The Giulia QV caught my eye when it was first released.. Since 2017, Ive been driving my M2 and loving it, but Ive always had my eye on that Alfa. Stories and accounts of reliability issues always kept me away, but I couldnt get the reports of its sublime handling and awesome engine out of my mind. So a recent online search turned up a gorgeous brand new '23 Ocra colored Giulia at a dealer an hour away, so yesterday I went to see it, and they let me drive it! I was blown away. Ive only owned manual transmission BMW M cars since 1999, and this was a totally different experience. First thing I noticed was the steering. Not heavy and dull like the bimmers, but light, direct, and accurate. Second was that sublime engine note. Third was the raw power. The sales guy had me come to a stop, floor it, and then brake as hard as I could.. WOW. The power/boost doesnt really hit til ~3k rpms, but when it does, batten down the hatches. What a beast. Third was the transmission. I hadnt driven an automatic since the days when it was rightly called a slushbox.. This was so different.. Shifts were snappy whether I was upshifting or downshifting, manually or automatically.. Either way, I loved it. Fourth was that tri coat Ocra.. When the sun hits it, its unlike anything else.
But, alas, I didnt buy it.. I came real close, but there were some problems with the deal, and, I decided to wait for the 2024s. They werent taking deposits on them because they didnt have enough info, but I signed up for a slot once they get more info.. There even seems to be some question as to whether there even will be a 2024 model released or available, at least in the USA. That seems surprising given all the references to it on line, and major publications showing pictures and so on. So, Im taking a gamble. The Ocra '23 had been driven over a curb and the underside of the front carbon fiber splitter was badly scraped. Also, while not technically a demo, it was used to give test drives in, which in my mind, makes it less than brand new.. I know Im being picky, but I got some bad vibes from the dealership itself.. The deal he offered me wasnt terrible, but wasnt quite what I was led to believe from the website which advertised $5000 off, which turned out not to be the case at all. So, I wound up going to an Alfa/Ferrari dealer closer to home, which was a much nicer dealership, didnt bs me, and Im taking my chances there of being able to get a '24.
I really hope I dont regret not taking the Ocra one.. It was stunning, and the adage 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' didnt go unthought of.. Still, had I bought the '23 and the 24's did come out, I wouldnt have been happy.. Same thing happened to my M2 purchase. It was an LCI 2018 model, and next year, the M2 Competition was released, so I kind of wanted to avoid a repeat.
So, thats my saga. Im so impressed with this car and hope to be joining you lucky owners soon. Fingers crossed that they really do produce and release them to the USA.
