Monday 18th June 2018

Alfa 'Nurburgring' special editions - new pics

Nurburgring cars shot on the actual Nurburgring - can we see them in the UK soon?

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UPDATE, 18/06/2018, 0930h:
We use 'update' here in the loosest sense of the term, because really Alfa Romeo has only released new images of its Nurburgring special editions of the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Actually, that's a bit of a fib, because Alfa has confirmed that each buyer will receive a scale moel of their car, a Welcome Kit (comprised of Sparco racing gloves and customised soft shell jacket, sports bag, 'Quadrifoglio' cuff links and Car Shoe racing slippers) and a driving course on the Nordschleife itself. Plus an authenticity certificate.

Full UK details of the car are due to follow on July 4th, so there definitely will be a few over here. More news next month!

 

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ORIGINAL STORY, AS REPORTED 06/03/2018:
Should your working day ever require an injection of excitement, the video of Fabio Francia lapping the Nordschleife in a Giulia Quadrifoglio should do the trick. It's seven and a half minutes of terrifying, unwavering commitment, the t-shirted test driver hurling the Alfa around with frightful disdain. It's one heck of a way to set a four-door saloon record at the 'ring (that being for production cars, the Jag Project 8 of course being limited).

To mark the car's record breaking success, and the similar feat achieved by the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, Alfa has taken it upon itself to create two 'NRING' limited editions for the Geneva show. Limited to just 108 cars each (because Alfa is 108 years old), the Stelvio and Giulia are described by Alfa as made for "the most loyal Alfa Romeo customers." Marking them out cosmetically are Circuito Grey paint (unique to these cars) and a numbered plaque on the carbon dash inlay.

Despite a few nice extras though, these 'NRING' cars are not the dedicated circuit specials you might have been hoping for. Over the standard Quadrifoglios, both versions come with the optional ceramic brakes, the upgraded Sparco seats and a few carbon trinkets outside. And that's sort of it.

With no word yet on UK pricing or availability, we would have to assume that further 'NRING' information will follow at Geneva, where Alfa will also show a Giulia Veloce Ti and a Giulia Super Luxury Pack, plus two additional 4Cs: a Competizione, and an Italia. But those cars have fewer changes than the lap record specials, so are even less newsworthy. Should you miss out on a NRING, or fancy one of the Quadrifoglios in a colour other than grey, the cheapest V6 Giulias are now approaching £50k; the Stelvio Quadrifoglio of course not yet in the UK. More news as it's available...

[Iceicebsby1980]

So basically for extra £ you get a limited edition coulour and a plaque wow . Why not do a light weight limited edition . Similar to the e46 m3 csl .

[Gecko1978]

Why you say? because in 12 months they csn then sell a lighter version rhr NRing GT3 then later an NRing GT3RS an finallly NRing RSR and really finally this time an NRing R like the NRing but with the RS engine....oh an wait really really finally NRing R touring.

[treeroy]

probably would be cheaper to just get your car resprayed

[Yipper]

Alfa definitely on a roll and starting to compete better with the near-premium Germans. A long way to go, of course, but they're getting closer.

[Ares]

Iceicebsby1980 said:

So basically for extra £ you get a limited edition coulour and a plaque wow .

Just like their competitors do then?

Except they would have to charge a £20,000 premium on top of the cost of the extras.

Interesting to see what price premium this attracts above a normal QV with the same options. Love the colour....but then I am biased

[sandys]

Lets hope the Ti allows TC to be disabled, the Guilia 280 can't at the moment which is a waste of a good rwd platform.

[Gameface]

Iceicebsby1980 said:

So basically for extra £ you get a limited edition colour and a plaque.

You didn't see the bit about the expensive carbon ceramic brakes? Or the expensive carbon shell sparco race seats? Or the carbon trim?

[Ares]

Gameface said:

Iceicebsby1980 said:

So basically for extra £ you get a limited edition colour and a plaque.

You didn't see the bit about the expensive carbon ceramic brakes? Or the expensive carbon shell sparco race seats? Or the carbon trim?

Shhh.... Don't let facts get in the way of a good bh

[VR6 Eug]

Looks nice but I couldn't do with it conking out all the bloody time...so just buy something else

[kambites]

Gameface said:

You didn't see the bit about the expensive carbon ceramic brakes? Or the expensive carbon shell sparco race seats? Or the carbon trim?

Aren't those all options on the standard car?

They do seem very much special editions in the Lotus mould - not necessarily a bad thing as long as it's cheaper than speccing the same options on a normal car, but not particuarly "special".

