The 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia

[Sdf4786k]

A more hardcore Giulia is coming soon

 

[Carbon82]

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA (952) '2020

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm (952) '2020

On June 24th, 2020, Alfa Romeo will reach an important milestone in its remarkable history: 110 years in business. During that century-plus span, Alfa Romeo engineers and designers have relentlessly pursued innovation, while always remaining true to the Brand's DNA. Over the years, this DNA - the perfect combination of sportiness and elegance - has created not only some of the most iconic vehicles ever built, but also vehicles that are right at home both on the racetrack and in any beauty contest. To mark its 110th birthday, Alfa Romeo presents a vehicle that fully signifies a return to the brand's origins, while paying tribute to one of the most emblematic vehicles of Alfa Romeo: Giulia GTA.

A set of initials with a legendary feel: GTA

The acronym GTA stands for "Gran Turismo Alleggerita" (alleggerita being the Italian term for "lightened"), and it originated in 1965 with the Giulia Sprint GTA, a specific version derived from the Sprint GT, designed as a sports car and presented at the Amsterdam Motor Show staged that same year. The body of the Giulia Sprint GT was replaced with an identical version in aluminum, for a total weight of 1,642 lb compared to the 2,094 lb of the road version. A second variation concerned the 1.6 twin cam engine which, in the road configuration, with dual ignition, reached an impressive output of 115 hp. The technicians of Autodelta, the official Alfa Romeo racing team, chose it as the reference vehicle for the Touring category, and developed it to achieve a maximum output of 170 hp. The model's success in competitions was then immediate: three consecutive "Challenge Europeo Marche", tens of national championships and hundreds of individual races in every part of the world. And the way it ramped up the image of the entire range was also impressive: Giulia Sprint GTA expressed the claim "A victory a day in your everyday car" to perfection. From then on, the GTA made a name for itself as the undisputed icon of Alfa Romeo sportiness and the acronym GTA became so successful that the public soon associated it with all the sporty Alfa Romeo vehicles in general.

The legend is renewed with excellent technical solutions

On the year of its 110th anniversary, Alfa Romeo intends to break a few rules: it doesn't intend to talk about history, especially its own, nor does it want any gifts for its birthday. Instead, it prefers to give a gift to Alfa enthusiasts by presenting the Giulia GTA. Today, this is a real return to the roots of Alfa Romeo, planted deep in the world of performance and grand touring.

Specific technical features and functional style

For the new Giulia GTA, Alfa Romeo engineers have striven to improve aerodynamics and handling but above all to reduce weight: the same guidelines followed for the 1965 Giulia GTA. The active aerodynamics were specifically studied to increase the downforce. These solutions contain technical know-how that comes directly from Formula 1, thanks to the synergy with Sauber Engineering and the use of the Sauber Aerokit. The same task is assigned to the side skirts, the specific rear spoiler and the active front splitter. The titanium Akrapovi? central exhaust system integrated in the carbon fiber rear diffuser is also new, as are the 20-inch center lock wheels, appearing for the first time on a sedan. The handling at high speeds has been improved by widening the front and rear wheel tracks by 50mm and developing a new set of springs, shock absorbers and bushings for the suspension systems. On GTAm, the aerodynamic front piece has been optimized to an extreme level, by adding a larger front splitter and a real carbon rear wing, which ensure a perfectly balanced load at high speeds. In terms of performance, the powerful 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo, made entirely of aluminum and capable of unleashing no less than 510 hp in the standard configuration, reaches a power output of 540 hp on Giulia GTA, thanks to meticulous calibration work performed by Alfa Romeo engineers. The same team has also succeeded in optimizing the implementation of the new Akrapovi? specific exhaust system, with its unmistakable sound.

Moving inside the car, several new details stand out: the trim in 100% Alcantara® on the dashboard, door panels, glove compartment, side pillars and the central trim on the seats. Alcantara® is used even more extensively on the GTAm version, where the rear bench has been removed, leaving room for a fully upholstered "basin", hosting specific moldings deigned to hold helmets and fire extinguisher. The new matte carbon inserts endow the interior with a distinctive technical and aesthetic elegance. In the new GTAm, the interior is unique in that it features a roll bar, no door panels or rear seats and the door is opened with a belt in place of the handle, another touch that comes from the racing world.

