Forza Alfa Romeo: Giulia QV and 4C Review

The 4C started Alfa Romeo's rear-drive revival, but the Giulia QV stamped its authority on it.

Hewn from carbon-fibre and aluminium, the compact mid-engined coupe resurrected the idea of rear-drive cars for Alfa in the modern era.

The iconic Italian brand drew on its famous history in race and road cars with this striking, lightweight sports car, marking a return to form for the brand.

Yep, it's a dynamo on the race track.

This lightweight Italian bullet is a livewire when driven vigorously on a race track. And it was a real treat driving it at Balocco, Alfa Romeo's huge proving ground in the north of Italy.

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Right at home

On the 5.6km F1 course, the 4C turns in with a level of alacrity that astonishes, the ultra-stiff carbon tub and unassisted steering giving it cheetah-like reflexes.

Its mid-mounted 1.75-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder (177kW/350Nm) doesn't sound exotic on paper, but with the optional Akrapovic exhaust the acoustics are mega.

Consider the car weighs just 1025kg, thanks in part to composite body panels, and you've got a very healthy power to weight ratio too.

Lump in the mid-mounted engine, road-hugging stance and low centre of gravity, and the 4C has the go to match its sleek, low-slung look.

In fact, it's quicker and nimbler than that Jack bloke from the nursery rhymes. Or a cheetah. Or maybe one of those jumping spiders.

The 4C changes direction quicker than Donald Trump's border policy and the unity between car and driver is special… but it takes a certain kind of courage to push this car to its limit, especially on bumpy road.

Driven on anything other than virginal asphalt, you'll feel every single lump and dip in the road. Dial up the tempo on a mediocre surface and it's like a wild stallion. Hold on tight!

There's a sense of having to tame the 4C to get the most out of it. This Alfa Romeo can be tempestuous but that's what we love about it. It feels Italian and doesn't shoot for German-like perfection.

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A new approach

Make it look pretty, make it go fast and everything else is eccentric charm.

Well, that used to be the Italian way… Until the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV arrived.

In 2016 the Giulia became the first car based on Alfa Romeo's all-new Giorgio platform, which cost more than a billion dollars to research and develop. Yeah, it's a big deal.

Car companies tend to develop bread-and-butter models first, while outrageous high-performance models come last… but the Italians have never been ones to dwell on convention.

Indeed, the high-performance QV version of Alfa's vital new mid-size sedan — a direct rival for BMW's volume-selling 3 Series — marks a turning point for the brand's rear-drive renaissance in more ways than one.

On the race track the Giulia QV has a similar feel to the 4C in its steering: ultra-direct and communicative. Its electric power assistance means it's not as heavy, but it still connects car and driver in a hugely satisfying way.

Cutting hot laps in this bad boy is like eating fresh lasagne with Taleggio cheese. It nourishes the soul.

But where the 4C can be impulsive when provoked, the Giulia is composed.

You can still push the Giulia to the ragged edge on the race track, just without the white-knuckled moments.

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Bona-fide M3 fighter

The QV's 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 is the fiercest engine available in the model line-up and although it might not be a V8 - as in the Mercedes-AMG C 63 -- it's a singularly spectacular powerplant.

The Ferrari-influenced V6 sends an almighty 375kW of power and 600Nm of torque to the rear wheels. The acceleration and resultant g-forces squeeze occupants into their carbon-fibre sports seats.

Fast? You better believe it. This car launches with the intensity of a sniper rifle bullet leaving a barrel, with more than 500hp constantly taunting the traction control.

Indeed, the Giulia QV's vast power reserves make it quicker in a straight line than BMW's famed M3. Cop that, Munich!

The Italian weapon generates so much pace from its engine by 5000rpm that punching out of corners can only be described as body-pummellingly awesome.

That said, the extreme power is adeptly modulated by a specially calibrated eight-speed ZF transmission. It keeps everything in check and allows you to almost instantly tap into a deep trough of mid-range torque or simply revel in its savage top-end whenever you so desire.

In dynamic or race mode (there are also auto and normal modes for when the Balocco proving ground is unavailable) it snarls between gear shifts and this becomes a satisfying rifle crack at full tilt.

Large aluminium paddle shifters located around the steering wheel ensure the Giulia QV's power delivery is far more malleable than it has any right to be.

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Right car, right time

Jump on the throttle too early out of a tight corner? No dramas. Instead of upsetting the Italian sedan's balance, it just initiates a perfectly controllable power slide. Sure, it may not be the most efficient or fastest way through a corner, but golly-gee it's fun!

Linear powertrain response and plenty of feel through the steering wheel, pedals and seat make tail-wagging tom-foolery not only possible but accessible for those who don't regularly contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans every July.

As a high-performance weapon, this car takes the idea of the original Giulia, which became a seminal car for Alfa Romeo after it launched in 1964, and reignites the passion with convincing conviction.

Balanced, fiery and engaging on so many levels, the Giulia QV drives like no other vehicle in its segment. It combines the best parts of an Olympic gymnast who transitioned into a Hollywood diva and who also happens to have studied philosophy.

This is the car Alfa Romeo needs - a super sedan that delivers precisely the right kind of visuals, acoustics and dynamics to inspire the imaginations of the Alfisti.

Now bring on the two-door Giulia Sprint, which will take this formula to a new level when it - eventually - emerges as a direct rival for the BMW M4 Coupe.