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STELVIO AND GIULIA NRING: SHOWCASES OF ALFA ROMEO EXCELLENCE

ByDave Stopher

Jun 12, 2018
  • Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING and Giulia Quadrifoglio NRING Nürburgring Limited Editions celebrate the historic bond of supreme success linking Alfa Romeo to the legendary German circuit
  • For the EMEA region there will be just 108 cars per model, one for each year of Alfa Romeo’s history
  • Performance, invincible DNA and Italian style, all completed by an exclusive customer experience
  • Owners of the limited edition will receive a scale model of the chosen car, a specific welcome kit and an invitation to an Alfa Romeo experience at the Nürburgring
  • FCA Heritage will provide exclusive certification, underlining these limited editions’ collectors’ value
  • Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING and Giulia Quadrifoglio NRING set to make UK debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING and Giulia Quadrifoglio NRING Nürburgring Limited Editions have been created to celebrate this historic bond between Alfa Romeo and the legendary track, recently given new life by the Quadrifoglio models’ thrilling performances.

The many pages in the Green Hell’s history include exciting contributions from Alfa Romeo, which nurtured its myth through a wealth of victories and memorable records at the Nürburgring. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, the first SUV in the brand’s history, holds the record for its segment, having completed the 20.832km of the Nordschleife in 7 minutes 51.7 seconds. This makes it the fastest amongst SUVs, equipped with an outstanding 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo petrol engine with 510hp and torque of 600Nm powering a top speed of 176mph and acceleration from zero to 62mph in just 3.8 seconds. The Giulia Quadrifoglio has a lap time of 7 minutes 32 seconds, achieved thanks to its superlative handling, top speed of 191mph and acceleration from zero to 62mph in 3.9 seconds.

Limited edition collectors’ models

108 editions of each model will be available for the EMEA region.  Intended for collectors and the most loyal Alfa Romeo customers, the new limited editions have exclusive contents, including a numbered badge in the carbon fibre dashboard insert and the unique Circuito Grey livery, exclusively available on this limited edition.

In addition to the features that characterise all Quadrifoglio cars, standard equipment on the NRING models also includes carbon-ceramic brakes, Sparco® racing seats with red stitching and carbon shell structure, Mopar® automatic transmission knob with carbon inserts and leather and Alcantara steering wheel with carbon inserts. The front badge and the rearview mirror caps are made of carbon fibre, as are the side skirt inserts.  Inside the NRING editions feature tinted windows, Adaptive Cruise Control, the Harman Kardon premium audio package, and AlfaTM Connect 3D Nav infotainment system with 8.8-inch’ screen, Apple CarPlayTM, Android AutoTM and DAB . The Giulia model premieres the new bare carbon roof, while the Stelvio is equipped with electrically operated panoramic sunroof.

A total, unique experience

Alfa Romeo has created an exclusive experience for the 216 owners of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING and Giulia Quadrifoglio NRING Nürburgring limited editions.  Before their real car is delivered, owners will be given a numbered 1:18 scale model of it and upon collection they will receive a welcome kit comprising Sparco® racing gloves and customised soft shell jacket, sports bag in the Alfa Romeo pattern, Quadrifoglio cuff-links and original footwear created by Car Shoe.  Part of the Alfa Romeo licensed “Quadrifoglio” capsule collection, made from leather and technical fabric, the shoes are inspired by race boot design and carry the symbol that most effectively embodies the Alfa Romeo brand’s highest performances. That’s not all: Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING and Giulia Quadrifoglio NRING owners will be offered the chance to attends a sports driving technique course on the Nürburgring circuit, in 2019. A specific concierge service will assist NRING customers throughout their Alfa Romeo experience.

Certification

To celebrate the birth of the new limited edition the NRING versions will have a specific “Authenticity Certification” issued by FCA Heritage, the department that promotes the historic record of the FCA Group’s Italian brands.  The decision to provide these special editions with “Authenticity Certification”, normally only issued for historic cars, gives them genuine “Instant Classic” status.  This places them amongst the vehicles ranked as collectors’ items as soon as they hit the market, due to their exclusiveness, performance and limited production runs.

