WITHOUT GETTING INTO a philosophical debate about the future of motoring, it’s clear that the days of the high-performance saloon – and not just those powered by fabulous petrol engines – are numbered. Much like estate cars, they’ve been killed off by the huge-selling SUVs on one front, and an incoming EV tide on the other. Cars like this Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio will not be around much longer.
Thankfully, though, the Quadrifoglio is still very much alive today, and it has just been treated to a 2024 model refresh. Admittedly it’s a light revision, consisting of a few visual tweaks – most obviously the ‘three plus three’ LED matrix headlights – while the interior gets an updated digital instrument cluster and matt carbonfibre trim. The engine boasts an extra 10bhp, now at 513bhp, and torque remains at the same 442lb ft figure.
The latest suspension tuning is taken directly from the 100th anniversary special edition that was launched in 2023, meaning different settings for the adaptive dampers (similar to those developed for the GTA) as well as a slightly girthier rear anti-roll bar. The single biggest upgrade comes in the form of a new mechanical limited-slip differential. On the face of it Alfa seems to have fundamentally left it alone, which, as it’s one of the best performance cars launched in the last ten years, is no bad thing at all.
It’s been a number of years since I first drove the Quadrifoglio (it was launched in 2017!), but I soon remember why this c
