Some 110 years after its establishment, Alfa Romeo brings back a legend from its history and of motoring world, the Giulia GTA.
On June 24th, Alfa Romeo will reach an important milestone in its remarkable legacy: 110 years in business. During that century-plus span, Alfa Romeo engineers and designers have relentlessly pursued innovation, while always remaining true to the Brand’s DNA.
To mark its 110th birthday, Alfa Romeo will amase its fans and every motorist with a vehicle that fully represents a return to the brand’s origins, while paying tribute to one of the most emblematic vehicles of Alfa Romeo: Giulia GTA.
The acronym GTA stands for Gran Turismo Alleggerita (alleggerita being the Italian term for “lightened”), and it originated in 1965 with the Giulia Sprint GTA, a specific version derived from the original Sprint GT, designed as a sports car and presented at the Amsterdam Motor Show that same year.
The model’s success in competitions was then immediate: three consecutive “Challenge Europeo Marche,” tens of national championships and hundreds of individual races in every part of the world.
Legend renewed
For the launch of the exceptional Giulia GTA, Alfa Romeo intends to break a few rules: it doesn’t intend to talk about history, especially not its own, nor does it want any gifts for its birthday. Instead, it prefers to give a gift to Alfa enthusiasts by presenting a car that now represents a real return to the roots of Alfa Romeo, planted deep in the world of performance and grand touring.
Specific features, functional style
For the new Giulia GTA, Alfa Romeo engineers have strived to improve the car’s aerodynamics and handling, but above all reducing weight: the same guidelines followed for the 1965 Giulia GTA. The active aerodynamics were specifically studied to increase the downforce.
These solutions contain technical know-how that comes directly from Formula 1, thanks to the synergy with Sauber Engineering and the use of the Sauber Aerokit.
The same task is assigned to the side skirts, the specific rear spoiler, and the active front splitter. The titanium Akrapovič central exhaust system integrated in the carbon fibre rear diffuser is also new, as are the 20-inch centre lock wheels, appearing for the first time on a sedan.
The handling at high speeds has been improved 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.
On GTA, the aerodynamic front piece 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.
In terms of performance, the powerful 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo is made entirely of aluminum and capable of unleashing no less than 510 hp in the standard configuration, and reaches a power output of 540 hp on Giulia GTAm, thanks to meticulous calibration work performed by Alfa Romeo engineers.
The same team has also succeeded in optimising the implementation of the new Akrapovič specific exhaust system, with its unmistakable sound.
Moving inside the car, several new details stand out: 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 moldings deigned to hold helmets and a fire extinguisher.
The new matte carbon inserts endow the interior with a distinctive technical and aesthetic elegance.
In the new GTAm, the interior is unique in that it features a roll bar, no door panels, or rear seats, and the door opens with a belt in place of the handle, another touch that comes from the racing world.
A privilege for 500 lucky customers…
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and its extreme version, Giulia GTAm, will be a limited edition, with only 500 units in total.
The sales process will be one-to-one, with a Brand ambassador product specialist following each customer from order to delivery. But the buying experience doesn’t stop at the dedicated sales process. Indeed, the new owners will also receive a personalised experience package kit, which includes a Bell helmet in special GTA livery, a full racing set by Alpinestars (race suit, gloves, and shoes) and a personalised Goodwool car cover for protecting their GTA or GTAm. In addition to other equipment for true enthusiasts, the Alfa Romeo customer experience also includes a specific driving course devised by the Alfa Romeo Driving Academy.
