ALFA ROMEO: 533hp Giulia GTA and GTAm announced

In celebration of Alfa Romeo’s 110th anniversary, the Italian automaker has revealed two 533hp track-focused models of the four-door Giulia saloon – badged GTA and GTAm.

These new cars reintroduce the famous GTA badge first seen on an Alfa Romeo in the 1960s, and are based on the existing high-performance Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde (QV), road-tested two years ago.

It will come as little surprise to learn that both the Giulia GTA twins use the same fantastic 2.9-litre Ferrari-derived V6 engine as the QV, but power has been upped from 503hp to 533hp for a 0-62mph-time of just 3.6 seconds. Both models come with an Akrapovič titanium exhaust fitted, which is said to be much noisier than the QV. Along with the extra power, the five-seat GTA weighs less and features aerodynamic additions to further improve performance and agility.

Generous use of carbon fibre features throughout both of the new Giulia’s over the standard QV; the GTA gets drive shafts, front wheel arches, a bonnet, front bumper and roof made out of the super-strong, lightweight material.

The GTAm has just two carbon-fibre seats, a pair of six-point racing harnesses and a roll cage. It also gets a stripped-out interior, with no door panels, rear seats or proper door handles. Both get carbon-fibre inserts and lots of Alcantara suede-like fabric. As a result of this ‘stripping-out’, the GTAm weighs over 100kg less than the ‘regular’ QV.

Both cars get a restyled but sharper front bumper with a chin spoiler and naked carbon-fibre inserts, plus black centre-locking alloy wheels and black rear wheel arch extensions. The rear bumper is all-new, with the twin Akrapovič exhausts mounted in the centre, each side of a huge functional diffuser.

In addition, the GTAm gets a gargantuan carbon-fibre boot lid spoiler. The cars have a 50mm wider track and thorough suspension changes.

Production will be limited to just 500 cars, with the allocation split between the GTA and GTAm. Buyers will get a tailored race suit, shoes and gloves from AlpineStars and a Bell race helmet, plus a car cover, all included in the cost of the car. The lucky 500 customers also get to attend a driving course with the Alfa Romeo Driving Academy at the FCA Group’s Balocco test track outside Milan