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THE NEW ALFA ROMEO STELVIO QUADRIFOGLIO

The new Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, the first Quadrifoglio SUV, is set to become the new benchmark in the premium compact SUV segment with its unique combination of awe-inspiring design, performance and technology.

2.9 litre V6 Bi-Turbo petrol engine and eight-speed transmission

Q4 all-wheel drive to manage the car’s drive distribution in real time

State-of-the-art technology for impeccable handling and great driving pleasure

Perfect weight distribution and the ideal power-to-weight ratio

Unique style evolved in the service of performance

 AlfaTM Connect 3D NAV 8,8” infotainment with Apple CarPlay integration. It includes Android AutoTM compatibility

Quadrifoglio: a symbol of the Italian racing spirit since 1923

Model overview

The first Quadrifoglio SUV.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is the new Alfa Romeo model that has set-out to become the new benchmark in the premium compact SUV segment. With its awe-inspiring design, performance and technology, Stelvio Quadrifoglio is the “fastest SUV around the circuit”, having clocked the new record for its class on the iconic Nürburgring: 7 minutes 51.7 seconds.

Stelvio Quadrifoglio is equipped with the exclusive aluminium 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo petrol engine, developed with inputs from Ferrari technologies and engineering know-how, which delivers maximum power of 510hp at 6,500rpm and generates a maximum torque of 600Nm from 2,500 to 5,000rpm. This power plant is teamed with the specifically calibrated eight-speed automatic transmission that allows gear shifts in just 150 milliseconds in Race driving mode. Moreover, to maximise the driving experience, the model is equipped as standard with one-piece aluminium paddle shifters integrated with the steering column.

It accelerates from zero to 62mph in just 3.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 176mph. However, the Alfa Romeo sports SUV is also incredibly efficient in terms of emission and fuel consumption, thanks to its electronically controlled cylinder deactivation system and the “sailing” function, available in Advanced Efficiency driving mode.

For the first time, the 510hp 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo petrol engine is combined with the innovative Q4 all-wheel drive system, offering a perfect blend of performance, traction, driving pleasure and safety in all situations. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is equipped with the exclusive AlfaTM Chassis Domain Control unit and it’s the only SUV in its class to provide differential AlfaTM Active Torque Vectoring as standard. Also standard is the innovative AlfaTM Active Suspension, the system that continually, actively controls the suspensions and shock absorbers. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio guarantees impeccable handing and comfort thanks to its suspension layout, with the exclusive AlfaLinkTM technology: up front it has a double wishbone system with semi-virtual steering axis, with a four-and-a-half link Multilink system at the rear. In any situation and at all speeds, driving the Quadrifoglio SUV, with the most direct steering ratio on the market (12.1:1), is natural and instinctive.

Stelvio Quadrifoglio holds two best-in-class titles which make it the highest-performing SUV in its segment: with a kerb weight of 1,830kg, the model boasts the best weight/power ratio in its category (3.6kg/hp) and the best specific power (176hp/l). These amazing results were achieved through perfect weight distribution between the two axles and the use of ultra-lightweight materials such as carbon fibre for the driveshaft and aluminium for the engine, suspensions, brakes, doors, wheel-arches, bonnet and tailgate.

The innovative electromechanical Integrated Brake System (IBS) – exclusive to Alfa Romeo – has become the new benchmark in terms of both swift response and stopping distance, on any road surface, and weight reduction compared to a conventional braking system. High-performance carbon-ceramic discs are also available as an option.

Extreme performance and leading-edge technology are unmistakably conveyed by the unique style of Stelvio Quadrifoglio, the finest expression of Italian design, interpreted with Alfa Romeo’s unique flair and the perfect synergy of form and function, in a sensual, muscular car body. The new model’s most distinctive characteristics include the bonnet with structural vents to allow heat to escape from the engine compartment, the sporty side-skirts and the flared wheel arches, all body-coloured, and finished with a quad exhaust.

The same sporty imprint, with a touch of typically Italian elegance, is found in the interior, which has been tailored with painstaking craftsmanship and premium materials: carbon fibre, leather and Alcantara. The centre of the dashboard is dominated by the new AlfaTM Connect 3D NAV 8.8-inch infotainment system. The system offers Apple CarPlay, the smarter, safer way to use your iPhone in car as well as being Android AutoTM compatible, bringing the best of Google into the car.

2.9-litre V6 Bi-Turbo petrol engine and eight-speed automatic transmission

Developed with inputs from Ferrari technologies and engineering know-how, the engine mounted on Stelvio Quadrifoglio is the exclusive aluminium 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo petrol unit.  With the latest technology and ultimate performance, this powerplant has become the brand’s new gold standard.

