Thunderstruck MY2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

Waiting is sometimes more pleasurable than the party itself. Sure, it can be excruciating and what’s more, it can lead to massive disappointment if things are not as we expect. Yet, there are times when it’s all well worth it and all expectations are met leaving you with massive amounts of satisfaction. 

It took EoW 5 years to be finally able to properly drive the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. Why is a saloon so important? Because of its badge and because of what it stands for. It might shock you, but the idea of the modern sports-saloon that packs huge amounts of performance and it’s perfectly capable of living with you daily was born with the 1900, in late 1949. No… it wasn’t BMW. The long line up of super-saloons became soon Alfa Romeo’s most important part of its sales: from the 1900 to the Giulietta, Giulia, 1750 and 2000 Berlinas, Alfetta up to the almighty 75 and 90. All of them were the car of choice of sensible family men who cared about what they drove. If you know Alfa Romeo, you know that is a synonymous with excellent chassis dynamics, sharp steering and lots of power on tap. 

What is considered to be the last true Alfa Romeo by many, is the 75, which has left a massive hole in the hearts and minds of many Alfisti. With the demise of the Company and with the production of cars which were no different to Fiats, there was a long and tenacious cry from the enthusiasts which never fully accepted the fwd models. 

Despite some renaissance signs with the 8C and the 4C, the true “revolution” came with the Giulia in 2015. A new saloon based on a new platform was unveiled to the public and everyone had positive reviews of it. Alfa Romeo has been the earliest “supporter” of EoW: as a matter of fact, the first press car we’ve ever had was a red 4C coupé, license plate ES899VB and it was the same car that was used by Richard Hammond in a Top Gear episode on Lake Como. 

Surely, we never forgot the trip we’ve had in it, one of the best drives of our lives… and perhaps the first as EoW. Still, we didn’t manage to drive the Giulia Quadrifoglio: there wasn’t ever a car which was available for the right amount of time and so we were left waiting on a car that we wanted to drive since the very beginning of our magazine.

Surely, the expectations were high, fueled by the Nurburgring record of Fabio Francia, the son of the legendary Giorgio Francia, the works driver for Alfa Corse and we couldn’t be more eager to drive it. 

Finally, after few occasions were we had the chance to try it very quickly, like last summer during our test together with the 75, at the end of 2020 we had the opportunity to take delivery of a brand new Blu Misano example for one the last escape of the year. The idea was born out to take a Quadrifoglio to Cortina, where we would catch up with the one and only Powerslidelover to have some fun in the Dolomites together. If you have a rwd Alfa, it’s better to celebrate with some proper drifting… right?

 The Giulia QV is first and foremost an excellent motorcar: impeccable dynamics and what we can regard as one of the best steering racks that we’ve ever tested. The traction and the composure on the road are impressive: rain or snow, the traction and the handling predictability will remain impeccable. Understeer has never belonged to the Alfa vocabulary and on the Giulia there is none, not even the slightest hint: we like this fact, a lot. Perhaps, what amazes you the most is the absence of inertia between fast and rapid direction-changes, and the greatest pleasure in driving this car is going through the corners and feel the chassis react to your inputs. There’s no delay in the steering and no inertia whatsoever, resulting in a precise and satisfying driving experience. This is what we like and this is what we want, lightness and nimbleness in a car that you can truly use as your daily. The reactions are immediate but controllable, manageable by most drivers and when the tail decides to break away, it does so ever so gently. 

Traction is not a problem as there is plenty: for being a 2 wheel drive it’s surprising in how well it behaves in situations where it’s easy to loose grip. In 2 days in the snow, we never got stuck or suffered the poor conditions. So, needless to say that “our” Giulia was the perfect companion to drive together with one of the most talented drivers that the world of instagram has ever saw, Powerslidelover. As a man who drives first and foremost his cars, all of them, it was a fun experience to have a drive with him in the Giulia. With the Giau Pass, a famous place for our friend’s shenanigans, covered in snow and with no cars, we’ve found the perfect playground to put the Giulia to good use. After a much pleasurable journey, where the Alfa shown its great qualities as a comfortable long-distance tourer with excellent sound insulation and unexpectedly low fuel consumption, we arrived in what can be seen as a petrolhead’s winter wonderland. The scenery was majestic: with the road all for us and the fresh snow allowed for an unforgettable experience. In this conditions, the perfect precision of the Giulia shines, allowing maximum control in these slippery situations. So, was it all worth the wait? As you’ve probably seen, yes, it was. The fact that we waited so long to drive it acted as a slingshot, making us fall in love for it even more than we expected. 

The Alfisti complained that the last ever Alfa was the 75… but looking at the Giulia tickling after a full afternoon of fun we cannot think otherwise that this is a properly genuine Alfa Romeo. This makes us very, very happy… also because in 2021 it will be finally available its more extreme evolution: the Giulia GTA & GTAm! Stay tuned.