The myth Giulia GTA shakes the Geneva International Salon 2020
The Alfa Romeo brand, 110 years after its foundation, renews its myth with a return to its origins, resurrecting one of the legends of motor racing and a milestone in its history: the Giulia GTA.
The new Giulia GTA is technically and conceptually inspired by the 1965 Giulia GTA: the "Lightened Gran Turismo Alleggerita" developed by Autodelta starting from the Giulia Sprint GT which collected sporting successes all over the world.
Giulia GTA derives from Giulia Quadrifoglio and is equipped with an enhanced version of the Alfa Romeo 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo engine, with 540 hp. Thanks to the extended adoption of ultra-light materials, it benefits from a weight reduction of 100 kg compared to the Giulia Quadrifoglio, reaching the weight/power ratio of 2.82 kg/hp that makes it best in class.
In addition, specific technical solutions have also been developed for aerodynamics, trim and handling.
On the occasion of this historic presentation, the famous GTAm variant, protagonist on the Geneva stand, was also in the spotlight: an extreme version of the GTA, featuring two dry seats, roll bar and 6-point belts, 100% "street legal".
Alfa Romeo will immediately gather together the expressions of interest on Giulia GTA and GTAm, available in only 500 certified and numbered examples. For lucky buyers Alfa Romeo has developed an exclusive customer experience, with a one-to-one sales process and a dedicated welcome kit.
Among the many extraordinary aspects of the Alfa Romeo brand, there is one that makes it truly unique on the automotive scene: the inimitable ability to combine apparently irreconcilable aspects. In fact, Alfa Romeo boasts a unique history, and on 24th June it will cross the finish line of 110 years, which over time engineers and designers have exploited in constant projection into the future. Solid and recognisable roots, which nourish the myth of a brand accustomed to amaze, innovate and renew itself always in line with its DNA. And the sap that flows in these roots contains another exceptional alchemy: a perfect combination of sportiness and elegance that makes every Alfa Romeo always at ease both on the track and at a competition of elegance. Over the years, this combination has given rise to some of the most iconic cars ever built, and on the occasion of Alfa Romeo's 100th birthday Alfa Romeo is shaking up the Geneva International Motor Show with a car that fully represents a return to its roots and a tribute to one of the most representative models of the Biscione: the Giulia GTA.
An acronym with a legendary flavour: GTA
The acronym GTA stands for "Gran Turismo Alleggerita" and was born in 1965 with the Giulia Sprint GTA, a specific version derived from the Sprint GT, set up for sports homologation and presented at the Amsterdam Motor Show that year. The bodywork of the Giulia Sprint GT was replaced with an identical aluminium one, for a total weight of 745 kg against the 950 kg of the road version. A second modification concerned the twin-shaft 1570 cm3 engine, which in the road configuration, with double ignition, reached the remarkable power of 115 hp. The technicians of Autodelta, Alfa Romeo's official racing team, chose it as the reference car for the Tourism category, and developed it up to a maximum power of 170 hp. The success in the competitions was immediate: three consecutive "Challenge Europeo Marche", dozens of national championships and hundreds of individual races all over the world. And there was also a considerable return of image on the range: the Giulia Sprint GTA expressed at best the claim "one victory a day with the everyday car". From then on, the GTA entered the collective imagination as an undisputed icon of the sportsmanship of the Biscione and the strength of the abbreviation ended up pushing the public to identify Alfa Romeo sports cars in general with GTA.
The legend is renewed with technical solutions of excellence
At the 2020 Geneva International Motor Show, Alfa Romeo intends to overturn a few rules: it does not want to talk about history, especially the history it has written, and it does not want to receive birthday presents. It prefers to give one to all enthusiasts by presenting the Giulia GTA, which today represents an authentic return to Alfa Romeo's roots, those that sink into the world of performance and granturism.
