Alfa Romeo isn’t messing around. The Italian automaker is reportedly in the early stages of developing a coupé version of the Giulia, one that will feature as much as 641 horsepower to go along with a Formula One-derived energy recovery system. There’s no confirmation on the model yet, but if it happens, it could be badged as either the Giulia Sprint or the Giulia GTV. It would also become the most powerful Alfa Romeo model in history.
Well, this came completely out from left field. We didn’t expect Alfa Romeo to have another performance-oriented version of the Giulia because it already has the Giulia Quadrifoglio. Sure, the Giulia QV already has 510 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque at its disposal, but anytime you can fit an Alfa Romeo with a combined 641 horsepower of its own, you do it because it’s going to be awesome. According to Autocar, another powertrain - a 2.0-liter turbo engine — is also in the mix, though this one is estimated to carry “only” 345 horsepower.
On the tech front, the Autocar report suggests that Alfa could also use a Ferrari LaFerrari-derived ERS unit, which prioritizes outright performance over emissions and fuel economy. The ERS system is said to be capable of charging the battery when the coupé is coasting or braking and then deploying that harvested power when the car needs an electrically assisted boost.
If the Giulia Sprint — let’s assume that’s what it’s going to be called — is going to come to fruition, don’t expect it to look too different from the Giulia. It’s going to be a coupé, so it’s going to have a different profile, maybe even longer doors and a new rear roofline. A new nose design could also be thrown in to create some differentiation from the sedan. But other than that, the rest of its looks should still be consistent with that of the four-door saloon. After all, it’s still going to be called a Giulia.
As exciting as the possibility is of seeing a coupé version of the Giulia, don’t count those chickens before they hatch. The Autocar report hinted without any confirmation that the coupé could arrive by the end of the year and go on sale sometime in 2019. Now if only Alfa Romeo comes out and says it already. We’d be more excited about what a 641-horsepower Alfa Romeo can do.
At the very least, it would be a nice addition to a nameplate that’s slowly coming around in the U.S. Sales of the Giulia in the U.S. exploded in 2017 as the Italian automaker sold 8,904 units. Even more impressive, the company has already sold 3,085 units in the first three months of 2018. If Alfa can sell at this rate for the remainder of the year, it would be on pace to sell 12,340 units this year. Now imagine if the automaker added a 641-horsepower Giulia Sprint into the mix.
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Read our full speculative review on the 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Coupe.
Read our full review on the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia.
Read our full review on 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.
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