Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio Engine Being Discontinued: What Should Come In Its Place?

The Giulia and Stelvio make up two-thirds of Alfa Romeo’s U.S. lineup, and here’s the other new Alfa you can buy: tonal. The Giulia and Stelvio, both sedans and SUVs, are attractive, luxurious vehicles with a variety of different equipment levels to choose from. The Giulia and Stelvio are available in the Quadrifoglio trim level, a name that traces its origins back to the race-winning Alfas of the 1920s. The Stelvio and Giulia Quadrifoglio are powered by a twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 sourced from Ferrari – a high-horsepower engine that gives them a unique character in their class.

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The V6 produces 505 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, providing competitive acceleration times among its high-performance rivals. Unfortunately, the 2.9-liter V6 has seen its last days. The final-edition versions of the Stelvio and Giulia were announced earlier this year, and their arrival marked the end of production for the Quadrifoglio engine. The Quadrifoglio Super Sport is a limited-edition version of both the sedan and SUV, limited to 72 Giulias and 52 Stelvios in the United States, powered by the 2.9-liter V6, and the final song for the Quadrifoglio as we know it. However, Alfa hasn’t announced what will replace it. Instead, they’ve hinted at an electric future for the Quadrifoglio, which opens up all sorts of possibilities. In the meantime, we’re curious to see what that means exactly.

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Before I say goodbye twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6Let’s rev it for a minute. It revs incredibly fast, makes all sorts of delightful noises and will definitely be missed. The V6 takes much of its architecture from Ferrari’s F154 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8, and both are all-aluminium engines that use a 90-degree V-shaped layout. The Alfa Romeo engine also uses single turbos rather than twin turbos (as the Ferrari engine does), meaning most of the power is produced at the top of the rev range. It’s an enjoyable experience to put your foot on the gas and rev the engine all the way to redline – just make sure you have plenty of road ahead of you.

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Inside Car and Driver in testing, the Giulia Quadrifoglio accelerated from zero to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and crossed the quarter-mile mark in 11.9 seconds at 121 mph. Give the Giulia just over 20 seconds and it will hit 150 mph. But the Giulia is rear-wheel drive only—which limits its acceleration off the line. Using the same power and all-wheel drive, the Stelvio is even quicker. Car and Driver testThe Stelvio Quadrifoglio accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in a surprisingly quick 3.3 seconds and does the quarter mile in 11.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 116 mph. It takes 23.9 seconds for the Stelvio to reach 150 mph, a bit slower than the Giulia, but still a level of acceleration that would easily challenge most sports cars on today’s roads.

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So, the V6 is fast and furious, but what will replace it? A hybrid or fully electric powertrain seems likely. That may frustrate some Alfa enthusiasts, but it seems inevitable that the future of performance vehicles will be at least partially electric. Alfa Romeo North America Senior Vice President and President Larry Dominique said Alfa’s future is electric. He called the twin-turbo V6 “a fitting final chapter of the internal combustion engine Quadrifoglio in the U.S.,” but before you get too worried about how “electric” can mean both hybrid and fully electric when it comes to a vehicle’s powertrain. An ultra-fast EV that offers extra battery power to an already powerful powertrain or a high-performance hybrid could both be viable choices.

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Stellantis, which owns Alfa Romeo, also owns several other automotive brands both in the United States and around the world. In America, Stellantis brands such as Jeep and Dodge may provide Alfas with several hybrid powertrains (plug-in hybrids Cowboy 4xe And Ramcharger (comes to mind), but these aren’t spicy enough to power a Quadrifoglio. Whatever powers the latest Quadrifoglio needs to be inspiring. The Quadrifoglio should be the fast, engaging model in the range, focusing on driving dynamics rather than maximum efficiency – even if it does have a bit of added electricity. For that, it’s worth looking into some of the non-Alfa Romeo engines that future Quads could have access to – especially in Europe.

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Ferrari is no longer part of the Stellantis empire, so it’s unlikely that a Ferrari powertrain will find its way into the new Quad models. Of course, that’s where the facts end and the fun speculation begins. Here, we can speculate (and hopefully a little) on what might find its way into the Quadrifoglio’s engine bay. Maserati is another Stellantis-owned brand, and the Grecale’s powertrain would be a perfect fit for the Alfa Quadrifoglio models. According to Maserati, the Grecale’s 48-volt mild hybrid system works in conjunction with a four-cylinder engine to deliver thrilling performance – a perfect recipe for the Alfa, too.

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The ultra special Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is another potential (albeit less likely) option for an engine donation. It uses a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 that could be right up there under the hood of the Quad, producing 600 horsepower. Pair it with one of Stellantis’ 21kW eDCT systems and you have a more powerful, electric version of the Stradale with stratospheric horsepower. But the Stradale is also available as an EV with more than 750 horsepower – certainly enough to make any Giulia or Stelvio Quadrifoglio model feel seriously spry. Personally, I believe the Grecale’s powertrain is more likely, but if we’re dreaming, why not dream big?