By Otsile Kadiege

Performance car enthusiasts can rejoice. Alfa Romeo South Africa has confirmed that the Giulia GTA (Gran Turismo Alleggerita) as well as the extreme GTAm has been allocated to Mzansi. Only 500 units will be built worldwide and the automaker said we’ll be receiving a “very limited allocation”. That being said, there are reports claiming only 8 units will be shipped to South Africa.

Faster and lighter

In terms of performance, the powerful bi-turbo 2.9-litre V6 engine, made entirely of aluminium and capable of unleashing 397 kW and 600 Nm. Power is fed to the rear-wheels via an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. As a result, the Giulia GTA will sprint from 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.

Thanks to the adoption of lightweight materials such as carbon fibre for the drive shaft, hood, roof, front bumper, front wheel arches, rear wheel arch inserts, the shell of the specific sporting seats with 6-point Sabelt safety belts in the GTAm, lightweight aluminium engine, doors and suspension systems, and various other composite materials, Alfa Romeo engineers managed to shave off an impressive 100 kg. The result is a weight set around 1,580 kg which, combined with the increase in power to 390kW brings the power/weight ratio to an excellent 246kW/ton or 4.1kg/kW, making Giulia GTA capable of delivering extraordinary performance.

Engineers of the Cloverleaf performance division have improved the handling at high speeds by widening the front and rear wheel tracks by 50mm and developing a new set of springs, shock absorbers and bushings for the suspension systems.

Race car inspired exterior

It’s easy to distinguish the Giulia GTA from the Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde (QV) thanks to refining aerodynamics kit like a revised front-end with an active front splitter, a set of 20-inch centre lock wheels, side skirts, a prominent rear wing and rear diffuser as well as titanium Akrapovič central exhaust system. The Giulia GTA is fitted with a spoiler and splitter optimised for daily use on the road; the same door panels and windows as those of the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The result is a veritable high-performance car for everyday use.

The hardcore GTAm features an aerodynamic front piece which has been optimised to an extreme level, by adding a larger front splitter and a real carbon rear wing, which ensure a perfectly balanced load at high speeds.

Stripped-out interior

Inside, there’re several new details that stand out like the trim in 100% Alcantara on the dashboard, door panels, glove compartment, side pillars and the central trim on the seats. Alcantara is used even more extensively on the GTAm version, where the rear bench has been removed, leaving room for a fully upholstered “basin”, hosting specific mouldings deigned to hold helmets and a fire extinguisher. In the GTAm, the interior is unique in that it features a roll bar, no door panels or rear seats and the door is opened with a belt in place of the handle, another touch that comes from the racing world. In the GTA version, with the same power, the Giulia offers four seats and no rear roll-bar.

Availability

The order book is officially open and the automaker said fortunate owners will not only acquire a legendary performance car, but an equally tasty experience and package of accessories with it.