600hp Alfa Romeo GTV image leaks online

It isn't due till 2021 - but the hybrid M4 rival already has the internet flapping. And with good reason

A new image of the hotly anticipated Alfa Romeo GTV super coupe has leaked a full two years before the 600hp M4 rival is due for reveal. A photo of what appears to be an internal company presentation suggests the Giulia-related two-door - which is due to receive a hybrid turbo V6 powerplant - will be even more aggressive in form than the Alfa's Quadrifoglio saloon thanks to some fairly muscular new lines.

The leaked image (showing the middle and rear sections of the GTV) show a slow-raking tailgate, which, added to the front teaser produced by Alfa last year, hints at a broader, curvier silhouette than the class's current norm. No further information has arrived with the leak, but the GTV is still predicted to arrive with a combination of 2.9-litre six petrol engine and electric motor, giving it a peak output to beat even the next BMW M4 - which will use a pure combustion inline six shared with the M3.

It's not yet known whether Alfa will provide its two-door with an electric motor that drives the front axle to leave the combustion engine driving the rears exclusively, or whether a more closely combined setup - where the hybrid system is upstream of the gearbox - will be used. The former is the preferred choice of the 2022 Alfa 8C supercar, but that car will be mid-engined so the GTV could very well be more conventional in its hybrid layout. However, the smart money is on all-wheel drive power.

Much of the Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio's success has been attributed to its sweet handling balance, enabled by a near perfect 50:50 weight distribution; no surprise, then, that engineers are working to achieve the same with the coupe - which is impressive, given the fewer doors and potentially much weightier hybrid powertrain that'll live up front. The Italian car maker has found a rich vein of form with its new Quadrifolgio models - including the Stelvio SUV - so we're expecting big things from a future GTV.

Lawd knows we all want the brand to succeed. If it does the GTV justice and nails the 8C halo car after that, Alfa will be well on its way to repairing some of the damage done to it during its 'rebadged Fiat stage'. Beat out the M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63 in the process and we might be looking at another golden era for Italy's most evocative volume manufacturer...