giulia-gta-the-return-of-an-alfa-romeo-legend

March 2, 2020, Auburn Hills, Mich. - On June 24, Alfa Romeo will reach an important milestone in its remarkable history: 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. Over the years, this DNA–the perfect combination of sportiness and elegance–has created not only some of the most iconic vehicles ever built, but also vehicles that are right at home both on the racetrack and in any beauty contest. To mark its 110th birthday, Alfa Romeo presents a vehicle that fully signifies a return to the brand’s origins, while paying tribute to one of the most emblematic vehicles of Alfa Romeo: the Giulia GTA.

A set of initials with a legendary feel: 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 Sprint GT, designed as a sports car and presented at the Amsterdam Motor Show staged that same year. The body of the Giulia Sprint GT was replaced with an identical version in aluminum, for a total weight of 1,642 pounds compared to the 2,094 pounds of the road version. A second variation concerned the 1.6 twin cam engine which, in the road configuration, with dual ignition, reached an impressive output of 115 horsepower. The technicians of Autodelta, the official Alfa Romeo racing team, chose it as the reference vehicle for the Touring category, and developed it to achieve a maximum output of 170 horsepower. 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. And the way it ramped up the image of the entire range was also impressive: the Giulia Sprint GTA expressed the claim, “A victory a day in your everyday car” to perfection. From then on, the GTA made a name for itself as the undisputed icon of Alfa Romeo sportiness and the acronym GTA became so successful that the public soon associated it with all the sporty Alfa Romeo vehicles in general.

The legend is renewed with excellent technical solutions
On the year of its 110th anniversary, Alfa Romeo intends to break a few rules: it doesn’t intend to talk about history, especially its own, nor does it want any gifts for its birthday. Instead, it prefers to give a gift to Alfa Romeo enthusiasts by presenting the Giulia GTA. Today, this is a real return to the roots of Alfa Romeo, planted deep in the world of performance and grand touring.

Specific technical features and functional style
For the new Giulia GTA, Alfa Romeo engineers have striven to improve aerodynamics and handling, but above all to reduce 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 aero front splitter. The titanium Akrapovič central exhaust system integrated in the carbon fiber rear diffuser is also new, as are the 20-inch center lock wheels. 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 the GTAm, the aerodynamic front piece has been optimized to an extreme level, by adding a larger front splitter and a real carbon rear wing.

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 designed 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 is opened with a belt in place of the handle, another touch that comes from the racing world.

An excellent power-to-weight ratio
But power on its own is not enough to ensure extraordinary performance. The work done to reduce vehicle weight has been meticulous and it has reaped particularly impressive results, with a total weight reduction of 220 pounds, thanks to the adoption of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber for the driveshaft, hood, roof, front bumper, front wheel arches, rear wheel arch inserts and, on the GTAm, the shell of the specific sporting seats with 6-point Sabelt safety belts. Further, lightweight aluminum is used in the engine, doors and suspension systems, and various other composite materials are used throughout. For instance, Lexan–a unique polycarbonate resin that comes straight from the world of motorsports–has been used in the side and rear window frames, further contributing to the weight reduction. The result is a weight set around 3,350 pounds which, combined with the increase in power to 540 horsepower, brings the weight/power ratio to an excellent level, 6.2 lb/hp, making the Giulia GTA and GTAm capable of delivering extraordinary performance. Its acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is lightning fast–thanks to the Launch Control system, the chronometer stops at just 3.6 seconds. The Giulia GTAm is the two-seat configuration approved for on-road use, with a front splitter and larger visible rear wing in carbon, it is the ultimate expression of sportiness. In the GTA version, with the same power, the Giulia offers four seats, no rear roll bar; spoiler and splitter optimized for daily use on the road; the same door panels, seats and windows as those of the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The result is a veritable supercar for everyday use.

A privilege for 500 lucky customers
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and its extreme version, the Giulia GTAm, will only be sold in Europe and will be built in a limited edition run of only 500 units in total–sold on a first come, first served basis–all numbered and certified and ready to take up their place alongside their 1965 forerunner as one of the most sought-after collector’s items. They are not only magnificent to look at, but they are also ready to unleash impressive power on the road, usable thanks to a series of sophisticated technical solutions. The same exclusivity found in the Giulia GTA and Giulia GTAm will also characterize a particularly exclusive dedicated customer experience, designed to treat the 500 lucky owners to a unique interaction that is 100% Alfa Romeo. After the advance bookings, which are now officially open and will close as soon as the 500th unit has been reserved, 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 personalized 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 personalized Goodwool car cover for protecting his or her 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.

Alfa Romeo
Since its foundation in Milan, Italy, in 1910, Alfa Romeo has designed and crafted some of the most stylish and exclusive cars in automotive history. That tradition lives on today as Alfa Romeo continues to take a unique and innovative approach to designing automobiles. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio sets a new benchmark in performance, style and technology in an SUV. The award-winning Alfa Romeo Giulia delivers race-inspired performance, advanced technologies and an exhilarating driving experience to the premium midsize sedan segment. The Giulia Quadrifoglio and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio feature Alfa Romeo Brand’s most powerful production engine ever with Best-in-Class 0-60 mph times of 3.8 and 3.6 seconds, respectively. Rounding out Alfa Romeo Brand’s world-class lineup is the handcrafted Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. Alfa Romeo is part of the portfolio of brands offered by global automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. For more information regarding FCA US LLC (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA), please visit www.fcagroup.com.

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