few people care about them until their historical significance becomes more apparent.

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