Right Call, Alfa

Right Call, Alfa With 505 Hp and Character to Match, There Is a New Four-door Benchmark.

- Arthur St. Antoine

Around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the ultimate petri dish for testing the world’s most scintillating automobiles, the latest Alfa Romeo is quicker than Porsche’s 911 GT3 (997). And Lamborghini’s Murciélago LP640. And Nissan’s GT-R Spec V.

Oh, and it seats five and has a delightful audio system.

The new Giulia Quadrifoglio (often called the Giulia QV) isn’t simply the most powerful Alfa ever, it’s also the fastest production four-door sedan around the ’Ring. Its record-shattering lap time of 7 minutes, 32 seconds with Alfa test driver Fabio Francia at the helm even bested purebred two-seaters from the likes of Pagani, Koenigsegg, McLaren, and Ruf. The in-car footage is found easily on YouTube and will cause you to clench your gluteus maximus tighter than Charles Bukowski on St. Patrick’s Day.

The Giulia needs to be good for Alfa’s sake, as it forms the cornerstone of the marque’s ambitions for the U.S. market. Waiting for this car, though, has been like holding out for “Blade Runner 2.” After hearing rumors of its potential arrival for years, Americans only got their first glimpse of it at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. Now, finally, the Giulia Quadrifoglio—the lineup’s performance version—has arrived on our shores. Sometime before spring, a less aggressive, turbo four-cylinder version—available with optional all-wheel drive—will follow.