Alfa Giulia QV 'ring chase vid special!

Leave the drive-by vids - here's the Giulia on a proper hot lap of the Nordschleife

Excitement and anticipation is still running very high for the Alfa Giulia QV; the looks and the mechanicals promise so much but the competition is tough and the track record hardly glowing. As the launch grows ever closer so we will see more of the car but here's our best look yet.

What do we have here then?

No longer do we have to make do with furtive industry pool test videos either, for now there's a whole lap filmed from a following car. And if the car looks familiar, that's because it's the SEAT Leon Cupra ST of PH contributor Dale Lomas, filming a video for his BridgeToGantry site. Well if there's one car and driver combo to keep up with a 500hp sports saloon...

It's unusual to see such an important prototype in a public session, but mixed weather during the day this video was taken forced many into taking later laps.

So what can we learn from this video? The speed is in no doubt, the Giulia pulling really hard up the significant climbs of the Nordschleife. It looks very controlled at the big Pflanzgarten compression but sadly we don't get to see it at Flugplatz. A few missed apices reveal some understeer at the limit (Brunnchen, for example) but it seems very neutral for the most part. Look elsewhere for a wildly oversteering lap!

Don't turn in too early at Brunnchen!

Talk of handling inevitably leads us to tyres and what the Giulia could be using. Dale's car is now fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s - more on that shortly - and comparable mid-corner speeds would suggest tyres similarly trick for the Alfa. Pirelli Trofeos perhaps, to represent the home team? You'll notice Dale mention in the video the car leaving chunks of rubber behind it. Intriguing...

Despite having to guess many of the details still, to have such prolonged exposure to the new Alfa is a real treat. It also looks jolly good fun, as you'll probably get from the clip. More details - or possibly another chase vid - as soon as we get them!

Watch the video here.