[jjr1]

VR6 Eug said:

Looks nice but I couldn't do with it conking out all the bloody time...so just buy something else

It was for this reason I bought an M4 Competition pack. I prefer the Alfa to drive and its looks but just couldn't throw the die and take the risk.

[kambites]

Are htey proving unreliable then? I haven't read about any seemingly endemic problems.

[MissChief]

jjr1 said:

VR6 Eug said:

Looks nice but I couldn't do with it conking out all the bloody time...so just buy something else

It was for this reason I bought an M4 Competition pack. I prefer the Alfa to drive and its looks but just couldn't throw the die and take the risk.

BMW's are far from reliable, they just market themselves as such incessantly!

[stuart_83]

Didn't BMW do particularly badly in the last JD Power reliability survey? On average 198 failures per 100 cars iirc. The industry average is 131. Even Peugeot managed 110.

That's shocking.

[Iceicebsby1980]

Gameface said:

Iceicebsby1980 said:

So basically for extra £ you get a limited edition colour and a plaque.

You didn't see the bit about the expensive carbon ceramic brakes? Or the expensive carbon shell sparco race seats? Or the carbon trim?

The ceramic breaks it says there optional . Prob a option on the car anyway . Sparco seats and carbon trim hand me the tissues while I knock one out .

[Iceicebsby1980]

Ares said:

Gameface said:

Iceicebsby1980 said:

So basically for extra £ you get a limited edition colour and a plaque.

You didn't see the bit about the expensive carbon ceramic brakes? Or the expensive carbon shell sparco race seats? Or the carbon trim?

Shhh.... Don't let facts get in the way of a good bh

ceramic brakes prob a option on the car anyway like they are on m3 m4 . So for a premium you get a different coulour plaque some seats carbon trim . Wow dsnt do much for the performance or handling over the normal car . But a knuckle dragger like you prob things it's a good deal .

[Gameface]

Iceicebsby1980 said:

Ares said:

Gameface said:

Iceicebsby1980 said:

So basically for extra £ you get a limited edition colour and a plaque.

You didn't see the bit about the expensive carbon ceramic brakes? Or the expensive carbon shell sparco race seats? Or the carbon trim?

Shhh.... Don't let facts get in the way of a good bh

ceramic brakes prob a option on the car anyway like they are on m3 m4 . So for a premium you get a different coulour plaque some seats carbon trim . Wow dsnt do much for the performance or handling over the normal car . But a knuckle dragger like you prob things it's a good deal .

Which of us is a knuckle dragger?

What do you drive?

Edited by Gameface on Friday 2nd March 04:48

[Plate spinner]

Gameface said:

Iceicebsby1980 said:

Ares said:

Gameface said:

Iceicebsby1980 said:

So basically for extra £ you get a limited edition colour and a plaque.

You didn't see the bit about the expensive carbon ceramic brakes? Or the expensive carbon shell sparco race seats? Or the carbon trim?

Shhh.... Don't let facts get in the way of a good bh

ceramic brakes prob a option on the car anyway like they are on m3 m4 . So for a premium you get a different coulour plaque some seats carbon trim . Wow dsnt do much for the performance or handling over the normal car . But a knuckle dragger like you prob things it's a good deal .

Which us is a knuckle dragger?

What do you drive?

I’m imagining this conversation in slurred voices in a flat roof pub...

[Gameface]

Plate spinner said:

Gameface said:

Iceicebsby1980 said:

Ares said:

Gameface said:

Iceicebsby1980 said:

So basically for extra £ you get a limited edition colour and a plaque.

You didn't see the bit about the expensive carbon ceramic brakes? Or the expensive carbon shell sparco race seats? Or the carbon trim?

Shhh.... Don't let facts get in the way of a good bh

ceramic brakes prob a option on the car anyway like they are on m3 m4 . So for a premium you get a different coulour plaque some seats carbon trim . Wow dsnt do much for the performance or handling over the normal car . But a knuckle dragger like you prob things it's a good deal .

Which us is a knuckle dragger?

What do you drive?

I’m imagining this conversation in slurred voices in a flat roof pub...

Why?

[Vitorio]

Iceicebsby1980 said:

Why not do a light weight limited edition . Similar to the e46 m3 csl .

Or a proper Giulia GTA, as in Allegrita.

Kind of annoying that Alfa has also jumped on the Nurburgring bandwagen, in keeping with their Milanese heritage they should've called it "Edizione Monza" or something, and put some flair into it, rather then a matte gray paintjob... This isnt an Audi RS6 after all