Red-hot Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA priced

UPDATED 04/05/2021 5:45pm: Carsales now understands that just 18 customer examples of the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA will come Down Under -- and sadly all of them are already spoken for.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED 04/05/2021 12:30pm: Pricing for the hard-core, high-performance Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and lightweight GTAm models in Australia has been set, pegged at $268,000 and $288,000 plus on-road costs respectively.

To be launched in Europe later this month ahead of first deliveries expected in the second half of this year, the 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA twins should have their local specs confirmed soon, which in turn will see the order books open for the Aussie allocation from the 500-unit global production run.

The local prices for the Giulia GTA and GTAm represent a hefty $129,050 and $149,050 increase over their donor car, the 375kW/600Nm 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (from $138,950).

The almost-$300K price points for the 400kW-plus twin-turbo V6 special-edition sedans are also significantly more expensive than rivals such as the BMW M3 Competition (from $154,900) and Mercedes-AMG C 63 S (from $168,300).

But demand is likely to be keen given the GTA’s rarity and special-edition status, commemorating the Italian brand’s 110th anniversary.

The super-sedan also marks the end of an era as the Italian brand’s much-vaunted ‘Giorgio’ platform architecture is cast aside for new underpinnings under the Stellantis organisation.

Powered by a sizzling Ferrari-derived 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6, the Alfa Romeo GTA twins pump out 402kW, although that number could drop by 5kW for Australia to ensure compatibility with our high-sulphur petrol.

The 397kW figure will still mark a 22kW increase over the Giulia Quadrifoglio’s 375kW. It’s understood peak torque is unchanged at 600Nm, all of which is channelled to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Giulia GTA models take advantage of new pistons and increased turbo boost pressure to grind out more power. A new Akrapovic exhaust system is also part of the package.

Alfa Romeo says its flagship rear-drive GTA road rocket will blitz the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.6 seconds, bettering its donor car’s 3.9sec time.

Much of the improved performance with GTA comes about via a strict weight-loss program brought about via the introduction of a host of carbon-fibre parts, including the roof, wheel-arches, front bumper, bonnet and even the driveshaft and sports seats.

These carbon elements bring about a 100kg drop from the Quadrifoglio’s kerb weight to 1485kg.

Upgraded suspension, wider tracks and improved aerodynamics are part of the package, the latter including a massive rear wing and active front splitter.

The road-legal and track-ready GTAm adds a fire extinguisher, FIA-spec half roll cage, race seats and six-point Sabelt harnesses. It also deletes the rear seats and swaps out side and rear glass windows for polycarbonate items.

Watch out for our first drive of the GTA in Europe later this month.