2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia

Jbird

Kick Henry Jackassowski
landscape-1435773371-giulialead.jpg


:love:

503 HP, looks like a BMW-slayer.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...rst-look-2017-alfa-romeo-guilia-quadrifoglio/
 
When I was a teenager, I lusted after Benjamin Braddock's (Dustin Hoffman's character) AR red Spider convertible in The Graduate.

But I'm not longer a teenager, so I grew out of it.
 
When I was a teenager, I lusted after Benjamin Braddock's (Dustin Hoffman's character) AR red Spider convertible in The Graduate.

But I'm not longer a teenager, so I grew out of it.
So, no Miata in the immediate future?

I think the Miata is the present-day Spider. Probably more reliable/practical, too :embarrassed:
 
It sure looks nice, and has some insane specs, but that market segment is pretty scary with competition. M3, C63 AMG, Audi S4, and so on are going to prove stiff competition for the new Alfa.

Looking at the specs, the thing they seemed to have managed best is keeping the weight down. 3,330 pounds is pretty light for a modern rocket sedan, which puts it 250 under the M3 and 500 under the AMG. Weight really matters.
 
Yeah, even the Cadillac ATS-V weighs in at 3,700 curb weight.

I'd like to see real world performance numbers when it comes out in early 2016. Alfa's web site states a 0-60 in 3.8 seconds. But how are the brakes, handling, etc.?
 
Yeah, even the Cadillac ATS-V weighs in at 3,700 blah blah blah....


DAMMIT JAY!!!!!


If you keep bringing up gawddamned GM shit in the middle of a discussion of proper sports cars, I'm going to ask for a temp ban until you get your mind right!!! :mad:
 
DAMMIT JAY!!!!!


If you keep bringing up gawddamned GM shit in the middle of a discussion of proper sports cars, I'm going to ask for a temp ban until you get your mind right!!! :mad:
Yeah, but right now that GM shit is blowing the doors off of your BMW's comparable cars, at a cheaper price :wink:
 
It sure looks nice, and has some insane specs, but that market segment is pretty scary with competition. M3, C63 AMG, Audi S4, and so on are going to prove stiff competition for the new Alfa.

Looking at the specs, the thing they seemed to have managed best is keeping the weight down. 3,330 pounds is pretty light for a modern rocket sedan, which puts it 250 under the M3 and 500 under the AMG. Weight really matters.
Everything you wrote is true. It is also not likely to be a key consideration from the FIAT group when it comes to offering the car in the US. Alfas have always been a niche, enthusiasts brand here. That will never change. I'm sure the US version production numbers will be ultimately below the demand for the car. It's really no different than the other Alfa models currently available here. Their supply is very limited and there is no issue of there being unsold bunches of them waiting around for a buyer collecting cobwebs.

By using the pre-existing FIAT dealership network, there is virtually no added overhead beyond adding the proper signage and other point of sale minutia at the few FIAT dealers that will carry them.

Guys like Sun Valley who are lifelong enthusiasts in their middle years with a good career aren't likely to give a shit about any of the competition or their superiority in performance, build quality... whatever. None of that crap matters to an enthusiast.

This car is the Italian made, 4 wheel equivalent of the Field of Dreams. If you build it, they will come.
 
Neat...but, I really wonder how Alfa is going to fare in the states until they can up their presence beyond the hardcore faithful. I'm not entirely convinced they are going to pull in cross-shoppers from Merc & BMW until they have a legit dealer network in place.


It's a sports car America...it's supposed to have a Manual

Uptake on manuals, even in sports cars, is abysmal....in this sport/neo-muscle car sedan class, it would knock out a majority of the prospective customer base.

I drive a manual and have spent the majority of my driving on manual trans cars but when you're banging out sub 4 second 0-60, I'm not really all that convinced that a manual is the best choice over today's lightning fast double clutch manual-matics.

