Yahoo Autos Drive an Alfa To Understand What The Fuss Is About
Most members of the younger generation have no real experience with proper Alfa Romeos. That is especially true in the US, as the country that had to make due without modern Alfas ever since the automaker threw in the towel in 1995. Which brings us to the Giulia Quadrifoglio, arguably the best four-door drivers' car today.
Is it everything we wanted it to be? Yes, according to some bloke driving it with a manual box in Hungary (Máté is referring to himself. -Ed). Maybe, according to pretty much the entire US media. Yet don't they say that love should be unconditional?
Back on planet Earth, I understand how one tends to consider resale values when buying a luxury car. But drive a Giulia QV, and your heart will urge you to take a gamble on it. There's nothing like it in today's market, and it's perfect to demonstrate what the Alfa fuss is all about.
Also, starting at $72,000, it's an absolute bargain compared to a fully built Alfaholics GTA-R 290. In fact, you can buy four Giulia QVs and quite a few sets of Pirellis from what the UK shop is charging for its latest pride and joy. Then again, that $315,000 is money well spent if you consider the specifications and the build quality.
The guys who work on my Autobianchi A112 Abarth wannabe make their living restoring old Alfas. One has a Montreal, the other has owned eleven early Alfa Romeo Alfettas so far. Eleven! We talked about Alfaholics once, and they kept shaking their heads, smiling. The work done in that British shop has reached an unmatched level of insanity a long time ago, and the GTA-R 290 is the proof.
A fully seam-welded body, in steel, or aluminum, if you feel the need. Carbon fiber doors, hood and boot lid. Up front, a 2.3-liter Twin Spark with Motec engine managment and fuel injection for 240 horsepower at 7000 rpm. Linked to that is a close-ratio 5-speed gearbox, sending the forza to the rear via Alfaholic's self-developed copper-sintered plate limited slip differential. You also get a a lightweight propshaft, rifle-drilled half-shafts, stainless steel exhaust, and an aluminum radiator and oil cooler.
Then comes the suspension. Titanium front upper wishbones, geometry improvement kit, double-adjustable aluminum gas shocks, adjustable ride height, titanium fasteners, aluminum T-bar and lightweight trailing arms.
Other gems on the GTA-R 290 include those Recaro seats, wool carpets, a 12-point T45 roll cage (also trimmed in leather), variable-ratio power steering, a foam-filled aluminum fuel tank and a heated windscreen, of all things.
So yeah, that's $315,000s worth of vintage Alfa. But try a Giulia QV, and call us crazy.
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