An excellent weight/power ratio

But power on its own is not enough to ensure extraordinary performance. The work done to reduce vehicle weight has been meticulous and it has reaped particularly impressive results, with a total weight reduction of 220 lb, thanks to the adoption of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber for the drive shaft, hood, roof, front bumper, front wheel arches, rear wheel arch inserts and, on the GTAm, the shell of the specific sporting seats with 6-point Sabelt safety belts. Further, lightweight aluminum is used in the engine, doors and suspension systems, and various other composite materials are used throughout. For instance, Lexan - a unique polycarbonate resin that comes straight from the world of motorsports - has been used in the side and rear window frames, further contributing to the weight reduction. The result is a weight set around 3,350 lb which, combined with the increase in power to 540 hp, brings the weight/power ratio to an excellent level, 6.2 lb/hp, making Giulia GTA and GTAm capable of delivering extraordinary performance. Its acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is lightning fast - thanks to the Launch Control system, the chronometer stops at just 3.6 seconds. The Giulia GTAm is the two-seater configuration approved for on-road use, with front splitter and larger visible rear wing in carbon, the ultimate expression of sportiness. In the GTA version, with the same power, Giulia offers four seats, no rear roll-bar; spoiler and splitter optimized for daily use on the road; the same door panels, seats and windows as those of the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The result is a veritable supercar for everyday use.

A privilege for 500 lucky customers...

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and its extreme version, Giulia GTAm, will be built in a limited edition of only 500 units in total, all numbered and certified and ready to take up their place alongside their 1965 forerunner as one of the most sought-after collector's items. They are not only magnificent to look at, but they are also ready to unleash impressive power on the road, usable thanks to a series of sophisticated technical solutions. The same exclusivity found in Giulia GTA and Giulia GTAm will also characterize a particularly exclusive dedicated customer experience, designed to treat the 500 lucky owners to a unique interaction that is 100% Alfa Romeo. After the advance bookings, which are now officially open and will close as soon as the 500th unit has been reserved, the sales process will be one-to-one, with a Brand ambassador product specialist following each customer from order to delivery. But the buying experience doesn't stop at the dedicated sales process. Indeed, the new owners will also receive a personalized experience package kit, which includes a Bell helmet in special GTA livery, a full racing set by Alpinestars (race suit, gloves and shoes) and a personalized Goodwool car cover for protecting his or her GTA or GTAm. In addition to other equipment for true enthusiasts, the Alfa Romeo customer experience also includes a specific driving course devised by the Alfa Romeo Driving Academy. 

[t0y0ta]

59 minutes ago, Carbon82 said:

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA (952) '2020

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm (952) '2020

On June 24th, 2020, Alfa Romeo will reach an important milestone in its remarkable history: 110 years in business. During that century-plus span, Alfa Romeo engineers and designers have relentlessly pursued innovation, while always remaining true to the Brand's DNA. Over the years, this DNA - the perfect combination of sportiness and elegance - has created not only some of the most iconic vehicles ever built, but also vehicles that are right at home both on the racetrack and in any beauty contest. To mark its 110th birthday, Alfa Romeo presents a vehicle that fully signifies a return to the brand's origins, while paying tribute to one of the most emblematic vehicles of Alfa Romeo: Giulia GTA.

A set of initials with a legendary feel: GTA

The acronym GTA stands for "Gran Turismo Alleggerita" (alleggerita being the Italian term for "lightened"), and it originated in 1965 with the Giulia Sprint GTA, a specific version derived from the Sprint GT, designed as a sports car and presented at the Amsterdam Motor Show staged that same year. The body of the Giulia Sprint GT was replaced with an identical version in aluminum, for a total weight of 1,642 lb compared to the 2,094 lb of the road version. A second variation concerned the 1.6 twin cam engine which, in the road configuration, with dual ignition, reached an impressive output of 115 hp. The technicians of Autodelta, the official Alfa Romeo racing team, chose it as the reference vehicle for the Touring category, and developed it to achieve a maximum output of 170 hp. The model's success in competitions was then immediate: three consecutive "Challenge Europeo Marche", tens of national championships and hundreds of individual races in every part of the world. And the way it ramped up the image of the entire range was also impressive: Giulia Sprint GTA expressed the claim "A victory a day in your everyday car" to perfection. From then on, the GTA made a name for itself as the undisputed icon of Alfa Romeo sportiness and the acronym GTA became so successful that the public soon associated it with all the sporty Alfa Romeo vehicles in general.

The legend is renewed with excellent technical solutions

On the year of its 110th anniversary, Alfa Romeo intends to break a few rules: it doesn't intend to talk about history, especially its own, nor does it want any gifts for its birthday. Instead, it prefers to give a gift to Alfa enthusiasts by presenting the Giulia GTA. Today, this is a real return to the roots of Alfa Romeo, planted deep in the world of performance and grand touring.

