What's the news?
The forthcoming performance version of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, called the Quadrifoglio to keep it in line with the company's historic use of the 'cloverleaf' for its faster cars, has set a new record lap time for production SUVs at the fabled Nürburgring circuit.
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio slapped in a 7min 51.7sec circumnavigation of the track, which slashes eight seconds off the previous production SUV benchmark set by the Range Rover Sport SVR.
Even more incredibly, the Stelvio's time is bang on a par with a standard BMW M4 Coupe and only 20 seconds behind its closely-related Giulia Quadrifoglio stablemate, with which it shares an engine.
The engine in question is the 2.9-litre, twin-turbo, all-aluminium, direct-injection V6 which churns out 510hp and 600Nm, driving all four wheels on the Stelvio through an eight-speed automatic 'box. That Q4 all-wheel drive is perhaps what keeps the taller and heavier Stelvio in touching distance of the Giulia QF, which is rear-driven.
Thus, the improved traction of the Stelvio QF allowed Italian driver Fabio Franca to really lean on the SUV and set the lap record around the 12.9-mile German circuit, and he's the bloke also responsible for hurling the Giulia QF around the same track in 7min 32sec.
Alfa says the Stelvio QF has a 50:50 weight distribution, as well as four-mode Alfa DNA Pro drive selection (including Race mode), a torque-vectoring differential, Quadrifoglio-tuned adaptive suspension and cylinder deactivation to maximise fuel efficiency.
The Italian firm also says ultra-lightweight carbon fibre-shell Sparco racing seats and carbon-ceramic brakes from Brembo will be part of the package of options available for the hottest Stelvio.
Anything else?
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio should join the regular line-up in 2018 here in Ireland and, if you can't stand the agonising wait for that, then you can have a look at the Alfa's rapid lap right here.
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