There can be no underestimating the importance of the new Tonale. Which seems to be said every time a new Alfa emerges, but this really does feel more crucial than ever. Handy, then, that the Tonale is the kind of car everybody seems to want (a small and stylish SUV) with up to 275hp straight out of the box. Already it's being suggested that a Tonale Quadrifoglio might follow, too, which is good news for a couple of reasons. Firstly, as there's seemingly endless demand for just that sort of car - see the VW T Roc R, both the Mercedes-AMG GLAs and Hyundai Kona N for how broad that offering now is - and, secondly, as Alfa's first fast SUV was a blinder.
If the Giulia Quadrifoglio was surprisingly good, then it at least it had the right ingredients for success: it was a relatively light sports saloon, with plentiful V6 power up front and right-wheel drive. We never expected Alfa to bring them all together as well as it did, but 500hp saloons are relatively easy to make great - at least compared to an SUV, that is.
Nevertheless the Stelvio Quadrifoglio proved the doubters wrong all over again in 2017. Plenty of the charm offensive was again owed to the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 and eight-speed auto, but considerable credit was also due to Alfa for making a heavier, higher car from the Giorgio platform handle as well as it did. Don't forget the Stelvio was Alfa's first all-wheel drive car, too; success was far from guaranteed.
In fact, Alfa had got the Stelvio flagship so sorted that it decided to show the car off with nothing less than a new Nurburgring Nordschleife lap record. Following the Giulia's wild 7:32 (definitely still worth a look), the Stelvio set a marginally less mad 7:51.7 in September 2017, beating all other production SUVs in the process. From churning out forgettable saloons and hatches just a few years earlier, Alfa Romeo now had a pair of record breaking Quadrifoglio flagships on sale - some turnaround. A celebration was in order...
The Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING - the latter of which we have here - were launched in 2018. Just 108 of each model were made, marking one for each year of Alfa's existence at that time. Every NRING Alfa came with unique 'Circuito Grey' paint, ceramic brakes, a scale model for the buyer, an authenticity certificate, and an invite to an Alfa Romeo experience at the Nurburgring. Plus an interior plaque - goes without saying.
The plaque on this Stelvio NRING tells us it's number 87 of the 108 cars, registered in 2019 and having covered just 2,000 miles since then. Matte grey might not be a trendy as it was just a few years ago, but the car itself looks basically new - and the interior certainly brings some colour. Having been serviced twice with its one owner, this NRING ought to be ready for whatever adventures a new owner has lined up. Maybe you could do your own Nurburgring experience...
It's for sale at £74,995, which is handy saving off the £89,500 asked for a new one - albeit not a bad return for a car almost three years old. It's actually comparable with a delivery mileage example of the facelifted car, which brought some welcome interior improvements. You'll do well, however, to track down any Stelvio with ceramic brakes, and the limited edition appeal will count for something; the NRING's case is a lot easier to make a few years later at £15k less. But, record breaking special or otherwise, there's no such thing as a bad Stelvio Quadrifoglio - let's hope the same can be said about a Tonale equivalent.
1 / 7