Specific technical features and functional style

For the new Giulia GTA, Alfa Romeo engineers have striven to improve aerodynamics and handling but above all to reduce weight: the same guidelines followed for the 1965 Giulia GTA. The active aerodynamics were specifically studied to increase the downforce. These solutions contain technical know-how that comes directly from Formula 1, thanks to the synergy with Sauber Engineering and the use of the Sauber Aerokit. The same task is assigned to the side skirts, the specific rear spoiler and the active front splitter. The titanium Akrapovi? central exhaust system integrated in the carbon fiber rear diffuser is also new, as are the 20-inch center lock wheels, appearing for the first time on a sedan. The handling at high speeds has been improved by widening the front and rear wheel tracks by 50mm and developing a new set of springs, shock absorbers and bushings for the suspension systems. On GTAm, the aerodynamic front piece has been optimized to an extreme level, by adding a larger front splitter and a real carbon rear wing, which ensure a perfectly balanced load at high speeds. In terms of performance, the powerful 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo, made entirely of aluminum and capable of unleashing no less than 510 hp in the standard configuration, reaches a power output of 540 hp on Giulia GTA, thanks to meticulous calibration work performed by Alfa Romeo engineers. The same team has also succeeded in optimizing the implementation of the new Akrapovi? specific exhaust system, with its unmistakable sound.

Moving inside the car, several new details stand out: the trim in 100% Alcantara® on the dashboard, door panels, glove compartment, side pillars and the central trim on the seats. Alcantara® is used even more extensively on the GTAm version, where the rear bench has been removed, leaving room for a fully upholstered "basin", hosting specific moldings deigned to hold helmets and fire extinguisher. The new matte carbon inserts endow the interior with a distinctive technical and aesthetic elegance. In the new GTAm, the interior is unique in that it features a roll bar, no door panels or rear seats and the door is opened with a belt in place of the handle, another touch that comes from the racing world.

An excellent weight/power ratio

But power on its own is not enough to ensure extraordinary performance. The work done to reduce vehicle weight has been meticulous and it has reaped particularly impressive results, with a total weight reduction of 220 lb, thanks to the adoption of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber for the drive shaft, hood, roof, front bumper, front wheel arches, rear wheel arch inserts and, on the GTAm, the shell of the specific sporting seats with 6-point Sabelt safety belts. Further, lightweight aluminum is used in the engine, doors and suspension systems, and various other composite materials are used throughout. For instance, Lexan - a unique polycarbonate resin that comes straight from the world of motorsports - has been used in the side and rear window frames, further contributing to the weight reduction. The result is a weight set around 3,350 lb which, combined with the increase in power to 540 hp, brings the weight/power ratio to an excellent level, 6.2 lb/hp, making Giulia GTA and GTAm capable of delivering extraordinary performance. Its acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is lightning fast - thanks to the Launch Control system, the chronometer stops at just 3.6 seconds. The Giulia GTAm is the two-seater configuration approved for on-road use, with front splitter and larger visible rear wing in carbon, the ultimate expression of sportiness. In the GTA version, with the same power, Giulia offers four seats, no rear roll-bar; spoiler and splitter optimized for daily use on the road; the same door panels, seats and windows as those of the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The result is a veritable supercar for everyday use.

 A privilege for 500 lucky customers...

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and its extreme version, Giulia GTAm, will be built in a limited edition of only 500 units in total, all numbered and certified and ready to take up their place alongside their 1965 forerunner as one of the most sought-after collector's items. They are not only magnificent to look at, but they are also ready to unleash impressive power on the road, usable thanks to a series of sophisticated technical solutions. The same exclusivity found in Giulia GTA and Giulia GTAm will also characterize a particularly exclusive dedicated customer experience, designed to treat the 500 lucky owners to a unique interaction that is 100% Alfa Romeo. After the advance bookings, which are now officially open and will close as soon as the 500th unit has been reserved, the sales process will be one-to-one, with a Brand ambassador product specialist following each customer from order to delivery. But the buying experience doesn't stop at the dedicated sales process. Indeed, the new owners will also receive a personalized experience package kit, which includes a Bell helmet in special GTA livery, a full racing set by Alpinestars (race suit, gloves and shoes) and a personalized Goodwool car cover for protecting his or her GTA or GTAm. In addition to other equipment for true enthusiasts, the Alfa Romeo customer experience also includes a specific driving course devised by the Alfa Romeo Driving Academy. 

Giulia is nice unique courageous car.

Sales has been terrible compared to the original expectations.

I hope it survives on for the next generation

[Saabretooth]

They seem to have a "bad" timing of sorts.

Launching cars and products at a time when the market takes a hit, and people are holding back, not going for luxury items and sports sedans like these.

Even then with the move to EV or Hybrid cars, this is among the last of the "Mohicans" breed of ICE vehicles...

 

I really wish they have the chance to do really well.

[Tommisan]

1 hour ago, Saabretooth said:

They seem to have a "bad" timing of sorts.

Launching cars and products at a time when the market takes a hit, and people are holding back, not going for luxury items and sports sedans like these.

Even then with the move to EV or Hybrid cars, this is among the last of the "Mohicans" breed of ICE vehicles...

 

I really wish they have the chance to do really well.

Alfa seems like a niche market for the car enthusiasts who are addicted to the Italian sprinted drive (apart from Ferrari, Lambo and Maserati) . Firstly, when it was launched, Giulia and Stelvio were overly priced in comparison to competitors' models, hence pricing themselves out of the market. I would say the same for 4C.

Secondly, with only two models (and variants) offered,  even Lamborghini and Ferrari offer more choices! They are other companies in the market with more hand built car models on the plate than what Alfa Romeo is offering, that says alot!

 

[DK3410]

22 hours ago, Tommisan said:

Alfa seems like a niche market for the car enthusiasts who are addicted to the Italian sprinted drive (apart from Ferrari, Lambo and Maserati) . Firstly, when it was launched, Giulia and Stelvio were overly priced in comparison to competitors' models, hence pricing themselves out of the market. I would say the same for 4C.

Secondly, with only two models (and variants) offered,  even Lamborghini and Ferrari offer more choices! They are other companies in the market with more hand built car models on the plate than what Alfa Romeo is offering, that says alot!

 

To me (personal opinion), anything made by Fiat-Chrysler is a s***box until proven otherwise.

Alfa has the misfortune of being part of this unholy family, and unfortunately their core tenets (lack of reliability, crap after-sales) has metastasized to Alfa.

Alfas are kind of like the runner-ups amongst the Italian Supermodels (Ferrari, etc), not as good looking or desirable as one, but not as high-maintainance nor as expensive as one.

Like any supermodel babe, is great if you have loads of cash to spare while you ride her, she will then happily burn through your reserves, and disappear for weeks on end every so often because she's throwing a hissy-fit and something is broken, again.

Is there anything wrong with wanting a 2nd-rate but still gorgeous, unreliable as all-hell car? No, nobody can tell you how to spend your money. But the rest of us mere mortals without unlimited bank accounts and credit cards generally have other priorities.

[Sdf4786k]

The sales in the US wasn't doing that well despite all the hype and pent up demand of a discounted Ferrari California engine.

 

[1fast1]

On 3/3/2020 at 7:34 AM, Sdf4786k said:

A more hardcore Giulia is coming soon

 

Looks like an Evo X from the ass end.

[Sdf4786k]

7 minutes ago, Turboflat4 said:

Looks like an Evo X from the ass end.

Its beautiful. Just not sure what it entails to extend the rear wheels out of the wheel arches 

[inlinesix]

58 minutes ago, Sdf4786k said:

Its beautiful. Just not sure what it entails to extend the rear wheels out of the wheel arches 

Wider wheel track.

[Volvobrick]

This car has a flawed design - the front door is either too small or too far forward making getting in awkward.  Not for normal human, maybe for Italian apes again.

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Volvobrick

[teomingern]

The degree of unreliability in today's context is unbelievable... even the German marques have better reputation by now... so do the American brands... but Fiat & Alfa just takes the cake, icing and all... I just wonder how Fiat Chrysler sells enough cars globally to survive? I'm sure even the Italians get fed up with such unreliable products lor...

[Theoldjaffa]

6 hours ago, teomingern said:

The degree of unreliability in today's context is unbelievable... even the German marques have better reputation by now... so do the American brands... but Fiat & Alfa just takes the cake, icing and all... I just wonder how Fiat Chrysler sells enough cars globally to survive? I'm sure even the Italians get fed up with such unreliable products lor...

so which friend or friend of friend or friend of friend of friend you heard it from? about the "degree of unreliability" of Alfas and Fiats?

[Hamburger]

thats why i diam diam, as i never own a Fiat group car.

[Theoldjaffa]

20 hours ago, Volvobrick said:

This car has a flawed design - the front door is either too small or too far forward making getting in awkward.  Not for normal human, maybe for Italian apes again.

 

to be fair bro i don't have this issue. i'm not very tall like the typical SLAMS but i'm not that short either.

and the driving position is superb.

but yeah the rear takes some effort to get into.

[iamahbee]

7 hours ago, teomingern said:

The degree of unreliability in today's context is unbelievable... even the German marques have better reputation by now... so do the American brands... but Fiat & Alfa just takes the cake, icing and all... I just wonder how Fiat Chrysler sells enough cars globally to survive? I'm sure even the Italians get fed up with such unreliable products lor...

Have you owned any of these cars to come to a conclusion like this? Sweeping statements are not cool.

I had a 2006 Fiat Grande Punto which I bought pre-owned in 2010 and it served me with nary a mechanical fault. The 1.4 8v FIRE engine was almost bulletproof and I revved the nuts off this car. The only thing I had to do routine maintenance on was the actuator pump on the Dualogic gearbox. When I got my Golf 7 in 2013, my sister continued to drive the Fiat until the end of its COE lifespan in Dec 2016 without mechanical failure. 

My Golf with legendary German build quality on the other hand saw the workshop more than my Fiat and was towed twice, albeit none of them due the infamous DSG mechatronic failure. Go figure.

[DK3410]

33 minutes ago, iamahbee said:

Have you owned any of these cars to come to a conclusion like this? Sweeping statements are not cool.

I had a 2006 Fiat Grande Punto which I bought pre-owned in 2010 and it served me with nary a mechanical fault. The 1.4 8v FIRE engine was almost bulletproof and I revved the nuts off this car. The only thing I had to do routine maintenance on was the actuator pump on the Dualogic gearbox. When I got my Golf 7 in 2013, my sister continued to drive the Fiat until the end of its COE lifespan in Dec 2016 without mechanical failure. 

My Golf with legendary German build quality on the other hand saw the workshop more than my Fiat and was towed twice, albeit none of them due the infamous DSG mechatronic failure. Go figure.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a23145269/alfa-romeo-giulia-quadrifoglio-reliability-update/

https://www.osv.ltd.uk/are-alfa-romeo-reliable/

https://www.topgear.com/long-term-car-reviews/alfa-romeo/giulia/29-v6-biturbo-quadrifoglio-4dr-auto/report-9

Just FYI, what you just stated above is anecdotal at best, survivorship bias at worst.

These days, you don't need to own something before you can tell how good a product is. But reviews of their cars (esp long-term driving reviews) will give you a good insight into the reliability of their cars (or lack thereof).

There's a huge difference between renting one to have fun in for 2 weeks, and owning the car for 10 years before deciding if you want to extend COE.

Kind of like marriage really. You want to have that still hot 2nd-rate supermodel runner-up to ride but you have to hide the knives in the house as well as your ATM PIN?

Of course, if you're some rich dude with loads of sugar babies dangling off his arm, you'll have no issues getting one of these hot babes (look, Alfas are undeniably good-looking) for a ride, right up to the point you sell them before having to deal with any mechanical issues.

Edited March 5, 2020 by DK3410
Add content

[iamahbee]

2 hours ago, DK3410 said:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a23145269/alfa-romeo-giulia-quadrifoglio-reliability-update/

https://www.osv.ltd.uk/are-alfa-romeo-reliable/

https://www.topgear.com/long-term-car-reviews/alfa-romeo/giulia/29-v6-biturbo-quadrifoglio-4dr-auto/report-9

Just FYI, what you just stated above is anecdotal at best, survivorship bias at worst.

These days, you don't need to own something before you can tell how good a product is. But reviews of their cars (esp long-term driving reviews) will give you a good insight into the reliability of their cars (or lack thereof).

There's a huge difference between renting one to have fun in for 2 weeks, and owning the car for 10 years before deciding if you want to extend COE.

Kind of like marriage really. You want to have that still hot 2nd-rate supermodel runner-up to ride but you have to hide the knives in the house as well as your ATM PIN?

Of course, if you're some rich dude with loads of sugar babies dangling off his arm, you'll have no issues getting one of these hot babes (look, Alfas are undeniably good-looking) for a ride, right up to the point you sell them before having to deal with any mechanical issues.

Ah, what would we do in the good old days without the internet? 🙂

While I will not be calling all FCA cars s***boxes (I for one will not go near those from the C stable), your effort in pasting the above links to prove your point is commendable (I mean it, not sarcasm). My original point was simple; don't make a sweeping statement if you never had real experience in one, anecdotal or not. I had my fair share of experience with Alfas (33, 156) and Fiats (Uno - ok this one was admittedly bad, Grande Punto). But I digress.

Back to the Giulia, I have tested the Super variant and I did not find the driving position to be weird, although I'm just 1.7m tall. My main gripe would be the infotainment system though...