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Drive like Mario Andretti in his 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV-6

In the United States, Mario Andretti is the racing driver whose name is likely best known among the general public. Over his decades-long career, Andretti has driven into the winner's circle numerous times and in a variety of racing series and venues. He is an ex-Formula One champion (1978), a four-time IndyCar champion, as well as an Indy 500 winner (1969). And while we mere mortals probably cannot drive like Mario Andretti, we can drive one of Mario Andretti's cars, specifically this 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV-6, which is currently for sale at classic-car vendor LBI Limited. Based on the pictures of this Alfa, the car shows just under 36,000 miles. This GTV-6 is finished in Grigio over a tan leather interior. Power is by a 2.5-liter DOHC V6. Equipment includes a five-speed manual, power windows, air conditioning, a wood-rim steering wheel and a Blaupunkt cassette stereo. Andretti drove for the Alfa Romeo F1 team in 1981, and he also appeared in ads for the GTV-6. There was even a Mario Andretti limited edition of the earlier European-market Alfa Romeo GTV in 1976. This car reportedly was a gift from the automaker and was delivered in May 1981. He reportedly kept it for a year, although his ownership is documented (click the "View Documents" tab on the listing). The current asking price for this Alfa is $48,000, although there may be some wiggle room there, given that this car appears to have been a no-sale in a May 2020 RM Sotheby's auction where it garnered a high bid of $28,000. That's about $8K more than is sold for at auction in 2016, although the car is said to have since had thousands of dollars in service. Regardless of the price, this is a cool Alfa with a direct connection to America's most famous racing driver. Related video:

2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Review | As good as you imagine

When you affix words to a car such as “Alfa Romeo,” “Quadrifoglio,” “twin-turbo,” and “Ferrari-derived,” youÂ’re setting up some pretty serious expectations. Add to that a price tag thatÂ’s near the top of its segment, as with our 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, and those expectations creep ever higher to a point that seems hard to fulfill. But IÂ’m happy to report the Giulia passes with flying tricolores. ItÂ’s intensely fast, incredibly nimble, and surprisingly playful and approachable. ItÂ’s one of the most fun supersedans. Of course, the headline feature of the Giulia Quadrifoglio is that twin-turbo V6 based on a Ferrari engine, and it certainly deserves the hype. It generates a massive 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. ThatÂ’s more power (though less torque) than the mighty Mercedes-AMG C 63 SÂ’s V8. Power comes on smoothly and only grows stronger with revs until the limiter kicks in. Lag is practically non-existent, and the exhaust note, though a bit blatty inside, generates a low, gritty howl outside thatÂ’s fitting for a slinky Italian sedan. The only thing preventing the powertrain from being the unquestionable class champion is the transmission. This is strange, since itÂ’s the vaunted ZF eight-speed automatic, but it shifts slowly for such a sporty car. At least itÂ’s smooth, and the huge metal shift paddles are a delight. As for the GiuliaÂ’s chassis, itÂ’s marvelous with no caveats. What stands out is its playful demeanor. It keeps you informed of every move it makes, even throwing in a bit of Miata-like body roll. The steering isnÂ’t quite as talkative, but is more so than many of its competitors, especially BMW, and itÂ’s lightning-quick and weighted well. To cap it off, the car is highly stable, even on rough pavement, and the wide tires offer tremendous grip. The ride can occasionally be bumpy, but never harsh. ItÂ’s well-balanced. At this point it's also worth noting that the character of the Giulia can be altered substantially with the drive mode selector. The settings are "Race," "D," "N" and "A," with the latter standing for "Dynamic," "Normal" and "Advanced Efficiency." Race and Dynamic are the sportiest with the quickest throttle response, loud exhaust, and more lenient traction settings, and they set the suspension to the firm setting by default. But the suspension can be switched back to the normal setting by pressing the shock absorber button.

Alfa Romeo Giulia runs the Nurburgring

Usually when spying a pre-production car, the goal is to figure out what it looks like underneath the camouflage. However, that's not a concern with his video of a heavily concealed Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio because the design was already fully revealed. Instead, this is an opportunity to listen to the upcoming sports sedan lapping the Nurburgring. For a vehicle with just 2.5 years of development by only 11 people, the Giulia certainly makes all the right noises. The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine has a growling note as the sedan speeds away, and there's no audible turbo whistle – at least in this clip. The sound is angry but still somewhat subdued for a mill making 510 horsepower. The test driver here is really pushing things, and the tires are squealing through practically every corner. The Alfa's rear end even steps out a little a few times. The Giulia is slated to arrive in the US in the first half of 2016. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing the sedan again at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, where some additional powertrains are rumored to debut. Related Video: