Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio – Sports Cars
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Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio – Sports Cars
The shining sun illuminates the Venetian hills: I am in a beautiful place, all Byblos Art Hotel (Villa Amista), an art gallery, more than a hotel. I'm here for the first stop "Star-shaped star-shaped", a culinary journey created by Alfa Romeo which this year includes six stages that pass through the most beautiful villas of the eighteenth century in the company of six-figure chefs. Nice day, no doubt about it, but I'm not just here to eat and learn about contemporary art: I'm here to drive.
I have already triedAlfa Romeo Julia Quadrifogliobut not as much as I would like, although I have never tried Stelvio, not even in the diesel version. I just collected rumors, opinions, feelings, and they are all so positive that my expectations rise sharply. Today I finally have the opportunity to try both of them.
These two Alpha Romeo Quadrifoglio they have the same engine 2,9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine with 510 hp. and also 8-speed automatic transmission (The Giulia is also available with a manual if desired), but there is a few cm and a few kg difference between the two, not to mention that the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, being an SUV, has four-wheel drive Q4. Both have ambitions and a goal to beat their direct rivals: the BMW M3 and the Porsche Macan. By price 85.050 euro for Giulia и 95.050 euro for Stelviothey also match the price range. But what interests us: will they do better than their rivals? And which is the better of the two? Let's find out.
STELVI
Length 470 cm, width 196 cm.Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV this is more than it seems. It is the same length as the Porsche Macan, but 3 cm wider for more room. She is also muscular, very muscular, with hood air intakes and aggressive bumpers. But they are gigantic Pirelli P-Zero to suggest there is something special under the hood. Engine V6 2,9 turbo in fact it is a real masterpiece. It is derived from a Ferrari V8 from California, but two cylinders have been disabled. It produces 510 CV and 6.000 turns and Torque 600 Nm @ 2.500 rpm, enough to throw it out 0-100 km / h in 3,8 seconds up to maximum speed 283 km / h; Impressive considering that the car weighs 1,8 tons. As mentioned, there is camble automatic 8-speed ZF и all-wheel drive Q4... Usually, torque is transferred to the rear axle, but in the event of a loss of traction, power is transferred up to 70% to the front axle, and already here you begin to understand what kind of car it is.
I do not waste time and choose Race mode that disable controlsmakes the throttle feel more responsive and the dampers stiffer (although you can keep the race mode with soft dampers if you like). The feel of agility is almost the same as that of the Giulia and which is incredible. IN steering it's precise, lightweight yet talkative, but above all, it blends perfectly with the car's incredible responsiveness. It only takes a few turns to figure it out: the Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV draws trajectories with millimeter precision, enters corners at superhuman speeds and exits slightly sideways, just like a rally car. Crazy. You can clearly hear the differentials working in and out of corners as they try to keep the vehicle anchored on the asphalt. I have never experienced such a sensation in a car, except perhaps in a Nissan GT-R. For all this, he does not even resort to very hard suspensions, on the contrary: at times it seems almost soft in the pits, swaying slightly, but turns into the edge of the ski when cornering. And then there's the engine. V6 has a lot of torque и sound arrogant but not uncivilized. It screams, turns on, but not when the gas comes out, and I think it's almost a shame, because it would be real icing on the cake. He's also capable of a decent expansion, but I would be lying if I said that the serve becomes more interesting around the limiter. The fact is that on a mountain road, the V6 is capable of starting the engine. Stelvio QV at supersonic speeds, and undoubtedly an Italian SUV capable of breaking the laws of physics such as – if not better than its nemesis, the Porsche Macan. Although it is softer than the German one, it is sharper and more accurate, but, above all, it has a tuning and differential system reminiscent of racing cars, that's the difference.
I would also say two words about the exchange: it is The 8-speed ZF climbs quickly and is punctual on descent, with a soft and gentle action in quieter modes and almost harsh in dynamic modes. He's not perfect, but he manages to keep up with the incredible qualities of the car, and that's already a lot. So the huge fixed paddles behind the steering wheel are easily accessible even when the steering wheel is turned, and this should be standard on a sports car in my opinion.
THE GIULIA QV
I get onAlfa Romeo Julia QV and everything seems more natural to me, starting with the driver's position, which is lower and more correct, and not squats and "downhill", as on the Stelvio. The dashboard and controls are nearly identical, but I must say they look a little more sophisticated on the Stelvio.
Giulia Qv immediately spawns faster than Stelvio. This is natural: the weight is less and the power is reduced by only two wheels, so the engine has fewer problems to think about and it spins more freely. And how it rises. Giulia QV is really fast but he does it with a naturalness that makes you feel at ease from the first corner. She is so sincere and spontaneous in what she does that it seems impossible to be afraid: she always responds to your orders and is unlikely to betray you, even if all controls are disabled.
Cornering is more convenient than Stelvio: not so and why it is lower and lighterbut because no differentials thrust The Q4 struggles with physics, but the two rear wheels have tremendous thrust. IN Rear pirelli It's hard for them to lose grip if you don't want to, but even so, the back is soft and predictable enough for you to play like a kid by drawing black commas from the corners. In fact, the real secret lies in this. undercut incredibly accurate; which sometimes feels soft, sometimes hard but never superfluous, and which allows you to tighten your neck to the QV with full confidenceleaving space for fun only. This is where Giulia does her magic, and this is where she stands out from her rivals. IN steering è telepathicthen engine it is bright and the frame creates a futuristic look. Drive a sedan out 510 CV с control disabled it has never been so easy and fun.
CONCLUSIONS
Time to paint Conclusions... Let's start with the first question: Stelvio QV и Julia QV are they better than their rivals? In a sense, yes. There Stelvio Quadrifolio it's really incredible in what it does: On a mountain road, it is capable of soaking the nose of several sports cars and maybe even a Giulia QV. You can arrogantly throw it into and out of a bend like a bullet, with rear wheels helping to close the bend, and even withoutundersteer shadow... And it's fast, very fast. It violates the laws of physics and is a pleasure to drive. WITH price 95.050 euro it is certainly not cheap, but practical and versatile than its fellow sedan, and it costs everything Another 10.000 XNUMX euros. Therefore, in comparison with the competitors, I would say that yes, it is better to drive, but all these "special effects" are still absent during a relaxed ride, that is, huge screens of the infotainment system (we are still far away) and some futuristic gadgets that Germans know how to invent.
И Julia QV? More or less the same with her. In a way, this is less shocking than StelvioBecause if such dynamic behavior is not expected from an SUV, then yes from a sedan. But no one drives as well as she does, no one has Ferrari steering, such a responsive chassis and thisperfect balance... This is the car that I would like to blow off steam on the track, on the road or while drifting. But she, like her sister, has not yet reached these quality levels (at least perceived) as ideal. Here too the system screeninfotainment it is sparse and some details are muted. But it is also true that with such a dynamic, much can be forgiven.