Every owner will receive a kit comprising the authenticity certificate issued by the constructor, a numbered certification plaque matching the car’s chassis number, a book of photographs and the technical specification.

Massive power and state-of-the-art technology

The Quadrifoglio models are paragons of engineering quality and superior performance in themselves. On Stelvio, for the first time, the 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo powerplant is combined with the innovative Q4 all-wheel drive system, with its guarantee of unbeatable performance, traction, driving pleasure and safety in all situations.

Both cars incorporate AlfaTM Chassis Domain Control, which coordinates all the on-board electronic systems, to deliver the best performance and the utmost driving pleasure at all times. Specifically, the system manages and simultaneously assigns specific tasks to the various active systems, such as Q4 all-wheel drive (on Stelvio Quadrifoglio), AlfaTM Active Torque Vectoring system, AlfaTM Active Suspension, ESC and AlfaTM DNA Pro selector with Race function. The Torque Vectoring technology optimises Stelvio and Giulia’s drive distribution and accentuates their sporting character. The two electronically controlled clutches in the Torque Vectoring system make it possible to control torque delivery to each wheel separately. This ensures the optimal transfer of power to the ground in all driving situations, making the Stelvio safe and fun to drive at all times, without recourse to intrusive inputs from the stability control system.

The standard 8-speed ZF automatic transmission is specifically calibrated to shift in just 150 milliseconds in Race mode. The transmission has a lock-up clutch to give the driver a powerful, precise feeling of in-gear acceleration. Depending on the DNA mode set, new auto box optimises fluidity, comfort and ease of driving in all environments, including around town, and further improves fuel efficiency and cuts CO2 emissions. So the excellence on offer is not just in performance: both the Alfa Romeo sports SUV and the saloon are also incredibly efficient in terms of emissions and fuel efficiency, thanks also to their electronically controlled cylinder deactivation system and the sailing function, available in Advanced Efficiency driving mode. To further maximise the driving experience, they are both equipped with paddle shifters machined from solid aluminium which are integral with the steering column.

Alfa Romeo at the Nürburgring: living history

The new special limited editions consolidate the bond between a brand and a legendary circuit. The first of Alfa Romeo’s many victories on the Green Hell was recorded in 1932 by Rudolf Caracciola, driving a Gran Premio Tipo B, who won ahead of two other Alfa Romeos with Nuvolari and Borzacchini at the wheel. Three years later it was the “flying Mantovan” himself who starred in a breath-taking race: driving an Alfa Romeo Tipo B on the verge of retirement, he outclassed his adversaries even from the qualifying stages and achieved a crushing victory in the German Grand Prix.

It has not just been Formula 1: from the Fifties, Alfa Romeo became a key competitor in the Tourism class, with the Giulietta Sprint Veloce, and it consolidated this dominance in the next decade with the Giulia TZ, Giulia TZ2, Giulia Sprint GTA, GTA 1300 Junior and 1750-2000 GTAm, which recorded a long succession of overall and class victories in top races including the 1000km, the 500km and the 6 Hours. The Giulia Sprint GTA is also remembered for the record of 9 minutes 59.7 seconds set by Andrea De Adamich, the first time a GT car with an engine of less than 1,600cc broke the 10 minute barrier.

While the GTA models were unrivalled in their class, Alfa Romeo entered the World Championship for Makes with the new Tipo 33: two victories in 1968 and 1969, in the two litre class, and two world championship titles, in 1975 and 1977. In 1975, Merzario and Laffite won seven of the season’s eight races, including victory at the Nürburgring. Another great Alfa Romeo win dates from 1993, when the 155 V6 TI driven by Nicola Larini came home victorious: without success at the Nürburgring, the DTM title would have been incomplete.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING and Giulia Quadrifoglio NRING Nürburgring Limited Editions are set to make their UK debut this summer at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where pricing and availability for the UK will be confirmed.  For information on the Alfa Romeo range please visit www.alfaromeo.co.uk or to find your nearest dealer visit www.alfaromeo.co.uk/findadealer.