Some of the most inspired cars appeal to a tiny number of people who really know their stuff.
There’s no better example than Alfa Romeo’s Quadrifoglio editions. You have to know what to look for to spot them. In some parts of the country, they’re as rare a sight as exotic supercars. But they always mark a passionate driver.
A Ferrari Engine in a Family Car
Alfa builds high-performance special editions under the Quadrifoglio (four-leaf clover) banner for its compact Giulia luxury sedan and Stelvio luxury SUV. Both cars, even in base trim, are lovely and unusual. They stand out in a lot full of BMW and Mercedes products. Both are known for their crisp handling and visual panache.
But their Quadrifoglio editions add something extraordinary — a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 engine developed by Ferrari. It makes 505 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, sending all of it to the rear wheels. That’s where enthusiasts insist it should go. A standard active suspension and upgraded Brembo brakes make them track-day-worthy despite their family seating.
Only a rare sort of driver wants a 4-door family car with a secret Ferrari mill under the hood — the ability to cruise serenely in traffic or put the right foot down and disappear in a roar.
If you want to be that driver, though, you’d better act fast. They’ll be gone forever this summer.
But Only for a Few More Months
The news, oddly, comes from LinkedIn. Larry Dominique, senior vice president of Alfa Romeo and Fiat, used the business social media site to announce that ” The last internal only combustion powered Quadrifoglio models for U.S. and Canada will exit the Cassino plant in June 2024.”
The four-leaf-clover badge may not be gone forever. Notably, Dominique wrote, ” This is the final chance to own a Quadrifoglio with only combustion engine technology as we continue our metamorphosis to an electrified future, but this is not the end of the story.”
But there’s a romance to the phrase “Ferrari engine” that you won’t find in an electric Quadrifoglio, no matter how extraordinary such a car might be. The current Quads are among the best driver’s cars on the road, and their rarity means you can slip through traffic in one, knowing few of your fellow drivers have any idea.
