The 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia

[Xeryh]

Finally saw a red giulia on the road at raffles city this morning. Handsome beast

[Natnut]

I wonder is it worth going with PI's rather than the official AD?

[Theoldjaffa]

I wonder is it worth going with PI's rather than the official AD?

For Alfa, go with AD better

[Wt_know]

Alfa is a niche car model in spore ...

going PI literally means fck the warranty and after sales service

 

I wonder is it worth going with PI's rather than the official AD?

Edited April 13, 2018 by Wt_know

[flashbang]

For a stock car the grunt heard in the cabin is good enough.

 

I wound down the windows during the test drive. It's pretty quiet. It needs a nice aftermarket exhaust.

 

The Stinger GT is different. It sounds good inside and outside, although still a bit muted for a twin turbo V6.

 

Isn't the stinger with the fake piped in exhaust audio?

[Ct3833]

I wonder is it worth going with PI's rather than the official AD?

Even buying from AD can be challenging in getting spare parts timely, by going PI would mean you can forget about finding parts in SGP becuae no stockist would stock parts for low demand models. You may still get some luck for older models but not the new one.

[Wolfverine]

Bro, IMO the G30's engine drives too comfortably and refine (quite like the G11/12). As commented in various forums, the new breed of BMW is into luxury and refinement and that includes the G30. If I'm into having some "rawness" in engine and drive, the Giulia Veloce will have more of that. Having said, the G30 is still more engaging to drive than W213 .

 

Thus, it depends on what you're looking for.

 

 

Have u tried the G30 530? How does the drive feel?

The 530 definitely has a more luxurious interior. Keen to know if the drive is good, with at least a similar if not better feel than the Giulia.

 

[DACH]

I wonder is it worth going with PI's rather than the official AD?

 

Just go for AD for a peace of mind.

Edited April 13, 2018 by DACH

[Theoldjaffa]

Isn't the stinger with the fake piped in exhaust audio?

Wind down the window to hear the real sound. It's not bad. An aftermarket exhaust will bring out everything.

[Razzd]

How about the engine note? The aural feel in the cabin while driving?

 

Maybe cos it's a diesel, the comparison won't be fair though.

 

I think only @razzd can let us know soon.

 

@Theoldjaffa and Gents,

 

A Diesel will always have the diesel clatter. BMW has done a good job masking the diesel clatter on the new G30 520d. Even the previous F10 520d was very commendable. Unfortunately we don't get the 530d, that would be a scorcher.

 

Diesels pull hard from the get-go. Their useful band is 1,500 RPM -> 3,500 RPM. Torque is flat above 3,500 RPM. That's why we have to "shift" up past 3,500 RPM max.

 

Certain diesels like the Skyactiv Diesel has a higher red band till 5,000 RPM. But the useable range is till 4,000 RPM.

 

You will always feel that the diesel accelerates faster because of the low down torque. Works well in our traffic congested cities.

 

The G30 petrol variant has a much improved NVH over the outgoing F10. I've never had the opportunity to compare with the W213, but my tuner said the G30's handling is a notch above the Merc and Audi.

 

I've driven the 740Li G11, and the B58 inline six is fabulous! Immense torque and ultra silky smooth.

 

Most of the time we petrol heads prefer the gasoline engine over the oil burner. But as I own a pickup truck, I absolutely love the usefulness of a diesel's high torque for the urban commuting rather than say an older petrol engine which has to be revved hard to get the power.

 

Torque is for acceleration. HP is for high end & top speed.

 

Today's twin scroll turbocharged 4-pot on the BMWs and even the Giulia spool extremely quickly. I'm unsure about the exact specifications of the Giulia, but the B48 2.0 has full boost from 1,450 RPM. That's amazing.

 

Mercedes has all but eliminated turbo lag with their 48v electrical subsystem to electrically spool the turbo on their new CLS53.

 

Perhaps we may see this soon on BMWs and Audis/VWs.

 

On another note, just came back from the workshop (yesterday): decided to "chop" off my G30's center muffler.

 

 

     

My exhaust guy said (in Malay), "You wanna cut it off??"

 

I hesitated for a while, thinking of my car's warranty. I had only just sent in for the 1st service & clocked <9,000 Km thus far.

 

"Yes, please go ahead & cut that muffler off", I replied eagerly

 

All in all, took 1 hour to remove the entire G30 530i's exhaust system (from the downpipe) -> rear muffler & "cut" away the center muffler.

 

I was amazed during the drive back.

 

The B48 2.0L growled when push >3,000 RPM. She came alive!

 

The pops during the up-shifts were more brutal! The shove back to the seat was more pronounced!

 

I felt there was a few hp gained, according to my tuner, perhaps 5hp could be realized just by removing the center muffler (that aids in noise suppression).

 

Suddenly, the B48 2.0's sound was more pronounced with a meatier growl and slightly freer exhaust sound.