Specific technical equipment and functional style
The Giulia GTA is immediately recognizable thanks to an exclusive characterization not only aesthetically but also functional to performance: the new Alfa Romeo are not an exercise in style, but high performance cars derived from a production model, the exceptional Giulia Quadrifoglio. Alfa Romeo engineers have worked to improve aerodynamics and handling, but above all to reduce weight: the same guidelines followed for the 1965 Giulia GTA. Active aerodynamics were specifically designed to increase the aerodynamic load. In these solutions you can find a technical know-how that comes directly from Formula 1 thanks to the synergy with Sauber Engineering and the use of the Sauber AeroKit. The same task is entrusted to the side skirts, the specific rear spoiler and the active front splitter. Also new are the Akrapovič titanium centre exhaust system integrated in the carbon fibre rear diffuser and specific 20-inch single-drive wheels, for the first time in a saloon. Handling has been improved by widening the front and rear tracks by 50 mm and developing a new set of springs, shock absorbers and bushings for the suspension systems. On GTAm, the aerodynamic front end has been extensified with the use of an oversized front splitter and a true carbon rear wing, which guarantee an increase and optimal load balance at high speed. As far as performance is concerned, the Alfa Romeo 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo engine, made entirely of aluminium and capable of delivering as much as 510 bhp in its standard configuration, reaches 540 bhp on the Giulia GTA, thanks to the meticulous development and calibration work carried out by Alfa Romeo engineers, who are also able to optimise the positive impact of the adoption of the new Akrapović titanium central exhaust system with its unmistakable sound. Moving into the cockpit, the Alcantara® upholstery on the dashboard, the door panels, the imperial, the side pillars and the central seat upholstery stand out. The use of Alcantara® is even more extensive on the GTAm version, where the elimination of the rear bench leaves room for a fully upholstered "bathtub", where there are specific shapes designed to house helmets and fire extinguisher. The new matt carbon inserts express technical and aesthetic refinement, giving distinctiveness to the new interior, which on GTAm differs not only for the presence of the rollbar, for the absence of door panels and rear seats, but also for the door opening with the ribbon instead of the handle, another touch typically inspired by the world of racing.
An excellent power-to-weight ratio
But power alone is not enough to guarantee extraordinary performance. Extremely accurate work on lightness has been taken to the extreme: the weight reduction amounts to around 100 kilograms thanks to the adoption of lightweight materials, such as carbon fibre for the drive shaft, bonnet, roof, front bumper, front wheel arches and rear wheel arches, specific sports seats with carbon monocoque and Sabelt 6-point belts for GTAm. There is no shortage of aluminium for the engine, doors and suspension systems and different composite materials for many other components. On GTAm the use of Lexan, a particular resin belonging to the polycarbonate family that comes directly from the world of motorsport, for the side and rear windows, further contributes to the lightening. The result is a weight of 1,520 kg, which, thanks to the increase in power to 540 hp, brings the weight/power ratio to an excellent level, 2.82 kg/hp, making Giulia GTA best in class and able to express extraordinary performance. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is lightning fast. Thanks to the Launch Control system, the stopwatch stops at just 3.6 seconds. The Giulia GTAm on the stand, unlike the GTA, has a two-seater configuration, but remains approved for road use, with a front and rear splitter in exposed carbon, the ultimate expression of sportiness. In the GTA configuration, with the same power, Giulia offers four seats, without rear roll-bar; spoiler and splitter optimized for daily use; door panels, seats and windows derived from the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The result is a supercar for everyday use.
A privilege for 500 lucky customers...
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and its extreme variant Giulia GTAm will be built in a limited series of 500 units in total, numbered and certified, ready to flank its 1965 ancestor among the most desired collector's items, not only to be admired but ready to unleash great power on the road thanks to the highly refined technical solutions. The same exclusivity of Giulia GTA and Giulia GTAm will also characterize a dedicated and particularly exclusive customer experience, designed to give the 500 lucky owners a unique experience, 100% Alfa Romeo. After the advance bookings, now officially open and which will close at the 500th time, the sales process will be one-to-one, with a brand ambassador product specialist who will follow each customer from order to delivery. But the shopping experience does not end with the dedicated sales process. In fact, there will be a personalized welcome kit, including a Bell helmet in special GTA livery, complete Alpinestars racing clothing (suit, gloves and shoes) and a personalized Goodwool car cover to protect your GTA or GTAm. In addition to other equipment for true enthusiasts, the Alfa Romeo customer experience also includes a specific driving course created by the Alfa Romeo Driving Academy.
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