The Stelvio is Alfa Romeo's first SUV, and it's competing against German rivals that have more history. However, the Quadrifoglio model had a little help from Ferrari in battling the overpowered Mercedes-AMG GLC 63. But is that enough in a V6 vs. V8 drag race?
The premise of this drag race is the school run. In this age of information, getting an education is more important than ever, and with a performance SUV, getting your children to school is faster than ever. Apparently, a regular 280 HP Stelvio is too slow, with its 0 to 60 time of 5.4 seconds. You need an engine from the twin-turbo V6 gods.
Under the hood of the four-leafed model is a 2.9-liter twin-turbo with a 90-degree body. Mostly, it's 3/4 of a Ferrari engine, and we wouldn't be surprised if entry-level supercars started using it too, perhaps with hybrid help. The unit sounds very sporty and produces a maximum of 510 HP or 503bhp in UK money.
Do you know what else has that power rating? The Mercedes-AMG GLC 63, with its 4.0-liter powerhouse. It's the muscle car of school run crossovers. Somehow, we don't imagine the new BMW X3 M winning against either of these in a drag race, but we'll see.
Top Gear's team put together a short drag race. I may not definitively find a winner between these two, but we're here for the entertainment as much as anything else. The GLC 63 S wins it all. It's the fastest to 60 (3.6 seconds), quicker to 100 (8.6 seconds) and finishes its quarter-mile run in 12.07 seconds.
The Alfa isn't far behind. Tires or the driver could have swung the result either way. There's no denying the power of that AMG engine, which can also be tuned to deliver a lot more. But if it's fun you're after, go ahead and buy the Stelvio instead.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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