 

I definitely felt it was all worth it. However, need to do a dyno to prove the numbers are right.

Edited April 14, 2018 by Razzd

[Felipe]

Even buying from AD can be challenging in getting spare parts timely, by going PI would mean you can forget about finding parts in SGP becuae no stockist would stock parts for low demand models. You may still get some luck for older models but not the new one.

buying parts locally is much pricier. repair at AD is even worse. thus, few go back AD past warranty period. so in terms of PI or AD, repairing doesn't make a difference 

I wonder is it worth going with PI's rather than the official AD?

think the PI version has mph plus kph readings. not really something all may like.

[Theoldjaffa]

 

@Theoldjaffa and Gents,

 

A Diesel will always have the diesel clatter. BMW has done a good job masking the diesel clatter on the new G30 520d. Even the previous F10 520d was very commendable. Unfortunately we don't get the 530d, that would be a scorcher.

 

Diesels pull hard from the get-go. Their useful band is 1,500 RPM -> 3,500 RPM. Torque is flat above 3,500 RPM. That's why we have to "shift" up past 3,500 RPM max.

 

Certain diesels like the Skyactiv Diesel has a higher red band till 5,000 RPM. But the useable range is till 4,000 RPM.

 

You will always feel that the diesel accelerates faster because of the low down torque. Works well in our traffic congested cities.

 

The G30 petrol variant has a much improved NVH over the outgoing F10. I've never had the opportunity to compare with the W213, but my tuner said the G30's handling is a notch above the Merc and Audi.

 

I've driven the 740Li G11, and the B58 inline six is fabulous! Immense torque and ultra silky smooth.

 

Most of the time we petrol heads prefer the gasoline engine over the oil burner. But as I own a pickup truck, I absolutely love the usefulness of a diesel's high torque for the urban commuting rather than say an older petrol engine which has to be revved hard to get the power.

 

Torque is for acceleration. HP is for high end & top speed.

 

On another note, just came back from the workshop (yesterday): decided to "chop" off my G30's center muffler.

 

 

All in all, took 1 hour to remove the entire G30 530i's exhaust system (from the downpipe) -> rear muffler & "cut" away the center muffler.

 

I was amazed during the drive back.

 

The B48 2.0L growled when push >3,000 RPM. She came alive!

 

The pops during the up-shifts were more brutal! The shove back to the seat was more pronounced!

 

I felt there was a few hp gained, according to my tuner, perhaps 5hp could be realized just by removing the center muffler (that aids in noise suppression).

 

Suddenly, the B48 2.0's sound was more pronounced with a meatier growl and slightly freer exhaust sound.

 

I definitely felt it was all worth it. However, need to do a dyno to prove the numbers are right.

Bro u shd post this in the G30 thread

[Felipe]

Alfa is a niche car model in spore ...

going PI literally means fck the warranty and after sales service

 

as a 9 year Alfa owner, the AD aftersales is er...

 

sure they will fix during warranty. it's what comes after. and bear in mind the much much more expensive cost. at least when i replace outside, i can buy overseas parts and outside workshop (not at all though) will do it. 

 

and during warranty, car is new so parts usually don't break down. expensive repairs will usually happen past 100k, by then most usually sell the car cos don't want to fix. 

 

do note im referring to owning the car for the long haul. u really can't go back AD. Even Ferrari owners don't do that. no need say this type of car. 

[Razzd]

@theoldjaffa I did post it in the G30 thread too. Just thought I wanted to share my sentiments here in this Giulia thread too, which I hope you guys don't mind. If I had crossed any rules, I'd be more than happy to remove the G30 posting(s).

 

I did not have the opportunity to test the Giulia Veloce as yet. But I can assure I'll give my honest non-biased opinion when I have the chance to do so.

 

Trying to get my buddy to go with me to test the Veloce.

 

But as you know, the roads around Leng Kee does not permit us to do much. I'd rather be a law abiding subject than an advocate of the criminal justice department, you know what I mean.

 

As for the Veloce, I think AF did a great job. They kept the weight down, though, no mention of aluminium in the construction.

 

That's why the 5.7 sec Veloce should feel much faster than the 530i's 6.2 sec, though the segments are different.

 

Between 252hp/350Nm and 280hp/400Nm, there would not be a bone breaking difference in terms of practicality. It all depends on the programming of the shifts to ensure the power band is kept at the optimum throughout the drive.

 

Both the Veloce & the G30 uses the renowned 8ZF. So they are tied.

Edited April 14, 2018 by Razzd

[Felipe]

 

@Theoldjaffa and Gents,

 

A Diesel will always have the diesel clatter. BMW has done a good job masking the diesel clatter on the new G30 520d. Even the previous F10 520d was very commendable. Unfortunately we don't get the 530d, that would be a scorcher.

 

Diesels pull hard from the get-go. Their useful band is 1,500 RPM -> 3,500 RPM. Torque is flat above 3,500 RPM. That's why we have to "shift" up past 3,500 RPM max.