Made from aluminium – to reduce the car’s overall weight, especially on the front axle – the 2.9 Bi-Turbo petrol engine delivers maximum power of 510hp at 6,500rpm and maximum torque of 600Nm from 2,500 to 5,000rpm. What’s more, it is combined with a specifically calibrated eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio can accelerate from zero to 62mph in just 3.8 seconds, going on to a top speed of 176mph. Even with the sensational power and torque values, the 510hp 2.9-litre Bi-Turbo petrol unit is particularly fuel-efficient and, like all new-generation Alfa Romeo engines, delivers a genuine Alfa Romeo roar.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio powerplant is completed by the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, specifically calibrated to make gear changes in just 150 milliseconds in Race mode. The transmission also features a lock-up clutch to give the driver a powerful feeling of in-gear acceleration once the gear is engaged.

Depending on the mode chosen with the AlfaTM DNA Pro, the automatic transmission optimises the ride and handling in all contexts of use, including urban driving. The Alfa Romeo sports SUV is also incredibly efficient in terms of emission and fuel consumption, thanks to its electronically controlled cylinder deactivation system and the “sailing” function, available in Advanced Efficiency driving mode.

To maximise the driving experience, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is equipped as standard with one-piece aluminium paddle shifters integral with the steering column.

ENGINE

2.9 V6 ALFA 510hp AT AWD

No. of cylinders, layout

V6 – 90°

Displacement (cm3)

2891

Bore x stroke (mm)

86.5 x 82

Valves per cylinder

4

Compression ratio

9.31:1

Maximum power in kW @ rpm

375KW @6,500

Max torque in Nm at rpm

600Nm @ 2500

Timing (control)

Itaje & exhaust: VVT with rocker arm and lash adjuster

Fuel type

PETROL

TRANSMISSION

 

Drive System

Q4 All-Wheel Drive

Transmission

8‐speed automatic

1a

5,000

2a

3,200

3a

2,143

4a

1,720

5a

1,313

6a

1,000

7a

0,823

8a

0,640

Reverse

3,456

Final drive ratio

3,7

PERFORMANCE

 

Acceleration: 0‐62 mph

3.8

Top speed (mph)

176

CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS

 

Emission standard

EURO 6D – TEMP

Fuel consumption ‐ combined cycle (mpg)

28.8

Fuel consumption ‐ extra urban cycle (mpg)

33.6

Fuel consumption ‐ urban cycle (mpg)

23

CO2 emissions ‐ combined cycle (g/km)

227

Fuel tank (litres)

64

WEIGHTS AND DIMENSIONS

 

STD kerb weight. A (kg)

1830

Weight distribution between front/rear (%)

53.8/46.2

Height (mm)

1,681

Width (mm)

1,955 (excl. mirrors)

Length (mm)

4,702

Wheelbase (mm)

2,818

Ground clearance (mm)

>200

Load capacity (l) with seats in position and tyre kit

525

Load capacity (l) with seats in position and spare tyre

499

Load capacity (dm3) with flat rear seats

1,600

BRAKES

 

Front rotors STD/Carboceramic, (mm)

390/398

Rear rotors STD/Carboceramic, (mm)

350/360

Braking distance 62-0 mph (m)

37

WHEELS AND TYRES

 

Front wheels (in)

20 x 9J ET29

Rear wheels (in)

20 x 10J ET34

Front tyres (mm)

 255/45 R20 101Y

Rear tyres (mm)

 285/40 R20 104Y

OTHER

 

Turning circle (m)

12.1

Steering ratio

12

Wading depth (mm)

480

 

Q4 all-wheel drive to manage the car’s drive distribution in real time

For the first time, the 510hp 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo petrol engine is combined with the innovative Q4 all-wheel drive system, resulting in an unbeatable blend of performance, traction, driving pleasure and safety in all situations. In normal conditions, the Q4 system transfers 100% of the torque to the rear axle. As the wheels approach their grip limit, the system transmits up to 50% of the torque to the front axle in real time, by means of an active transfer case.

The Q4 system architecture includes an active transfer case and front differential designed to meet the specific technical requirements of Alfa Romeo, including the rapid-response management of high torque levels, with a compact, lightweight set-up. The active transfer case makes use of advanced active clutch technology to deliver a dynamic ride combined with good fuel economy. The next-generation integrated actuator delivers high response speed and precise torque distribution, in line with the selected Alfa DNA Pro drive mode setting.

