The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is a car built with passion. As with any performance car, the target audience is enthusiasts. The car’s Italian heritage and devilishly good design don’t hurt either. It also has the distinction of being one of the few cars that can take on two different generations of the M3 and hold up more or less as well as anything else. And this despite small changes to the Alfa over the course of its decade of production – and a major generational change in BMW land. According to recent reports, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is actually returning after a hiatus. Should BMW be worried? More importantly, does this really mean anything for M3 buyers?
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio returns: What you should know
Production of the hot Giulia technically ended in September, but Alfa actually brought the car from the US a year early. A current interview with Autocar revealed that the Giulia Quadrifoglio will at least return to the UK market in April 2026. Technically, there’s no word on a US release yet, but we’re assuming it’s a 50/50 shot. Accordingly Engine1Alfa claims the regular Giulia will remain in production until at least the end of 2027. The car returns as Alfa reworks the successor vehicle(s) to incorporate an internal combustion engine. Alfa’s original plans called for a purely electric car replacement.
Quadrifoglio vs. G80: Now and the future
What does this really mean for the BMW M3? The two cars are hardly incomparable; In fact, we’ve already looked at how the car compares to the G80 M3 and F80 M3. We test drove the quad several times and found it to be the best to handle and control. The G80’s biggest weaknesses probably lie in where the Alfa excels: steering feel and aesthetics. At least from the outside, the Quadrifoglio still looks good ten years after its debut. Meanwhile, the G80 continues to polarize, even despite a mid-life refresh that included a slight facelift. The G80 will always be faster in a straight line (with or without all-wheel drive). But that’s not always important for enthusiasts.
It’s clear that the Quad is a close rival. Ultimately, that’s great — it’s another choice for performance sedan buyers, a segment with only a limited candidate pool. Of course, Alfa doesn’t sell nearly as many Giulia Quadrifoglios as BMW M3s; Statistics suggest that only around 2,000 Giulia Quadrifoglios changed hands between 2017 and 2023, a literal fraction of the number of M3s sold at the same time. So it’s safe to speculate that the Giulia’s reintroduction won’t play a major role in BMW’s bottom line.
A look into the future: The next-generation M3 arrives sometime in 2028, reportedly with gasoline and electric models. The future looks similar for the Quadrifoglio; Back in March, Alfa Romeo’s marketing and communications director claimed the car needed a “roar,” which strongly suggested an internal combustion engine. However, Alfa’s affiliation with Stellantis means that the future is almost always uncertain. For this reason alone, we think purchasing (or at least test driving) a Giulia Quadrifoglio is a great option if it otherwise fits into your car buying plans. Gas-powered M3s aren’t going away any time soon; Who knows if the next Giulia will even make it into production, let alone drive anywhere near as well as the current one?
