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To celebrate its 110th anniversary, Italian luxury carmaker Alfa Romeo is returning to its roots, bringing back the legendary Giulia GTA for a limited-series production run, this time nearly tripling the power of the 1965 icon.
The new Giulia GTA is technically and conceptually inspired by the 1965 Giulia Gran Turismo Alleggerita (GTA) developed by Autodelta, the award-winning Giulia Sprint and the Giulia Quadrifoglio.
On June 24, Alfa Romeo will turn 110, during which its engineers and designers have relentlessly pursued innovation while remaining true to the brand’s DNA combining sportiness and elegance.
Renowned amongst gearheads, Alfa Romeo has created some of the most iconic cars ever built - vehicles right at home on the track, the road and even in beauty pageants. To mark its birthday, Alfa Romeo’s new Giulia GTA is a return to the brand’s origins, paying tribute to one of the most emblematic vehicles of automobile history while also showcasing its latest innovations.
The Gran Turismo Alleggerita (alleggerita being the Italian term for “lightened”) originated in 1965 with the Giulia Sprint GTA, a specific version derived from the Sprint GT, designed as a sports car and presented at the Amsterdam Motor Show. The body of the Sprint GT was replaced with identical aluminium, ‘lightening’ its load by nearly 200kg and with an optional 1.6 twin cam engine with dual ignition; the new beast reached a then-impressive 115hp on the road.
On the track, Autodelta, the official Alfa Romeo racing team calibrated it to hit a maximum output of 170hp and the model’s success in competitions was immediate: three consecutive European Touring Car Championships, multiple national championships and hundreds of individual races in every part of the world.
In the new Giulia GTA and its “street-legal” modified cousin the GTAm, Alfa Romeo engineers have pushed this formula even further.
The Giulia GTAm is the two-seater approved for on-road use, with front splitter and larger visible rear wing in carbon while the regular GTA is the supercar for everyday use with the same power, offering four seats and the same door panels, seats and windows as the Quadrifoglio.
With superb handling, an unmistakeable sound and an iconic look, this beast is a beauty to every sense.
Utilising its synergy with Sauber Engineering and know-how from Formula 1 races, the new GTA’s active aerodynamics have been redeveloped to increase down-force, using the Sauber Aerokit.
Handling at high speeds has been improved with 20-inch centre lock wheels, appearing for the first time on a sedan, as well as wider wheel tracks and a new set of springs, shock absorbers and bushings for the suspension systems.
On the GTAm, the aerodynamic front piece has been optimised by adding a larger front splitter and a carbon rear wing, ensuring perfect balance at high speeds.
The 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo, made entirely of aluminium, reaches a power output of 540hp on Giulia GTA, thanks to meticulous calibrations and optimisations, including the implementation of the new Akrapovic specific exhaust system, with its distinctive sound.
Power alone is not enough to ensure extraordinary performance. With a weight reduction of 220lb, thanks to lightweight materials such as carbon fibre in the drive shaft, hood, roof, front bumper, front wheel arches and rear wheel arch inserts, and aluminium in the engine, doors and suspension systems, the result is a 3,350lb (1520kg) powerhouse with a weight to power ratio of 6.2 lb/hp that shoots to 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds.
Inside the car, the dashboard, door panels, glove compartment, side pillars and the central trim on the seats are all designed with Alcantara trim, with matte carbon inserts, symbolic of the marquee’s technical and aesthetic elegance. In the GTAm version, rear seats have been removed and a rear roll bar, door belts instead of handles and fully upholstered area with mouldings for helmets and fire extinguisher have been introduced.
The two magnificent mares will be built in a limited edition of 500 units in total, each numbered and certified and supported by a particularly exclusive dedicated customer experience, treating the lucky owners to a unique one-on-one design and delivery experience. Each owner will also receive a personalised experience package kit and a race-driving course devised by the Alfa Romeo Driving Academy.