The Q4 system continuously monitors numerous parameters to optimise torque distribution between the two axles according to what the car is doing and how much grip there is beneath the wheels. This technology can predict imminent loss of grip by processing the data it receives from the lateral and longitudinal acceleration, steering-wheel angle and yaw sensors. In normal conditions, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio with Q4 system acts like a rear-drive vehicle, with 100% of the torque sent to the rear axle. As the wheels approach their grip limit, the system transfers up to 50% of the torque to the front axle via a dedicated transfer case.

To modulate torque distribution with the utmost speed, the system uses a high degree of mechanical overslip between the two axles, which translates into class-leading control in terms of traction and directional stability when cornering.

State-of-the-art technology for impeccable handling and great driving pleasure

In keeping with Alfa Romeo’s technical traditions, electronic assistance must never be intrusive, but merely facilitate the driving experience, which is exhilarating in itself thanks to the passionately and painstakingly designed chassis and suspension system. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio confirms this philosophy: it is structurally unique, but still offers numerous sophisticated systems to make the driving experience – already assured by the car’s underlying technical excellence – even more thrilling. 

AlfaTM Chassis Domain Control (CDC) and AlfaTM Active Torque Vectoring
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is equipped with the exclusive AlfaTM Chassis Domain Control (CDC) unit and is the only one to provide differential AlfaTM Active Torque Vectoring (ATV) as standard.

CDC acts as the “brain” of the Alfa Romeo SUV, and coordinates all the car’s electronic systems, to deliver the best performance and the utmost driving pleasure at all times. Specifically, the AlfaTM Chassis Domain Control system simultaneously manages and assigns specific tasks to the various active systems, such as the AlfaTM Active Torque Vectoring system, the AlfaTM Active Suspension system and the ESC, in accordance with the setting selected by the driver with the AlfaTM DNA Pro selector.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is the only SUV in its class to provide the AlfaTM Active Torque Vectoring differential as standard. The Torque Vectoring technology optimises the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s drive distribution and accentuates its sporting character. The two electronically controlled clutches in the rear differential make it possible to control torque delivery to each wheel separately. This ensures the optimal transfer of power to the ground even when the car is pushed to its dynamic limits. This makes the Stelvio safe and fun to drive at all times, without recourse to intrusive inputs from the stability control system.

Alfa DNATM Pro with Race mode
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is also equipped with the new Alfa DNA Pro selector, which modifies the car’s dynamic response according to which mode the driver selects: Dynamic, Natural, Advanced Efficiency (energy-saving mode) and Race (ideal for maximum performance).

In detail, the Dynamic setting modifies the engine control parameters for faster power delivery, increases the gear shift speed and modifies the suspension response for sportier on-road driving. The Natural mode, on the other hand, sets the power delivery and suspensions to ensure comfort and demure handing in everyday driving, while Race mode allows deactivation of the stability and traction controls, enhances the roar of the exhaust and maximises performance for a memorable circuit driving experience in real racing style. Last but not least, the Advanced Efficiency (AE) setting improves efficiency and cuts consumption with functions such as “sailing” and cylinder deactivation. The AE mode is also strongly recommended in low-grip situations.

Exclusive AlfaLinkTM suspensions, AlfaTM Active Suspension and the most direct steering in the class
Up front, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio has a double wishbone system with semi-virtual steering axis, to optimise bump filtration and ensure quick, precise responses to steering inputs. By keeping the contact patch of the tyre constant when cornering, this exclusive Alfa Romeo set-up affords outstanding levels of lateral grip.

The rear suspension uses a four-and-a-half link Multilink system – patented by Alfa Romeo – to deliver a winning combination of performance, driving pleasure and comfort. An electronically controlled damping system, furthermore, adapts to driving conditions instant by instant, enabling drivers to opt for more performance-biased or comfort-oriented handling.

Alfa™ Active Suspension is a system which continually, actively controls the suspensions and shock absorbers to reduce movement of the body of the car in all driving conditions. It constantly interacts with the CDC and Alfa DNA Pro and “calibrates” its actions to suit the driving mode selected, delivering unrivalled comfort and handling.

In any situation and at all speeds, driving the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, with the most direct steering ratio on the market (12.1:1), is natural and instinctive.

Integrated Brake System (IBS) and carbon-ceramic discs
Having made its debut with the Giulia, Alfa Romeo’s unique Integrated Brake System (IBS) is now also in use on the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. This innovative electromechanical system combines stability control with a traditional servo brake to deliver instantaneous brake response and hence shorten stopping distances, while also making a significant contribution to weight optimisation. Carbon ceramic brake discs are also available as an option, offering both lighter weight (17kg less than the standard type) and greater mechanical strength, even at the highest temperatures, in both dry and wet conditions.

