MILAN- To a stirring aria sung by renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli, the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia performance sedan was shown to the world today (June 24) in Milan.
With more than 300 auto journalists from around the world jammed into a room at the world headquarters of Alfa Romeo, it was one of the most emotional world reveals this writer has seen in years with the crowd cheering as the engine was started and let lose.
The Giulia will be powered by an engine with Ferrari F1 technology and will produce 510 hp with a 0-100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds.
The engine itself is expected to be a 3.6-litre (no displacement announced) V6 with twin overhead camshafts and twin turbo boost driving the rear wheels which will have torque vectoring technology.
RELATED: After 20 years, the new Alfa Romeo 4C makes a comeback in North America
Shown was the range-topping Quadrifoglio version, the named coming from the insignia carried on all Alfa’s racing cars for decades and used on the front fenders of the new car.
In fact, the debut was held in conjunction with the 105th anniversary of the company known originally as A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) along with the just completed renovation of the Alfa Romeo Museum.
Great secrecy surrounded the unveiling with no one at Alfa divulging a hint of what the car would be called or any of its mechanicals.
It was developed in the company’s “Skunkworks” where only the best engineers and designers work in secrecy.
In fact, it was FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) CEO, Sergio Marchionne who let slip than Alfa will produce seven new models in the next few years and will invest Euro 5 billion in the company.
The model Quadrifoglio with perfect 50:50 weight balance is aimed at performance competitors like the Audi S5, BMW M 535i and AMG augmented Mercedes-Benz models.
REVIEW: 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C?
An innovation is a deployable Active Aero Splitter to actively manage downforce for higher stability and better cornering grip even at high speed.
Another performance feature is the Alfa Romeo DNA system that allows the driver to select four modes: Dynamic, Natural, Advanced Efficient (a new energy-efficiency mode introduced on the Giulia) and Racing for high performance needs.
Heard several times during the reveal was the phrase, ‘la meccanica delle emozioni’ (the mechanics of emotion), which will be used to publicize the car around the world.
REVIEW: Chrysler 200 reveals Alfa Romeo genes
Follow Wheels.ca on
Facebook
Instagram
No comments:
Post a Comment