2026 Alfa Romeo Giulia Luna Rossa | UK Review
Love the Giulia Quadrifoglio? Love the America's Cup? Does Alfa Romeo have the car for you
What’s your favourite weird, wacky or wonderful (hopefully all three) Italian special edition? It’s a nation that’s conjured up some crazy collaborations over the years: think Lamborghini Murcielago Versace to Fiat 500 by Gucci, 599 Alonso to Seicento Schumacher.
This one might be the strangest of them all, though, and that’s saying something from the country that gave us the Lancia Y10 Turbo Martini. Because this is the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Luna Rossa. ‘Luna Rossa’ means ‘Red Moon’ in Italian, which would explain the painted graphics and bizarre wheel treatment. But there’s so much more to it than that. Luna Rossa is an America’s Cup team that Alfa Romeo sponsors, and the incredible rear wing treatment here evokes a similar look on the AC75 racing yacht. Because of course it does.
The Sparco seats are upholstered like the crew flotation devices (yep) and just 10 of these Bottegafuoriserie creations - the Alfa Romeo-Maserati special divisions department - will ever exist. There might not actually ever be another one of these in the UK after this LHD development car, or even right-hand drive at all. But any chance to drive a Giulia Quadrifoglio, especially in the twilight of its extended life cycle, is to be seized upon. You might have heard over the past decade that it’s quite good.
There are more than just lifejacket-spec seats, too (which are absolutely fantastic), as this Luna Rossa boasts the most downforce of any Giulia ever. The spoiler that makes for a rear view that’s really quite distracting (in the best possible way), plus the front flics and side skirts that nobody can draw their eyes from, contribute to 140kg of downforce at the 186mph top speed. Not of huge relevance to road driving (or a huge amount in an aero-obsessed world), though perhaps useful on a circuit; you’ll remember how lairy Fabio Francia’s original Nurburgring lap was, so the potential is here for greater high-speed composure.
Not that anyone spending however much these Giulias will cost (if a 500-unit GTA is £150k, what does a one-of-10 cost?) is likely to take it on a track day. It’ll sit in a collection with a 33 Stradale and a GTAm and all of Alfa’s greatest hits, wheeled out for the occasional show and to get friends in the snazzy seats. But those who experienced the two-seat GTAm might find it a tad underwhelming inside, even with a plaque.
Whatever - those sorts of concerns aren’t really relevant to folk like us. These were all spoken for long before we found out about it at Goodwood. Instead, the Luna Rossa serves as a perfect reminder of just what a glorious super-saloon the Quadrifoglio is, and why it will remain hugely desirable for many years yet; cars that are much more accessible and affordable than this one will - spoiler alert - offer much the same joy. While the most recent facelift with the new limited-slip diff understandably remains pricey, the earliest cars are now less than £30k. 510hp Giulias from the 2020s are £40k.
For the sake of this story, let’s assume everyone needs a refresher on why you might want to take the plunge. See, despite the vibe and the ferocious performance on offer, one of the Giulia’s most endearing attributes is just how easygoing it is. This is such a delicate, deft saloon, still totally at odds with its direct rivals. It glides across the surface in its normal mode, shuffles up to a high gear effortlessly, steers precisely but lightly. It’s an expert pootler that’ll do three hundred kilometres an hour, and a welcome reprieve from anything trying too hard. On the roads near Gaydon, the Alfa does a good impression of a Jaguar with its flow and grace.
The turbocharged V6, much like the chassis, can fade into the background or play star of the show as required. It’ll trundle and cruise without fuss in Advanced efficiency, while also ripping to 7,000rpm like an engine possessed in Race. Maybe there’s some lag now compared to the latest turbocharged motors, though any hesitation is worth it for the rush. Similarly, the gravelly, rasping sound, while still not actually that musical, has become such an intrinsic part of the Giulia’s appeal that it’s hard not to like.
Even without testing that downforce claim, the V6-powered Giulia is thrilling, engaging company on a fast road. The ratios come thick and fast, never better selected than with the giant metal paddles; the energy and intensity of Race mode is like wiring an Alfa with espresso, hyper alert and edgy but so exciting with it; and steering that maybe isn’t the most feelsome becomes easy to trust. Even brake-by-wire seems better than it once did.
In truth, Race is too much for the road, but with the dampers set back to mid it’s much more accommodating. It’s properly exhilarating, too, knowing that you’re on your own with 520hp and rear-drive; if you want Race, there’s no Drift Mode or mid-way ESC setting to spare your blushes. Happily, the Giulia remains as trustworthy as ever, particularly with the latest LSD, and to concentrate fully is to better appreciate just what the car is doing underneath. For the rest of the time, Dynamic mode ensures just the right level of feel and fury.
Despite taking in nothing more rewarding than the Fosse Way, it’s hard to hand back the Luna Rossa. Not because it’s some bold new dawn for the Giulia, but exactly because it isn’t. So much of what’s so great about this car - the powertrain, the dimensions, the suspension - were there from the start, the rest improved and enhanced over time to make an unforgettable four-door. It’s easy to overlook an iffy interior when the drive is this good.
Probably none of the Luna Rossa customers will get to experience that; they’ll simply be too valuable, and there’ll be too many other cars to drive. But if they do - let’s hope for when they do - the quality of the Quadrifoglio experience will shine through. Regardless of what else is in the garage, and be that in five months or five years time. As for the rest of us, let’s hope that the same magicians who created Alfa’s first rear-drive saloon in a generation can repeat the feat with whatever comes next. It’s the very least a car and legacy this special deserves.
SPECIFICATION | 2026 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO LUNA ROSSA
Engine: 2,891cc, V6, twin-turbocharged, petrol
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 520@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 443@2,500-5,000rpm
0-62mph: 3.9sec
Top speed: 186mph
Weight: 1,660kg (DIN)
MPG: 28 (WLTP combined)
CO2: 228g/km
Price: TBC
After a couple of weeks of indecisiveness and a fantastic test drive I ended up placing an order for a Montreal Green one on Monday!
(Random stock pic)
Christmas can't come soon enough!
t.Good luck to those who buy this, but the GTA is a much more attractive option.
It's good to be informed about these things ;-)
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