Perfect weight distribution and the ideal power-to-weight ratio

Stelvio Quadrifoglio holds two best-in-class titles which make it the highest-performing SUV in its segment: with a kerb weight of just 1,830kg, the model boasts the best weight/power ratio in its category (3.6kg/hp) and the best specific power (176hp/l).

Perfect weight distribution between the two axles required astute management of weights and materials, which was achieved by tweaking the Alfa Romeo SUV’s layout and arranging the heavier elements in the most central position possible, to guarantee superlative driving pleasure. The ideal power-to-weight ratio, meanwhile, was delivered with the aid of ultra-lightweight materials such as carbon fibre for the driveshaft and aluminium for the engine, suspensions, brakes, doors, wheel-arches and bonnet.

The reduced weight does not affect the car’s excellent torsional rigidity, which guarantees durability, low noise levels and first-class handling even under extreme stresses.

Unique style evolved in the service of performance

The design of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is inspired by the idea of “necessary beauty”, as the perfect synergy of form and function is even more extreme in this high-performance SUV. Style and design are not merely aesthetic considerations but also support crucial factors including aerodynamics, speed, power and handling. Mirroring the performance, in Quadrifoglio guise everything is raised to new heights and has an even greater visual impact.

This approach is clearly reflected in the structural vents in the bonnet, the intercooler air vents at the side, the sporty side-skirt and the massive body coloured wheel arches and the four exhaust tips.  The nose features the iconic and immediately recognisable “Trilobo” motif, while the unmistakable “Kamm tail” rear ensures that the design is rooted in Alfa Romeo tradition.

The front end of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is a perfect mix of seduction and emphatic proportions, conveying a strong message of power. The front end features familiar slots around the shield-shaped grille, together with muscular surfacing and the iconic, immediately recognisable “trilobo” motif with intercooler air vents at the side.

The side view is sensual and athletic, with the famous “quadrifoglio” four-leaf clover on the wheel arch. The overall dimensions are compact: 470cm long, 168cm high and 216cm wide, yet it expresses dynamism and strength. This sensation is emphasised by the wheel arch and the widespread use of the body colour, heightening the impression of a car firmly anchored to the road. The quadruple exhaust tips also give the impression of reaching out to the 20-inch burnished alloy wheels and lead the eyes towards the road. The car’s visual make-up was chosen partly in response to structural needs, so its style and design are not merely aesthetic considerations but support crucial factors aiding its aerodynamics, speed, power and handling. This is also reflected in the bonnet with structural vents to allow air to escape from the engine compartment.

The cockpit of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is simple, tasteful and forged around the driver. The controls are grouped together on the steering wheel, which is small and direct to suit all driving styles. The diagonal tunnel and slightly undulating dashboard converge on the driver’s seat, with carbon fibre adorning the console, tunnel, dashboard trim, handle inserts and steering wheel rim. The black seats, in leather and alcantara, are specific to the model and are shaped for more support when cornering. There is a choice of red, white and green and dark grey stitching. The contrasting materials (leather, alcantara and carbon fibre) and coloured stitching combine technology with fine workmanship and attention to detail, for an interior with lashings of personality. The dark pillars and roof lining also add to the sporting ambiance.

AlfaTM Connect 3D infotainment with Apple CarPlay integration and Android AutoTM compatibility

Stelvio Quadrifoglio also see the introduction of Apple CarPlay, the smarter and safer way to use your iPhone in the car.  CarPlay lets the user get directions optimized for traffic conditions, make and receive calls, access text messages, and listen to music, all in a way that allows them to stay focused on the road.

Stelvio Quadrifoglio is also compatible with Android AutoTM, bringing the Android experience into the car by ‘projecting’ apps and services on to the screen in the central display, and is designed to make it safer and easier to get the information needed while driving. Drivers can use Google MapsTM for directions and easily access their favourite music, media and messaging apps in the car.

These new technologies also extend the capabilities of the innovative Alfa Connect 3D NAV 8.8-inch, available as standard on Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Developed jointly with Magneti Marelli, the infotainment system offers a sophisticated series of features and functions, including a next-generation human-machine interface, controlled by a Rotary Pad and using the high resolution display integrated in the dashboard. In addition, thanks to “optical bonding” technology, the user benefits from an excellent level of visualisation and readability on the display.

Finally, as well as controlling the DAB digital radio and the HI-FI digital audio, the Alfa Connect 3D NAV 8.8-inch systemincludes, as standard, navigation functions with high-resolution 3D maps. The system is quick to calculate routes and can be used even if the GPS signal is missing by exploiting Dead Reckoning technology. It also allows updating of TomTom maps via USB, and display of driving style data and the type of ride set by the Alfa DNA selector.

