The Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA brings back one of the legends of motoring and a milestone in the brand’s history: the 1965 Giulia GTA.
It sees a return to the roots of the brand established 111 years ago, those of the worlds of performance and touring, with a model that epitomises the unique ability of Alfa Romeo to combine style and sport.
It makes its dynamic debut at the former Autodelta workshops at the Balocco Proving Ground, the site of the 1960s creation of the Giulia Sprint GTA. This evocative venue – built 60 years ago, with a surface area of 6 km2, 27 different circuits, a total of 80 km – is the home of the development and testing of all Alfa Romeo cars.
The Giulia GTA is instantly recognisable courtesy of an exclusive characterisation that combines form and function in this high-performance vehicle derived from the Giulia Quadrifoglio. With the widespread use of ultralight materials, the weight of the Giulia GTA is reduced and the Alfa Romeo 2.9 V6 bi-turbo engine is upgraded to produce 540hp, giving it a best-in-class weight-to-power ratio of 187 hp per litre. It also delivers extraordinary performance, in terms of both its lap times on the track and its acceleration. With the Launch Mode system, acceleration from zero to 62mph takes just 3.6 seconds.
Alfa Romeo engineers have worked to improve its aerodynamics and handling, but above all to reduce the weight, following the same guidelines as for the 1965 Giulia GTA. To achieve these objectives, widespread use has been made of components in carbon fibre and composite materials. The aerodynamics have been designed to increase downforce. These solutions embody technical expertise that comes straight from Formula 1, courtesy of the synergy with Sauber Engineering. They also developed the side skirts; the new rear spoiler – adjustable to four positions on the GTAm; the active front splitter, which can be extended for use on the track by up to 40mm on the GTAm; the carbon fibre rear diffuser with integrated titanium Akrapovič centrally mounted exhaust system; and the 20-inch wheels with single locking nut, seen for the first time on a saloon, which are paired with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. The aerodynamic research in the wind tunnel was not limited to the aerodynamic elements, but also focused on the fully-faired underbody.
The GTA and GTAm also benefit from a new rear diffuser capable of increasing the car’s downforce, guaranteeing excellent road holding at high speeds. On the Giulia GTAm the most intense aerodynamic configuration triples the amount of downforce compared to the Giulia Quadrifoglio, which previously represented the benchmark in its class.
Handling has been improved by widening the front wheel tracks by 25mm, their rear counterparts by 50mm and developing a specific suspension set-up (the front with two oscillating arms, the rear using independent multilink springs). This suspension set-up and steering ensures higher cut-in and cornering speed and improvements in stability, while not impacting on the comfort. Last but not least, in terms of performance, the Alfa Romeo 2.9-litre V6 bi-turbo engine, made entirely of aluminium and capable of unleashing no less than 510hp in the Giulia Quadrifoglio, reaches an output of 540hp in the Giulia GTA, courtesy of the meticulous development and calibration work of the Alfa Romeo engineers who revisited the piston cooling flow and the design of the rods. The air circulation in the engine cooling and transmission circuits has also been increased.
Alfa Romeo is offering a wide range of customisations aimed at offering a unique purchase experience, including an experience package with a Bell helmet in special GTA livery that can be customised with the production number of the car, a specific Goodwool car cover and dedicated services. The GTAm will also come with Alpinestars overalls, gloves and boots. In the UK, the Giulia GTA and GTAm experience is priced at €176,500 and €181,500 respectively.
