Everyone loves a good sports sedan, or that's what we like to think anyway, and the world doesn't necessarily revolve around the German three, as other contenders in the segment are worthy of your attention.
Alfa Romeo's proposal is called the Giulia, and it is eight years old. This would normally mean that it faces retirement, but the family was facelifted last fall, so it should stick around for a few more years. Reports speak of an all-electric derivative allegedly due after 2025, with the range-topping Quadrifoglio supposedly pushing out close to 1,000 horsepower.
That would make it a true beast, and given its premium compact proportions, if it retains this suit, it should be about as fast as the much larger Tesla Model S Plaid. But that's a different story completely unrelated to the current topic, which focuses on the current Quadrifoglio variant (pre-facelift) of the Giulia, which turns gasoline into an entire stable of galloping horses.
The Italian company's pre-facelifted Giulia Quadrifoglio has 503 hp (510 ps/kW) to play with and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque. Under the hood lies a turbo'd 2.9-liter V6 that was available with a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission. Both gearbox options delivered the thrust to the rear wheels. The car deals with the zero to 62 mph (0-100 kph) acceleration in less than four seconds and has a 190 mph (305 kph) top speed as per the spec sheet.
That's enough grunt to put it on the radar of petrolheads of all ages and to take on models such as the BMW M3 Competition, whose 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six has an identical output. But while that may be enough for the premium compact sports segment, the Giulia Quadrifoglio cannot dream of taking on the supercar establishment. Or can it? Coming to prove the latter is this black example filmed at a drag racing event in Europe, which appears to feature a few modifications. We don't know if it has more power available via the right pedal, but it sure is fast.
The question is, is it faster than an Audi R8? Sharing many components with the Lamborghini Huracan, the German supercar uses a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 that's good for over 600 horsepower. This model takes a little over three seconds to hit 60 mph (97 kph) from rest, so it sits in a superior league. So, is the Alfa Romeo a match for it? That is what you are about to find out if you click the play button. The action starts at the 1:47 mark and shows a 1,000-meter (0.62-mile) straight-line battle between the Giulia Quadrifoglio and R8 from a rolling start. Without further ado, head on down and watch the vid.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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