DAMMIT JAY!!!!!If you keep bringing up gawddamned GM shit in the middle of a discussion of proper sports cars, I'm going to ask for a temp ban until you get your mind right!!! :mad:

I vote a permanent name change from jaybird to onetrack
 
Neat...but, I really wonder how Alfa is going to fare in the states until they can up their presence beyond the hardcore faithful. I'm not entirely convinced they are going to pull in cross-shoppers from Merc & BMW until they have a legit dealer network in place.




Uptake on manuals, even in sports cars, is abysmal....in this sport/neo-muscle car sedan class, it would knock out a majority of the prospective customer base.

I drive a manual and have spent the majority of my driving on manual trans cars but when you're banging out sub 4 second 0-60, I'm not really all that convinced that a manual is the best choice over today's lightning fast double clutch manual-matics.



I vote a permanent name change from jaybird to onetrack


All this, +1.
 
Neat...but, I really wonder how Alfa is going to fare in the states until they can up their presence beyond the hardcore faithful. I'm not entirely convinced they are going to pull in cross-shoppers from Merc & BMW until they have a legit dealer network in place.




Uptake on manuals, even in sports cars, is abysmal....in this sport/neo-muscle car sedan class, it would knock out a majority of the prospective customer base.

I drive a manual and have spent the majority of my driving on manual trans cars but when you're banging out sub 4 second 0-60, I'm not really all that convinced that a manual is the best choice over today's lightning fast double clutch manual-matics.



I vote a permanent name change from jaybird to onetrack

I too have always had a manual transmission, and currently drive one now. I think the manual already exists as an enthusiast's choice in the US, as most cars come with an automatic as a default, and one must select a manual as an option. A very few performance oriented vehicles come with a manual as standard, and almost none come as ONLY a manual. Truth of the matter is that modern automatics are now faster than a stick in most aspects of performance, and things like semi-automatic paddle shift/dual clutch technology is absolutely better in just about every way. There is a reason the current round of track oriented super cars are all paddle shifters.
 
In the US manual trannies are a dying breed...which means soon no one will be able to steal my car :thu:. This is not the case in Europe though I think. If your goal is go to fast in a straight line a manual will likely slow you down. For race cars it's different. And super cars are kind of race cars. When I bought my Acura it only came in a manual but few cars are like that these days (BRZ is one I think). And most cars here don't seem to even offer a manual without a special build if at all. For me I find a manual gives you more connection to the road. And it is also a lot harder to text while driving a manual which explains why they are predicting them to be completely gone in a few years here....IMO
 
My mazda was ONLY available as a manual. No automatic gearbox option existed. I think that is a pretty rare thing.
 
Everything you wrote is true. It is also not likely to be a key consideration from the FIAT group when it comes to offering the car in the US. Alfas have always been a niche, enthusiasts brand here. That will never change. I'm sure the US version production numbers will be ultimately below the demand for the car. It's really no different than the other Alfa models currently available here. Their supply is very limited and there is no issue of there being unsold bunches of them waiting around for a buyer collecting cobwebs.

By using the pre-existing FIAT dealership network, there is virtually no added overhead beyond adding the proper signage and other point of sale minutia at the few FIAT dealers that will carry them.

Guys like Sun Valley who are lifelong enthusiasts in their middle years with a good career aren't likely to give a shit about any of the competition or their superiority in performance, build quality... whatever. None of that crap matters to an enthusiast.

This car is the Italian made, 4 wheel equivalent of the Field of Dreams. If you build it, they will come.
Plus, this time they will have a better dealer and service network. I think that hurt them in the past.
 
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Posted this in another thread, but here it is again. Enjoy.



WRT dealer network, I think how FIAT is now placed will result in a vastly superior dealer/service network for Alfa as compared with the past when they were sold with the Maseratis and Ferraris.

In any case, not in my budget in the very near future, but I WILL own one at one point. And BTW, automatic and Alfa, . . . uh uh.
 
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