Alfa Romeo Celebrates Its Birthday with More Power, Weight Loss for the Giulia Sports Sedan

In celebration of its 110th anniversary, Alfa Romeo is tweaking its Giulia by giving it a makeover that pays homage to one of its most emblematic vehicles: the GTA.

The acronym GTA stands for ‘Gran Turismo Alleggerita’ (alleggerita being the Italian term for “lightened”), and it originated in 1965 with the Giulia Sprint GTA. For the Giulia GTA, work has been done to reduce the curb weight by 100 kilograms.

To achieve this the Giulia GTA uses lightweight materials such as carbon fiber for the drive shaft, hood, roof, front bumper, front wheel arches and rear wheel arch inserts. While aluminum has been used in the doors and suspension.

Available in two versions, the Giulia GTA with four seats and the Giulia GTAm with two race seats, they both feature the 2.9-litre V6 Bi-Turbo petrol engine producing 540 horsepower—an increase of 30 horsepower from the Giulia Quadrifoglio. With help from its launch control system, 0-100 km/h is done in just 3.6 seconds.

The added performance is communicated through the titanium Akrapovič central exhaust system, 20-inch center-lock wheels, and rear tracks extended by 50 mm. The springs, shock absorbers, and bushings have all been changed as well.

Between the two, the GTAm is the more hardcore with a two-seater configuration, a roll bar, and a six-point harness, and polycarbonate Lexan replacing the side and rear window frames. It also nets a front splitter and a larger rear wing made of, what else, carbon fiber. The GTA is supposed to be the “daily driver,” of the two with none of the motorsports-inspired interior, and something closer to the Quadrifoglio.

Regardless of version, the Giulia GTA and GTAm features an Alcantara trimmed dashboard, door panels, glove compartment, side pillars and the central trim on the seats. The GTAm gets even more of the stuff with Alcantara lining the “basin” where the rear seats used to be. A pull strap also replaces the inner door handles.

Only 500 units of the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and GTAm will be built, all numbered and certified by Alfa Romeo and will come with a special Bell helmet, a full racing suit by Alpinestars, and a personalized car cover.