The past two decades have brought some significant changes to the automotive industry. Manufacturers are in a continuous race to make their cars safer, more reliable, more comfortable, and more autonomous. But the cost we have to pay for these advancements is that cars have become dull. Sure, they're faster than ever, but too much pampering can lead to boredom no matter how you look at it.
The guys over at carwow have come up with another challenge, as they pitch two European sports cars against each other down the quarter-mile (402 m). We're looking at an Italian-built Alfa Romeo Giulia QV lining up to race a German-made Mercedes-AMG A45 S. Now, over in the U.S., the MSRP for the Giulia QV starts at $74,500, which is slightly more expensive than the A45 S, which is sold in Europe (but not in the U.S.) for the equivalent of $68,000.
The Alfa Romeo makes use of a 2.9-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 unit, which has a bit of Ferrari DNA in it. The engine delivers 503 horsepower and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque, and an automatic 8-speed gearbox does the job of sending all that power to the rear wheels. The scales are somewhat favorable to the Alfa, as it only weighs 3,360 lbs (1,524 kg). Still, it doesn't have a launch control feature, and the track surface looks quite damp.
Looking at the Mercedes-AMG A45 S, you might tend to underestimate it, as it only has a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that puts out some 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. But, considering track conditions, this car has got two aces up its sleeves: launch control and all-wheel drive. If you consider the slightly more advanced dual-clutch gearbox, you won't even notice that the AMG is some 244 lbs (111 kg) heavier.
The two cars line up for the race, and the first run goes horrendous for the Alfa, as massive wheelspin means it's left behind, especially after the AMG managed to get a perfect start. By the end of the quarter-mile (402 m), the Mercedes-AMG wins the first run. They go for two more runs, but nothing changes; the Alfa just can't use all of its power, and the A45 S performs the task at hand with no error whatsoever.
For the 4th and 5th run, the producers decide to take away the all-wheel-drive advantage from the A45 S, as they opt for a rolling start from 50 mph (80 kph). This time it's the Alfa that has the upper hand, and it wins both runs without too much of a headache. The final test of the day is a brake test, from 70 mph (112 kph) down to a complete halt. Although you'd expect the lighter car to win this, it might seem the AMG has got better brakes.
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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