Alfa gives the Giulia powerful new range-topper

MILAN -- Alfa Romeo is giving its Giulia sedan, a new flagship variant, the 533-hp Giulia GTA.

Alfa will build just 500 units of the Giulia GTA, which is the most powerful road car the automaker has built to date. It's based on the current top-performance version of the sedan, the Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Alfa's engineers increased the performance of the Quadrifoglio's 2.9-liter, V-6 engine by 29 hp by meticulous calibration work, the automaker said in a news release on Monday.

The Giulia GTA accelerates from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in 3.6 seconds, compared with 3.9 seconds for the Quadrifoglio version.

Handling at high speeds has been improved by widening the front and rear wheel tracks by 50mm (2 inches) and developing new springs, shock absorbers and bushings for the suspension systems.

At 1,520 kg (3,351 pounds) the car is 100 kg lighter than the Quadrifoglio. It has a 2.82 kg/hp weight-to-power ratio.

The weight reduction was achieved through the use of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber for the driveshaft, hood, roof, front bumper, front wheel arches, rear wheel arch inserts and the seat frames.

Lightweight aluminum was used in the engine, doors and suspension systems. Lexan, a polycarbonate resin, was used in the side and rear window frames.

Alfa is taking orders for the Giulia GTA but it has not revealed its price.

The car will be available in two versions, the Giulia GTA with four seats and the Giulia GTAm with two race seats, a roll-bar and six-point harness.

GTA stands for Gran Turismo alleggerita, Italian for lightweight Gran Turismo.

The GTA name harks back to the original Giulia GTA, the Giulia Sprint GTA coupe unveiled in 1965. The GTA acronym was then used for a 156 GTA compact sedan from 2001 and a 147 GTA compact hatchback from 2002.

The Giulia GTA may help to revive interest in the sedan, which was launched in 2016, and is selling slowly.

European sales of the Giulia in Europe fell 36 percent to 10,811 last year, according to JATO Dynamics market researchers. The Giulia's European sales reached a peak of 23,916 in 2017.

Alfa's next new model, the Tonale compact SUV, will not reach the market before the end of 2021. A concept of the Tonale was shown at the Geneva auto show last year.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Europe chief, Pietro Gorlier, said last month that Tonale production will start at the automaker's Pomigliano plant in Italy in the second half of next year.

Alfa's Stelvio midsize SUV is due to get a mid-cycle refresh next year and a new small SUV is planned to launch in 2022, with a battery-electric version.