Pricing and standard specification

Standard specification on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio includes 20-inch Quadrifoglio alloy wheels with specifically profiled wheel arches, restyled rear diffuser, sports exhaust with four outlets and bi-xenon headlamps with LED DRL.  Inside, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio comes as standard with a leather dashboard and door tops, leather and Alcantara seats, leather steering wheel, carbon fibre trim and stainless steel pedals.  The centre of the dashboard is dominated by the 8.8-inch Alfa™ Connect infotainment system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto™ to replicate the smartphone environment on the on-board display.

Safety specification includes advanced Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Blind Spot Monitoring (DSM), Integrated Braking System (IBS), Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and a rear-view camera with guide lines.  Alfa™ Chassis Domain Control, Alfa™ Active Torque Vectoring, Alfa™ Active Suspension system and Alfa™ DNA Pro, with Race Mode, complete the standard set-up.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is available to order now, price from £69,500 OTR. 

Stelvio NRING Nurburgring Limited Edition

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING limited edition has been created, alongside a Giulia version, to celebrate this historic bond between Alfa Romeo and the legendary track.

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.

Limited edition collectors’ models
108 editions of the Stelvio NRING will be available for the EMEA region.  Intended for collectors and the most loyal Alfa Romeo customers, the new limited edition comes with 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 model also includes carbon-ceramic brakes, Sparco® racing seats with red stitching and carbon shell structure, electrically operated panoramic sunroof, 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 features 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 .

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: 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 version will be given an “Authenticity Certification” issued by FCA Heritage, the department that promotes the historic record of the FCA Group’s Italian brands.  The decision to provide this special edition 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 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.

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 limited edition is available now priced from £89,500 OTR.

Quadrifoglio: a symbol of the Italian racing spirit since 1923

Constant research into racing excellence, with its results then transferred in entirety to production cars: this sums up the Alfa Romeo philosophy embodied by the Quadrifoglio.  The legendary badge has been used since 1923 on the most high-performing Alfa Romeo cars, and not just those destined for the world’s racetracks but also on some select production versions.

The first Alfa Romeo car to be adorned with the Quadrifoglio was the “RL” driven by Ugo Sivocci which won the 15th edition of the Targa Florio in 1923, achieving the first of the Brand’s ten victories in this prestige competition. The same good-luck emblem also appeared on Brilli Peri’s “P2” when he triumphed in the first “Motor Racing World Championship” in Monza in 1925, gaining the first of Alfa Rome’s five world titles. In the late twenties the Quadrifoglio badge was also used on the race-track to distinguish the cars of Alfa Romeo itself from those operated by the “Scuderia Ferrari”, which took the prancing horse as its emblem.

In 1950 and 1951, Giuseppe “Nino” Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio drove the Alfa Romeo 158 and 159 cars, the famous “Alfettas”, to success in the first two Formula 1 World Championships. Then, in the Sixties, the Quadrifoglio appeared in the “ready-to-race” version of the “Giulia”, the “TI Super”, before teaming up with the blue triangle of the Autodelta for several decades: from the “GTA” to the “33”, through to the two world championships won by the “33 TT 12” (1975) and the “33 SC 12” (1977). Alfa Romeo’s racing career continued in the eighties, when after it returned to F1 in 1980, it scored repeated successes in touring car races (GTV 6 2.5), up to the triumph in the DTM with the “155 V6 Ti” in 1993 and the very long series of victories of the “156 Superturismo” (1998-2004).

Production Alfa Romeo cars have also proudly borne the Quadrifoglio badge: it was awarded to particularly high-performing models built from the ’60s to the ’80s. Some had the symbol on their bodywork even though it did not appear in their names – such as the “Giulia Sprint GT Veloce” or the “1750 GT Veloce” – while others, from the eighties onward, included Quadrifoglio in their official names, such as the various versions of the “33 Quadrifoglio Verde” or the “164 Quadrifoglio Verde”.

Most recently, the Quadrifoglio symbol returned to the limelight both with the launch of the Mito (2008) and Giulietta (2010). Both models maintained the legacy in terms of dynamic performances, without sacrificing efficiency, environmental protection or convenience in daily use. Today the standard-bearers in the new Alfa Romeo generation are the Giulia and Stelvio models, both with the legendary Quadrifoglio badge, which denotes their class-topping performance, handling and weight/power ratio, specific external and internal features, exclusive powerplants and a genuine Alfa Romeo sound.

The Quadrifoglio legend continues.

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