Gina Baksa continues her West Country road trip testing Alfa Romeo’s Giulia Quadrifoglio 2.9 V6 super-saloon.

As the man from Top Gear says, you can’t call yourself a petrolhead until you’ve owned an Alfa. And he’s right. The Giulia Quadrifoglio 2.9 V6 Bi-Turbo sitting on my driveway is actually on loan, but I’m pretending this 510hp racing saloon is mine for the week.

Low-slung and aerodynamically built for speed, the Giulia Quadrifoglio looks gorgeous.

She’s a refined yet muscly super-saloon – all 1580kg of her – in sharp Competizione Red with matching sports bumpers, an impressive grille, and an iconic Alfa badge. The Giulia’s large Quadrifoglio (4-leaf clover) badge is also very visible on the front wings – Alfa’s racing car motif since 1923.

At certain angles, the Giulia Quadrifoglio could fool you into thinking she’s a regular saloon; certainly, her rearview with tidy haunches is unremarkable – but side-on, she reveals her racing pedigree.

The roof fin above the rear window, the angled cats’ eyes vents on the bonnet and above the wheel arch, and the gorgeous (optional) Brembo yellow callipers inscribed with Alfa Romeo. And, of course, her pistols-at-dawn four-way sports exhaust.

As I slide into the black leather and Alcantara Sparco Carbon shell sports seats – an extra £3250 should you so desire – the luxurious fit-out is apparent.

Leather-wrapped dash and door panels and flat-bottomed carbon fibre steering wheel, also bound with leather and Alcantara, feel soft yet robust to the touch… my hands fit snugly, and the column-mounted paddles are well positioned, as are the wipers and indicators.

Cool, smart and functional with eye-catching white-green stitching around the doors and dash.

Heating and ventilation dials are easy to use and clear and kick in fast – a must in this recent UK heatwave. There’s no brake lever but rather an electric brake button that you press while pushing on the brake pedal. And I’m happy to say all my luggage is safely tucked away in the capacious boot, which fits two large suitcases – and more – with ease. Seemingly, I can never travel light…

One press of the red start/stop button and the Giulia Quadrifoglio V6 bursts into life and is rearing to go. I’m keen to test the automatic 8 gears on this beauty as we rev up out of town towards the M3 and Bournemouth via the New Forest.

I thought I’d miss the 4C Spider’s throaty growls, but I was happy to hear the Quadrifoglio’s bite also kick in with a ‘phoop phoop’ as we rise through the gears on acceleration. She does a hugely impressive 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds – faster than the Spider and a dream on the motorway.

I lament British speed limits, but it’s just as well in a car of this power and calibre. Her top speed is 191 – oh, for a race track!

Double wishbone front suspension gives the Quadrifoglio a comfortable ride. Not too hard, not too soft and I felt very supported and safe. At lower speeds, the Quad fairly glides along and is a smooth quiet ride on her 19-inch alloys.

I had lots of compliments – mainly from older former Alfa drivers who recognised the badge and legacy. Some lamented that they’d switched to Japanese models and could no longer afford the Italian marque.

The Giulia Quadrifoglio V6 gives solid, good road holding with adjustable seats and steering wheel. Although the seat is a bit long for me – especially so when I raise it higher.

So, my little legs have to stretch a bit. This is a car very much designed for men – or taller folk. Dynamic, Race and Normal modes are available: Dynamic allows the exhaust to fire off in spectacular style. I didn’t try Race as I wasn’t insured for this mode, but I’m sure it’s impressive.

Having to watch my speed, I welcomed the electronic display as well as the clock face.

Parking is a dream in the Quadrifoglio. The rear view camera has handy gridlines and I used it a lot. And I especially like the power folding door mirrors that automatically close when the car is locked. Nice touch. The cool bi-Xenon lights are automatic and very efficient at dusk and for night driving.

Music and traffic info is crucial on any long drive. The Quadrifoglio’s infotainment system is provided by a 7” TFT colour cluster display operated by a nimble rotary pad and boasts an awesome 8-speaker audio system.

There’s also DAB radio, and I have the optional Harmon Kardon Sound theatre in my loan car with superb surround sound. This is an extra £950 and highly recommended. The Satnav is good, easy to use via the rotary dial, and it links to your phone.

I like a car with decent cabin storage: the Giulia has a glove compartment, 2 cup holders and door storage. Plus an essential USB port (which would have been very welcome in the Spider).

The rear seats are very comfortable, with plenty of legroom for three adults.

An approaching waddling seagull when I am stationary means the Alfa’s alarming shriek is emitted to warn me of this approaching danger.

Hilarious and ear-splitting simultaneously! Indeed, the safety features are excellent in the Giulia Quadrifoglio with blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning, front and rear parking sensors, as well as cruise control with a handy speed limiter (I didn’t use this!).

There’s also autonomous braking (which happened once, and it jolted me out of my reverie), as well as a lane departure warning.

My loan car boasted optional Brembo carbon-ceramic material brakes, which were responsive without being judder, with gorgeous callipers in striking yellow with Alfa Romeo handwritten in black. Very cool.

With its 58-litre fuel tank, I managed a combined 35mpg on motorways, town traffic and zippy dual carriageways. Better than I’d imagined in such a powerful beast.

In summary, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio V6 is a beautiful car and more than a match for its German rivals in this class. She was a dream to drive, both on Dorset country lanes and along the UK’s motorways.

I’m so happy to see this classic Italian marque has reinvented itself to provide some of the most exciting high-performance cars in the world.

Italians definitely do it better.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio V6 Bi-Turbo

For more information, visit: www.alfaromeo.co.uk

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio V6 Bi-Turbo 510hp Stats

  • Starting price: £61,295
  • Acceleration: 0-62mph 3.9 secs
  • Top speed: 191mph
  • Unladen weight:
  • Gearbox 8+ 1R
  • Max Power: 510 (375) 6500
  • Max Torque: 600 (61) 2500
  • Combined cycle 1/100km: 34.4
  • CO2 emissions: 189