Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Luna Rossa review: not for the shy and retiring

What on earth has happened to that Giulia Quadrifoglio?

Ah yes, this is one of the crazy creations of Alfa and Maserati’s relatively new (and joint) ‘BOTTEGAFUORISERIE’ skunkworks division. You may know the ‘few-off’ folk from their work on the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale and the track-only Maserati MCXtrema, but what you’re looking at here is slightly more… cosmetic.

Quite something. What’s the reasoning behind it?

Well, it’s called the Giulia Quadrifoglio Luna Rossa, and it’s a limited-run special – based on the brilliant but also rather ancient sports saloon, of course – that pays tribute to the Italian sailing team of the same name. And yes, Alfa is one of its sponsors. How did you guess?

Just 10 will reach customers, although as you can see from the graphic on the dash, we’re driving a late prototype that’s described as number zero. Changes over the standard car include a hand-painted shiny silver finish that apparently mimics “the metallic effect of steel” and has been designed to replicate the colour of the Luna Rossa AC75 boat that competed in the 37th America's Cup back in 2024. Imagine trying to explain that to your mates down the pub.

Anyway, you can also opt for a two-tone livery with a matte black bonnet and bootlid, while special ‘Luna Rossa’ graphics run down the doors. Oh, and the badges get a new red background. The extra stickers you see here are because we drove and photographed the car while tracking the 2026 edition of the Mille Miglia. But yes, that is apparently how the repainted 19-inch wheels are supposed to look.

Talk to me about that wing…

Eye-catching, isn’t it? We’re told that the ‘dual profile’ design is to emulate the two hydrofoils that lift the sailboat out of the water and allow it to glide across the surface. Here of course it’s working the other way, and when combined with a few more carbon bits stuck onto the sills and front bumper, Alfa says that the Luna Rossa can generate up to five times more downforce than a regular Giulia Quadrifoglio. You’re looking at around 140kg at its top speed of 186mph.

The kit also cleans up the air and reduces turbulence though, so we’re promised the “excellent original balance” of the standard car and just a 5mph hit on the top whack. Another one you can attempt to explain down the local.

Any changes to the way it drives?

Well, even though it was originally released before Homer penned his screenplay for Christopher Nolan – and even with the mid-engined 33 Stradale in the frame – the Giulia Quadrifoglio remains the very best car that Alfa Romeo makes.

Thankfully, the shouty BOTTEGAFUORISERIE gang clearly agreed, because mechanically they’ve mostly left the car alone. That means you still get a twin-turbo V6 up front with 513bhp being sent to the rear wheels through a ZF eight-speed auto gearbox and – as of a mid-life update back in the year 1066 – a proper mechanical limited-slip diff. Nice.

Same brakes as standard. Same suspension setup too, although that was also tweaked with the hot Giulia’s facelift and means it's the most comfortable super saloon on the market. Plus, you’ve got the ‘bumpy road’ button if you feel the need to soften it further.

The brakes could do with a bit more bite for big stops, but through corners you get wonderful feedback from the steering and excellent rear-drive balance.

How’s that engine?

It’s a strange world where just over 500bhp doesn’t actually feel like a huge amount, but the Luna Rossa is still a very quick car. The 0-62mph sprint takes 3.9 seconds, but the V6 only really gets into its stride (and really starts to sing through the Akrapovic exhaust) above 3,000rpm.

Almost more interesting to drive around a bit of turbo lag these days though, isn’t it? Plus, it means you’ll use those gorgeous wheel-mounted paddles and the gearbox’s manual mode more often. Said ‘box can be a little lazy when left to its own devices.

Anything new inside?

See that funky striped trim on the dash? That’s a wafer-thin piece of the actual Luna Rossa’s sail, which has been machined and mounted inside with Luna Rossa logos and each car’s production number.

The seats are also the carbon-backed Sparcos that are usually optional on the V6 Giulia, but here they’re trimmed in a special material that’s designed to look and feel like the Personal Flotation Devices worn by the AC75’s crew. Alfa hasn’t confirmed whether they’re actually waterproof, but if they are this could be a viable alternative to the Honda Jazz Crosstar for those who suffer from a touch of incontinence.

Elsewhere you get plenty of carbon fibre trim in the Luna Rossa, and it all feels very 2010s with proper buttons, switches and dials for almost all the controls. Yes, you get digital dials and a laggy 8.8-inch touchscreen, but the latter can also be controlled using a proper rotary dial. This is how interiors are supposed to be laid out.

How much will it cost me?

Erm, well… you can’t have one. Unfortunately all 10 of the Luna Rossas were already spoken for when Alfa first showed it off publicly at the 2026 Brussels Motor Show. It didn’t even announce a price. You can still buy a standard Giulia Quadrifoglio though, and we should all do just that immediately.

Prices now start at £87,055, and it’s definitely prettier in a standard metallic shade and without the twin wings anyway. The standard car still gets a 9/10 over a decade after it was launched, but we’ll knock a point off the Luna Rossa just for those wheels…