Alfa Romeo Reveals All-New 540-HP Giulia GTA And Track-Focused GTAm

This year marks the 110th anniversary of Alfa Romeo. To celebrate, the legendary Italian automaker is bringing back a legendary nameplate. While we were hoping Alfa Romeo wouldrevive the GTV coupe and 8C supercar, Alfa Romeo is instead returning to its roots: say hello to the newAlfa Romeo GiuliaGTA.

The GTA acronym stands for "Gran Turismo Alleggerita" (alleggerita is Itailan for "lightened"). The first model to get the GTA treatment was a racing version of the Giulia Sprint GTA back in 1965, which had an aluminium body bringing the weight down from 2,094 pounds to 1,642 pounds. With the new Giulia GTA, Alfa Romeo has applied a similar philosophy to improve the aerodynamics and reduce weight.

To improve the Giulia's aerodynamics, Alfa Romeo has partnered with Sauber Engineering and fitted the sports sedan with new side skirts, a GTA-specific rear spoiler, and an active front splitter. A carbon fiber rear diffuser houses a titanium Akrapovi exhaust system and the car rides on 20-inch center lock wheels. Elsewhere, the front and rear wheel tracks are 50 mm wider than the standard Giulia, giving the GTA version a more aggressive appearance while improving the handling at high speed. The suspension system also features new springs, shock absorbers and bushings.

Under the hood is the same 2.9 twin-turbo V6 that powers the regular Giulia. In the standard car, this unit produces 510, but Alfa Romeo has increased the power to 540 hp in the Giulia GTA thanks to "meticulous calibration work" by Alfa Romeo engineers. Inside, Alcantara is applied to the dashboard, door panels, glove compartment, side pillars and the central trim on the seats.