lisknik
Member
- Messages
- 5,524
Our exclusive image shows how a new Alfa Giulia GTA supersaloon could look
When Alfa Romeo launches its new Giulia saloon late next year, it will have its work cut out tempting buyers away from the BMW 3 Series.
But the brand has a secret weapon up its sleeve. Straight from launch it will show its intent with a storming 500bhp Giulia GTA, designed to blow the 425bhp BMW M3 out of the water, and we can show you what it looks like
Our exclusive image is based on inside information and is the most accurate view yet of how the GTA will look. Plus, if you replace the prominent bumpers and vents with more restrained bodywork, it shows how the standard Giulia will shape up, too.
Classic cues from its 156 GTA forebear will include the arrow-head front grille and telephone-dial alloys, making it instantly recognisable as an Alfa, while bonnet vents and a deep front bumper with integrated foglights add aggression.
Alfa Giulia GTA: 480bhp+ from 3.0-litre biturbo V6
Perhaps most significant is the decision to fit hidden rear handles, giving the four-door the look of a two-door and suggesting a Giulia coupe isn't in the product plan. Power will come from a version of the Maserati Ghibli's Ferrari-built 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, producing between 480bhp and 520bhp – the exact figure is yet to be decided.
It's also understood that Alfa's brand new rear-wheel-drive platform will ensure the Giulia is lighter than the 1,635kg M3, thanks to the use of high-strength steels and aluminium sections. As a result, performance will eclipse the BMW's, with a 0-62mph sprint time of under four seconds.
To help tame all that power, expect a limited-slip differential and a dual-clutch gearbox as standard. While the Giulia GTA is likely to cost close to £50,000, the standard car should start from as little as £22,000, and will feature a more wallet-friendly line-up of turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, ranging from a 118bhp to 200bhp. A hot 350bhp six-cylinder diesel, based on the Ghibli unit, is believed to be in development, too.
The Giulia will kick off an unprecedented five-year expansion plan for Alfa, which will include an Audi Q5-rivalling mid-size SUV in 2016.
Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/alfa-r...meo-giulia-gta-to-target-bmw-m3#ixzz3AIiJ20I5