Manhart QV 600 Is An Alfa Romeo Giulia With An Upgraded 653HP Turbo V6 Engine

The Manhart QV 600 is what happens when brilliant German minds clash with Italian soul and artistry. Without question, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is an excellent sports sedan, and the Giulia GTA and GTAm are not bad, either. But then again, the Manhart QV 600 is a more hardcore interpretation of the Giulia QV, and it starts with a thing that matters most: having tons of power.

Manhart treated the Giulia's 2.9-liter V6 engine with updated turbochargers and new downpipes with less-restrictive 200-cell catalytic converters, enough to unleash 653 horsepower and 582 pound-feet of torque, 150 more horses than a stock Giulia QV and 100 more than in the Giulia GTA and GTAm.

Unfortunately, Manhart failed to divulge the performance numbers, although we reckon the QV 600 is a scorcher. For the record, the Giulia GTA is 100 kilos lighter than a standard Giulia QV and rushes from zero to 60 mph in a scant 3.6-seconds. Since the Manhart QV 600 has more horses under the hood, we won't be surprised if it goes from zero to hero in three seconds flat, enough to send shivers up the spine of BMW M3 Competition owners.

All that power goes to the rear wheels via the Giulia's stock eight-speed automatic gearbox. The brakes, too, are left stock, but Manhart fitted the car with lowered suspension and extra-wide 20-inch wheels (8.5-inches wide at the front and 10-inches at the back) wrapped in ultra-high performance rubber.

Meanwhile, the exterior has bespoke livery with matte black racing stripes and contrasting yellow accents. Of course, the car has QV 600 badging to tell other drivers you're behind the wheel of the most powerful Alfa Romeo Giulia ever made. We can do without the yellow accents, thank you very much, but the execution is tasteful and surprisingly subtle, nevertheless.

Manhart is only making ten examples of the QV 600, and each will have base prices at around $139,000 before taxes. It's a lot of money for an Alfa Giulia, but it costs less than a Giulia GTA ($268,000) or GTAm ($288,000).

What's more, Alfa has sold out all 500 limited-edition models of the Giulia GTA and GTAm. There's currently a reserve list for interested clients if any of the 500 initial buyers decide to cancel their orders. If you can't wait, the Manhart QV 600 is the next best thing.