THIS car is a well-timed reminder of just why I wanted to do this job in the first place.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got the best job in the world.
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But cars are becoming boringly identikit these days: SUV, hybrid or EV robot, and many of them are the same car in a different frock as global firms club together to save money.
Thankfully, Alfa didn’t get the memo because it has just wheeled out the limited-edition Giulia GTA and GTAm.
Ah, my days. Lighter, louder and faster than the already brilliant Giulia Quadrifoglio and as fit as a butcher’s.
The GTAm — the one we’ve tested here — is basically a road-legal racing car.
Large rear wing, single-nut wheel like F1 cars, wider track, aero tweaks from Sauber, polycarbonate back windows, carbon-fibre everything, and a roll cage with fire extinguisher in place of the back seats.
Racing car with number plates.
After a quick play, I returned home and opened my front door. Instead of going straight in, I stopped to take a look.
I can’t remember the last time when that happened.
The word “headturner” is overused these days but this one really is.
And here’s another thing I haven’t done in a while. I got up at 5am when the rest of the family was still sleeping to go out on the open roads.
It was worth it — and it leads me nicely to the heart of this car.
Quadrifoglio, a Ferrari engine with two cylinders cut off, is a less-standard version.
GTAm is powered by the same twin-turbo V6 2.9-litre engine, but it has been increased to 540hp with 30 more horses.
Last dance
All that power goes to the rear wheels, so don’t be surprised if you get the wheels spinning in third.
You’re fast and entertaining. Very.
It is very responsive and almost telepathic. You can feel its lightness and rigidity when you rush it.
Saying all that, you’d expect the GTAm to be impossible to live with, day to day.
But it’s not. It soaks up all our bumps and holes, no matter what they are called, whether it’s a B-road or a city road. This was a wonderful surprise.
However, I have some quibbles.
The seatbelt alarm. It is annoying, as we all know. I strapped myself in with the racing harnesses but because the normal seatbelt wasn’t connected, the “Bong, bong, bong!” wouldn’t stop. So I ended wearing both.
It’s perfect.
Then there’s the price. The GTAm costs £153k and the GTA — smaller rear wing, rear seats, no roll cage — is £149k.
A Quadrifoglio can be purchased for half the price. Alfa will still be able to sell 500 cars, and it should be commended for giving us one more dance with a pure-combustion engine.
The GTAm is my ideal halo car.
Ninety-nine-point-nine per cent of people who want one will never get close to one — but it will turn them on to the Alfa badge.
I’ll finish with a true story. My brother’s missus had a deposit ready for a Jaguar F-Pace. But after ten minutes in the GTAm, there’s now a Stelvio sat on their drive.
That’s the power of cars such as this.
Can’t see us saying that in ten years’ time.
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KEY FACTS: ALFA ROMEO GIULIA GTAm
Price: £153,480
Engine: 2.9-litre V6 turbo
Power: 540hp, 600Nm
0-62mph: 3.8 secs
0-124mph: 11.9 secs
Top speed: 186mph
Economy: 26mpg
CO2: 244g/km
Out: Now