Yahoo Finance Performance and Driving Impressions
Performance and Driving Impressions Rating:
On paper, the Giulia Quadrifoglio and its preeminent rivals are neck and neck. In practice, the Alfa is a revelation in real life as well as on the racetrack. Its engine makes hair-raising music and facilitates face-melting acceleration. In addition, its multifaceted chassis imbues it with handling that leads the pack of high-performance sedans.
What’s New for 2018?
While the Giulia Quadrifoglio’s good looks are undoubtedly alluring, its enthusiastic powertrain and ethereal chassis create an experience that transcends the competition. These qualities carry over unchanged for 2018.
2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
Acceleration
Along with its sonorous exhaust noises, the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 delivers all 505 ponies in appassionato fashion. We only experienced the slingshot sensation that indicates turbo lag at lower engine speeds. Otherwise, throttle response was linear and turned livelier in the topmost drive modes (Dynamic and Race). The QF needed a mere 3.7 seconds to go from zero to 60 mph, as did the V-8–powered Mercedes-AMG C 63 S. Although the Alfa doesn’t have a manual option here in the States, its paddle-shifted eight-speed automatic is a credible alternative.
Test Results: Acceleration
Ride, Handling, and Steering
A savvy chassis is the heart and soul of this Italian-bred masterpiece. Every Quadrifoglio is fitted with adaptive dampers and a set of 19-inch wheels wrapped in super-sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber. While we were surprised at the Alfa’s capability on the track, its docile damping and notable isolation from harsh impacts during daily driving were equally disarming. Even in zestier drive modes, the ride quality wasn’t compromised. The QF corners with the utmost confidence, resulting in 0.99 g of grip on our skidpad. Again, its competitors matched this mark but can’t re-create the masterful road manners. And then there’s the sensational steering setup: the thin-rimmed wheel feels like a blast from the past, with feather-light effort, communicative feedback, and nanosecond-quick response. The culmination of these traits is what separates the Quadrifoglio from its rivals.
Test Results: Maximum Cornering Capability
Braking
Even without the optional carbon-ceramic Brembo disc brakes, our test car provided impressive stopping power and recorded the second-shortest emergency braking distance (152 feet). Although the Giulia’s standard setup was suitable for daily driving, its stiff brake pedal had inconsistent feedback. Still, the version we flogged at Lightning Lap 2017 proved its braking capability on the track.
Test Results: Maximum Braking Capability
Lightning Lap Performance
A zero-to-60-mph time will tell you how quick a car is; its skidpad performance will reveal its steady-state grip; its stopping distances will illustrate how competent its brakes are. However, there is no test that better combines all these objective metrics than a flat-out lap of a challenging road course, which is exactly why we developed our annual festival of speed, Lightning Lap.
Every year, we convene the hottest cars we can get our hands on and gather at Virginia International Raceway, outside Alton, Virginia. VIR’s Grand West course is 24 turns spanning 4.1 miles of pure automotive torture. To turn an exceptional lap, a car must be fast, handle brilliantly, and brake with authority. We started this tradition in 2006, and our all-time leaderboard lives here.
The chart below illustrates the lap times of our test car, along with selected competitor vehicles and the year in which each participated in Lightning Lap. For more details on how the Giulia Quadrifoglio performed, click here.
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