The 2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia and other similar cars are running out of time. The four-door sports car has been the standard for semi-affordable Italian sedans since the brand came back to the US in 2015. This is true whether it’s the Quadrifoglio or the Sprint, Ti, or Competizione models. The last four models of the Giulia have been nothing more than fancy tributes to the same fierce sedan that won our hearts when it first came out eight years ago. By the end of the decade, la Macchina di Milano will be completely electric. The company has been able to turn things around in recent years, even though there were early worries about its dependability. Larry Dominique, president of Alfa North America, told me earlier this year that this is because CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato sees the factories every month. In any case, what makes the Giulia so appealing is how it feels to drive. I had the chance to drive a beautiful Giulia Competizione in Moonlight Gray (matte white) from Milan to Balocco, Italy, for the Tonale PHEV launch this summer. There was time spent on country roads and time spent on the autostrada, where the 280-horsepower car loved being able to go over 120 mph without blinking. The trip took three hours round-trip. I just recently thought that Giulia might leave. On a cool October morning, driving Detroit’s M1 Concourse in the Quadrifoglio made me remember how much fun it is to push one hard. It might not be a good idea to drive a 505-hp rear-drive car in the fog on a 49-degree day but trust me; it’s a lot of fun. Extra care had to be taken to avoid falling. The track surface should have been warmer than it was, and the summer performance tires were taking longer to warm up. The Giulia’s back end was almost free to fall off and pass itself. The 1.5-mile track was cut down to a shorter version that still had many hard stopping areas and a tight turn. The Quadrifoglio didn’t work well on the short and narrow track because its legs could only extend so far, but it worked great and made a great link to the pavement. Even though the car had bad traction, it sounded and felt lively, and the exhaust noise coming out of the back was beautiful. Everything the driver needs to know is given to them by the steering, handling, suspension, and brakes. The back wheels would often lose their grip, causing the car to slide a little. This made the hairpin tricky to drive and made the cabin very exciting. The 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, which was based on a Ferrari, was, of course, the star of the show. With the press of a button on my right foot, it could make 505 horsepower. The most obvious thing about it, though, is how quickly it delivers power—there is no turbo lag. At times, I thought I was driving a V6 with naturally aspirated fuel. The back straight was long enough to go 110 mph, but the Italian car had a lot of fun with the turns and changes in elevation. Even though it was cold, there was extra room to slow down. It’s easy to forget about older cars like the Alfa Romeo Giulia in a world where new cars are always coming out, and electric cars are always setting new records. Also, it’s simple to forget what wonderful qualities they have and how much we will miss them when they leave. Alfa’s next EV project claims to have stunning performance, a beautiful look, and a fun driving experience. It has been able to do that for more than one hundred years, after all. After Giulia stops being made, the people who work for the famous brand will not stop sharing their huge love for performance. You can see this by taking a walk through the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo.