 

Certain diesels like the Skyactiv Diesel has a higher red band till 5,000 RPM. But the useable range is till 4,000 RPM.

 

You will always feel that the diesel accelerates faster because of the low down torque. Works well in our traffic congested cities.

 

The G30 petrol variant has a much improved NVH over the outgoing F10. I've never had the opportunity to compare with the W213, but my tuner said the G30's handling is a notch above the Merc and Audi.

 

I've driven the 740Li G11, and the B58 inline six is fabulous! Immense torque and ultra silky smooth.

 

Most of the time we petrol heads prefer the gasoline engine over the oil burner. But as I own a pickup truck, I absolutely love the usefulness of a diesel's high torque for the urban commuting rather than say an older petrol engine which has to be revved hard to get the power.

 

Torque is for acceleration. HP is for high end & top speed.

 

Today's twin scroll turbocharged 4-pot on the BMWs and even the Giulia spool extremely quickly. I'm unsure about the exact specifications of the Giulia, but the B48 2.0 has full boost from 1,450 RPM. That's amazing.

 

Mercedes has all but eliminated turbo lag with their 48v electrical subsystem to electrically spool the turbo on their new CLS53.

 

Perhaps we may see this soon on BMWs and Audis/VWs.

 

On another note, just came back from the workshop (yesterday): decided to "chop" off my G30's center muffler.

 

 

     

My exhaust guy said (in Malay), "You wanna cut it off??"

 

I hesitated for a while, thinking of my car's warranty. I had only just sent in for the 1st service & clocked <9,000 Km thus far.

 

"Yes, please go ahead & cut that muffler off", I replied eagerly

 

All in all, took 1 hour to remove the entire G30 530i's exhaust system (from the downpipe) -> rear muffler & "cut" away the center muffler.

 

I was amazed during the drive back.

 

The B48 2.0L growled when push >3,000 RPM. She came alive!

 

The pops during the up-shifts were more brutal! The shove back to the seat was more pronounced!

 

I felt there was a few hp gained, according to my tuner, perhaps 5hp could be realized just by removing the center muffler (that aids in noise suppression).

 

Suddenly, the B48 2.0's sound was more pronounced with a meatier growl and slightly freer exhaust sound.

 

I definitely felt it was all worth it. However, need to do a dyno to prove the numbers are right.

 

remove center muffler illegal?

[Razzd]

Just wanna share something interesting with you chaps:

 

While I was at my exhaust guy's shop, I chanced upon this:

 

 

     

It's an exhaust part from a brand new Audi.

 

See how restrictive that bend is?

 

The owner decided to have it removed. It's not part of the catalytic converter. But it's extremely restrictive to the exhaust flow.

 

Removing it would yield a significant difference in power & less back pressure to the turbocharger.

 

remove center muffler illegal?

 

I did not remove the rear muffler, neither did I touch the catalytic converter.

 

As far as I am concerned, it's not illegal. On the G30, the center muffler aids in noise suppression.

 

There are perforated holes along the insides of the center muffler. Air flow first has to "fill up the gaps" before channeling outwards, hence, loss in pressure.

 

Making it a straight through (as most cars are anyway) eliminates this restriction & creates a better free flowing exhaust.

 

The difference was very noticeable when you rev her >3,000 RPM.

 

On the G30, the CAT is located at the downpipe from the turbocharger. Was advised NOT to touch the downpipe because on the G30, as well as the F30, there are 2 sensors there & they wreck havoc, causing engine check light status.

Edited April 14, 2018 by Razzd

[Felipe]

ok anyway, Torque isn't exactly for acceleration. it's basically whether one needs more rev or not. 

 

but in short, bhp still wins in terms of acceleration.

Just wanna share something interesting with you chaps:

 

I was at my exhaust guy's shop, I chanced upon this:

 

 

     

It's an exhaust part from a brand new Audi.

 

See how restrictive that bend is?

 

The owner decided to have it removed. It's not part of the catalytic converter. But it's extremely restrictive to the exhaust flow.

 

Removing it would yield a significant difference in power & less back pressure to the turbocharger.

 

I did not remove the rear muffler, neither did I touch the catalytic converter.

 

On the G30, the CAT is located at the downpipe from the turbocharger. Was advised NOT to touch the downpipe because on the G30, as well as the F30, there are 2 sensors there & they wreck havoc, causing engine check light status.

 

[Razzd]

ok anyway, Torque isn't exactly for acceleration. it's basically whether one needs more rev or not. 

 

but in short, bhp still wins in terms of acceleration.

 

Alright, @Felipe thanks for pointing that out. Noted with thanks.

 

And that's what I meant, for top-end, we need Hp.

BTW, earlier a few months ago, I test drove the KIA Stinger 2.0.

 

Yes, the exhaust sound is piped through the speakers & there is no way of turning it "off" unless one modifies the entire sound system??

Edited April 14, 2018 by Razzd