Thrills at the 2023 What Car? Car of the Year Awards

2023 marks the centenary of the Quadrifoglio, the historic badge that first appeared back in 1923, at the 14^th edition of the Targa Florio. A special “Corsa” version of the new RL was prepared for the occasion. However, even though meticulous attention had been given to the tiniest details of the car’s design, the racing world was rather superstitious and considered it prudent to improve one’s luck. With this in mind, a lucky four-leaf clover badge was painted on the car’s hood. After this great victory, the brand was thrust onto the Mount Olympus of manufacturers, and the Quadrifoglio has been associated with Alfa Romeo racing cars ever since.

Steve Huntingford, Editor at What Car?, praised the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio: “While some performance cars try to straddle the middle ground between performance, running costs and practicality, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio unashamedly goes after one thing more than anything else: smiles per mile. A big part of its appeal is its storming 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine, which provides an intoxicating soundtrack, especially in Race mode. And the Quadrifoglio’s handling is even more special, with astonishing agility and a delightful natural balance that allows you to explore its limits with confidence.”

Julie David, the Managing Director of Alfa Romeo UK said: “2023 marks the 100^th year of the Quadrifoglio badge appearing on Alfa Romeo models, so to have this honour bestowed upon the Giulia Quadrifoglio is testament to the thrill and excitement this legendary badge still brings to drivers and industry experts. Taking the title for the second year in a row shows that Giulia Quadrifoglio continues to stand the test of time as a true performance car.”