Alfa Romeo is bringing back the GTA badge on two hardcore Giulia cars.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is one of the fastest production sedans, but on Monday the Italian automaker unveiled not one but two faster versions.
The new models carry the famous Alfa Romeo GTA nameplate and are powered by a 532-horsepower version of the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that normally develops 505 hp in the Giulia Quadrifoglio.
The name GTA derives from the Giulia-based Alfa Romeo GTA model sold in the 1960s and stands for Gran Turismo Alleggerita, which means "lightweight Grand Touring" in Italian. The car was originally built for racing, but under homologation regulations, 500 cars were built for use on public roads.
The current Giulia GTA model continues this tradition in some ways, with both the standard Giulia GTA and the extra-heavy GTAm being offered, although neither are intended for racing use. As a tribute to the original cars, only 500 modern Giulia GTA and Giulia GTAm will be produced.
Both cars are about 220 kg lighter than the Giulia Quadrifoglio due to the use of carbon fiber for many components including the driveshaft, hood, roof, front end and widened wheel arches. In addition, some steel components such as the engine, doors and suspension have been replaced with aluminum. A lighter Akrapovic center-mounted titanium exhaust has also been installed. Finally, the glass side and rear windows have also been replaced with lighter Lexan (polycarbonate resin) glass. The result is a weight of about 3,350 kg, which is not bad at all for a small sports sedan. The [GTAm is designed for the track, but can be used on the street as well. It features a larger rear antifender than the GTA, a crossbar in place of the rear seats, racing buckets up front, and a trimmed interior with six-point seat belts.
Other features include a new aerodynamic package with active elements at the front, developed with Alfa Romeo F1 team partner Sauber Engineering, a 50 mm wider track, stiffer suspension and 20-inch center wheels. wheel locks, among other features.
Owners of either model can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds with launch control. Alfa Romeo does not name other figures, but the model will undoubtedly beat the Giulia Quadrifoglio's Nürburgring lap time of 7 minutes 32 seconds. The current record for a production sedan at the Nürburgring is 7:21.23, set by the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 in 2017.
Alfa Romeo is currently accepting applications to purchase the car, and as mentioned, a total of 500 units will be produced. Each owner will receive a Bell helmet in special GTA livery, a full racing kit (racing suit, gloves and shoes) from Alpinestars, a customized car cover and an invitation to a driving course.
