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2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Estrema bridges the Quadrifoglio gap

Alfa Romeo is expanding the 2023 Giulia range with a model named Estrema that was developed for driving enthusiasts. Also available on the 2023 Stelvio, the Estrema trim level bridges the gap between the Veloce variants of both cars and the high-performance Quadrifoglio. "Estrema" is Italian for "extreme," and in this case it denotes a car that — in Alfa Romeo's words — was designed for "a connoisseur of driving." The list of standard features grows with the addition of a limited-slip rear differential and the adaptive Alfa Active Suspension system for both comfort and performance. These updates may not sound major, but they should make a perceptible difference on the kind of twisty roads that the Estrema models were created for. Car-spotters will be able to pick out the Estrema versions in a crowded parking lot by looking for carbon fiber exterior accents (including the piece of trim that underlines the grille), specific wheels that measure 19 inches on the Giulia and 21 inches on the Stelvio, dark "Estrema" emblems and black brake calipers. Inside, there's more carbon fiber, red contrast stitching and a blend of leather and Alcantara upholstery.  The Estrema models aren't any more estrema under the hood than the versions that they're based on. The only engine available in the United States is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged to deliver 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel-drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission come standard on the Giulia, though Alfa Romeo's Q4 all-wheel-drive system is available at an extra cost, and the Stelvio is exclusively offered with all-wheel-drive. With the Q4 system, the Giulia reaches 60 mph from a stop in 5.1 seconds. On sale now, Alfa Romeo's Estrema models are scheduled to reach dealers across the nation in the third quarter of 2022. Buyers have four colors to choose from: Alfa White, Alfa Rosso, Misano Blue, and Vulcano Black. Pricing is set at $56,685 for the rear-wheel-drive Giulia, $58,685 for the all-wheel-drive model, and $60,545 for the Stelvio. Note that these figures include a mandatory $1,595 destination charge. Related Video:

Coming Alfa Romeo large CUV to be an electric Italian Dodge Durango?

In the middle of 2022, Alfa Romeo boss Jean-Philippe Imparato told Reuters the Italian carmaker would develop a new battery-electric vehicle in the U.S. that would launch here in 2027. Created for markets that prize large SUVs, he said, "Our offer for a large size vehicle must fit international markets, American, Chinese, European." At the time, he cast doubt on whether the model would be as large as a BMW X5 (195 inches x 78.9 inches), and suggested it could combine crossover and sedan form factors. Imparato wouldn't be drawn on the production site for this new vehicle, but Reuters believed it probably won't be built in the U.S. Six months later, in January of last year, Imparato shared a few specs of the coming EV SUV with Automotive News Europe, by then called a "high-performance SUV" with motors putting out from 300 to 800 horsepower in the standard range and around 1,000 horsepower in a Quadrifoglio trim, and an 800-volt architecture would enable "recharging times of 18 minutes max." At this point, this SUV had also officially become a competitor to the X5, the BMW almost exactly 10 inches longer than the Stelvio (pictured), which is currently the largest product in the Alfa Romeo portfolio and the best-seller in the U.S. What had stayed constant was the potential of a tweener shape, Imparato having said that aerodynamic needs could lead to a shape between a sedan and a crossover.  With all that said, a post in a forum on of Spain's Cochespias (via Mopar Insiders) pinpoints the production site for the Alfa: The Detroit Assembly Complex - Jefferson plant in Detroit that builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango. The information comes from what appears to be a clip from a spreadsheet identifying current and future assembly sites and annual production figures. A line for the "E-CUV EV," this E-segment Alfa Romeo, refers to the assembly complex by its previous name, Jefferson North. The next-generation Grand Cherokee and Durango will sit on Stellantis' STLA Large platform, same as this flagship Alfa Romeo. The Grand Cherokee enters production at Detroit Assembly in 2026, the Durango in 2027. The spreadsheet shows production projections for the Alfa variant of 1,961 units for 2027, 10,715 units for 2028.  The next-gen Giulia and Stelvio, also on the STLA Large platform, are going to be built in the company's Cassino, Italy plant, so they can keep their geographical references.

Porsche 911 Turbo and Nissan GT-R Nismo star in World's Greatest Drag Race 4

We love Motor Trend's annual World's Greatest Drag Race video. Now back for its fourth appearance, the idea of lining some of the world's fastest cars up for a ten-wide, straight-line, full-throttle run is, well... it's pretty freaking badass.
The lineup this year boasts some impressively fast cars to be sure. The group of ten includes the following darlings: Alfa Romeo 4C, BMW i8, BMW M4, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Ford Fiesta ST, Jaguar F-Type R Coupe, Nissan GT-R Nismo, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Subaru WRX STI and, last but not least, the Volkswagen GTI. Give us any one of those for the weekend, and we're happy to take the keys.
It must be said though, that for a publication that draws as much water as Motor Trend does, there are some big cars that we might expect to be here instead. The Lamborghini Huracán or Ferrari 458 Speciale would have added some exotic flare to the list, and the omissions of the Chevy Corvette Stingray (for the second year in a row) and the Dodge Challenger Hellcat are real head-scratchers.