FOUR-DOOR FIRE

THE GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO AND M3 COMPETITION FACE OFF TO IDENTIFY THE ULTIMATE CHAMP

- CONNER GOLDEN

On paper, the attractive Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and the new, funky-looking 2021 BMW M3 Competition are spun from the same bolt of carbon-weave cloth. Both cars are rear-wheel-drive, front-engine members of the compact executive sedan segment. Each boasts a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine displacing about 3.0 liters. The Alfa and BWM share the same ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission and nearly identical power output just a tick beyond the 500-horsepower mark.

Pricing—both starting and as tested—parallel each other, as well. BMW requires $73,795 for the basest of the base M3 Comp, while Alfa demands $76,095 to get things started with its arrabbiata Quad. Our test-car examples sit at a hefty $93,945 for the Italian and $97,645 for the bright yellow German, so ignite your checkbook if you want to re-create our pairing.

If you limit your afternoon reading exclusively to our spec charts that follow in this piece, then this comparison test is a meeting of technical equals with only a few minor exceptions. In practice and on the charge, however, the M3 Competition and Giulia Quadrifoglio couldn’t be more dramatically different in terms of their ethos.

A portion of this perceived imbalance is objective. Before we even have a chance to weigh the sensory and tactile differences between the M3 and the Quadrifoglio, the BMW gaps the Alfa on our test track with tires ablaze and ass akimbo. In Competition form, the M3’s 502-hp engine is just short of the 505-hp Alfa. But it spreads an extra 36 lb-ft of torque on its rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires like cold butter on toast.