Alfa Romeo has spiced up the already sexy Giulia Quadrifoglio with a limited-run GTA variant. The title is shorthand for “Gran Turismo Alleggerita” and indicates its status as a lightweight, high-performance grand tourer. According to the manufacturer, weight savings from swapping various body panels, interior components, and the driveshaft to carbon fiber has cut 220 pounds from the model’s curb weight.

Meanwhile, factory tuning has nudged the 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6’s peak output up to 540 horsepower, resulting in a leaner, meaner Alfa with a claimed 0-60 run of just 3.6 seconds. (Read More…)

Alfa Romeo “outperformed all others in U.S. sales last year,” posting astronomical year-over-year gains. At least, that’s how Bloomberg frames it in a recent news article. By that logic, infants everywhere outperformed long-distance runners by taking their first steps last year.

As Fiat Chrysler’s sexiest brand, Alfa has only recently made its return to the North American market. Therefore, referencing a large improvement in overall sales isn’t quite so impressive, considering the borderline mainstream Giulia has only just been added to the product lineup. Prior to 2017, the brand’s singular offering in the United States was the mid-engined 4C sports car.

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Alfa Romeo claimed the Giulia would start under $40,000, and the automaker has kept its promise.

It may be time to start getting cautiously optimistic about Alfa’s comeback, especially considering what the sedan offers for the money and where this price point places it in the market. (Read More…)