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Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia starts at $38,990, or $73,595 for the Quadrifoglio

Although the 4C has been on sale for more than a year, Alfa Romeo's US comeback tour really starts with the all-new Giulia. The car goes on sale this month and is expected to compete head to head with sport sedan competition from Germany, England, Japan, and America. The automaker released details on Giulia trims and pricing, and it appears to be right in the mix with the competition. The new Alfa Romeo Giulia starts at $38,990 with destination. While that's on the high side of its class, it's still right in the mix. All of the competition falls between the $34,445 BMW 3-Series and the $40,425 Mercedes-Benz C300. Where the Giulia really shines at this price point is performance, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that generates 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque. Alfa claims a 5.1 second 0-60 mph time for the base model, which trounces the competition. The big bad Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio starts at $73,595 with destination. That's quite a bit more than the BMW M3 and Cadillac ATS-V, but it's right on par with the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Sedan. The four-leaf clover has a 2.9-liter biturbo V6 that turns out 505 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. That's good for a 3.8 second 0-60 mph and a record-setting 7:32 Nurburgring lap time, if you care about such things. The standard Giulia and Giulia Ti ($40,990) are available with FCA's Q4 all-wheel-drive system for an extra $2,000. The Giulia Ti is available with Ti Lusso and Ti Sport packages for $2,250 each. Think of the Ti Sport as the Quadrifoglio light and the Ti Lusso as the comfortable and relaxed model. All versions of the Giulia come equipped with an 8-speed automatic, and Alfa Romeo currently has no plans to offer a stick shift in the US. The Giulia Quadrifoglio goes on sale this month, with the rest of the lineup hitting showrooms next month. If shoppers can look through the vast competition for what on paper is the sportiest of small sport sedans on the market, Alfa may be here to stay. Related Video:

Nissan Leaf and the future of auto shows | Autoblog Podcast #525

Related: We obsessively covered the Frankfurt Motor Show — here's our complete coverage On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. The pair discuss the long-awaited reveal of the second-generation Nissan Leaf as well as the Alfa Romeo Giulia and BMW M550i that recently passed through the office. They also preview the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show and discuss the future and relevance of auto shows. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast@autoblog.com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #525The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Topics and stories we mention Rundown Nissan Leaf reveal Frankfurt Motor Show preview What we're driving: Alfa Romeo Giulia and BMW M550i Unpopular opinion: the relevance of auto shows Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Image Credit: BMW, Nissan Green Podcasts Frankfurt Motor Show Alfa Romeo BMW Nissan Hatchback Electric Luxury Sedan alfa romeo giulia