RE: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde: Driven
Discussion
Esseesse said:
chris harris said:
Use all the track. All of it.
http://www.topgear.com/videos/chris-harris-drives/...
I got out in one of these last week and I am thoroughly glad I did so too. It has been some time since I got behind the wheel of anything truly exceptional, and this car really does tick the right boxes so my persistance with Alfa was well worth it.
They do however seem cagey about letting people drive this car, I had a cringeworthy sales rep who seemed to have little exposure to the Quadrifoglio drive me to a nearby layby, he floored it the second we left the forecourt in Race mode in an effort to show me how the rear wheels lose grip with the road, then told me all about how the Alfa head honcho had to be cut out of the Quadrifoglio he drove when it was released. There was an underlying intrepidation to let me drive which need not have been there, had he asked me about my driving history and qualifications, it may have put him more at ease. I resisted the temptation of telling him this would by no means be the most powerful or expensive car I had taken by the scruff of the neck.
The car launches itself to any given speed with ease, with full power punching you forward around 4k revs onwards. It performs as expected in a straight line, savage acceleration which sends the world backwards very swiftly. I had to come off the pedal early before the end of the slip road just to be able to merge in a respectful manner and not be into 3 figures. It sounds like it has more cylinders than it does, phenomenal notes coming from the rear end with accompanying cracks and bangs from the turbos.
After I realised that this test drive was just going to be 5 miles up and 5 miles back down a straight dual carriageway, disappointment sunk in and I had no quarms in asking to drive on some actual complete with physical features and alternative cambers, so as to be able to feel the car's character properly. There is no way that the drive planned would have satisfied any driver worth their salt and genuineley interested in the car. Luckily this was obliged, and I managed to experience putting the power down through some country lanes, taking it into and through the corners with the throttle and seeing how it handles the road. It is one of the quickest car's I have driven, and it's performance far exceeds the family saloon appearance of the exterior. It feels, goes and sounds every bit as "Ferrari derived" as the engine is claimed to be. I found it in no way unpredictable, in fact it was very communicative through the front end. A fabulous car in every way with the only downside being no manuals will ever reach the UK.
If you get a chance to drive one, do, you won't forget it, but be bold with Alfa as to what you want out of a test drive, as my experience with their staff's competence did not tally with that of the vehicle.
They do however seem cagey about letting people drive this car, I had a cringeworthy sales rep who seemed to have little exposure to the Quadrifoglio drive me to a nearby layby, he floored it the second we left the forecourt in Race mode in an effort to show me how the rear wheels lose grip with the road, then told me all about how the Alfa head honcho had to be cut out of the Quadrifoglio he drove when it was released. There was an underlying intrepidation to let me drive which need not have been there, had he asked me about my driving history and qualifications, it may have put him more at ease. I resisted the temptation of telling him this would by no means be the most powerful or expensive car I had taken by the scruff of the neck.
The car launches itself to any given speed with ease, with full power punching you forward around 4k revs onwards. It performs as expected in a straight line, savage acceleration which sends the world backwards very swiftly. I had to come off the pedal early before the end of the slip road just to be able to merge in a respectful manner and not be into 3 figures. It sounds like it has more cylinders than it does, phenomenal notes coming from the rear end with accompanying cracks and bangs from the turbos.
After I realised that this test drive was just going to be 5 miles up and 5 miles back down a straight dual carriageway, disappointment sunk in and I had no quarms in asking to drive on some actual complete with physical features and alternative cambers, so as to be able to feel the car's character properly. There is no way that the drive planned would have satisfied any driver worth their salt and genuineley interested in the car. Luckily this was obliged, and I managed to experience putting the power down through some country lanes, taking it into and through the corners with the throttle and seeing how it handles the road. It is one of the quickest car's I have driven, and it's performance far exceeds the family saloon appearance of the exterior. It feels, goes and sounds every bit as "Ferrari derived" as the engine is claimed to be. I found it in no way unpredictable, in fact it was very communicative through the front end. A fabulous car in every way with the only downside being no manuals will ever reach the UK.
If you get a chance to drive one, do, you won't forget it, but be bold with Alfa as to what you want out of a test drive, as my experience with their staff's competence did not tally with that of the vehicle.
Edited by Dizeee on Monday 9th October 08:58
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