The legend of Alfa Romeo isn’t one that’s celebrated enough today, having competed in motor racing for more than 110 years and as the original automaker behind the Scuderia Ferrari racing team, but its latest collaboration is a nod to the glory days of coachbuilt track cars. The recently announced Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato is a celebration of a century of collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Zagato, both Italian experts in their craft that have created nearly two dozen works of automotive art since the 1920s.
The Giulia SWB Zagato is based on the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio performance model, which is one of the fastest five-door vehicles in the world and the most powerful sports sedan from Alfa Romeo to date. However, the Zagato has been altered to feature a short wheelbase (where we get the SWB in its name) and boasts a muscularly contoured carbon fibre exterior that is the speciality of the Italian coachbuilder.
Beneath the gleaming green exterior is a veritable powerplant of an engine, as the tuned twin-turbo 2.9-litre V-6 which can deliver 533 track-ready horsepower, translating into a mid-three second 0-100km/h. Mated to a six-speed gearbox, Alfa Romeo also claims the Giulia SWB Zagato is capable of a quarter mile in less than 12 seconds.
RELATED: A Southern Highlands Road Trip In The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
Further design elements include the “double bubble” roof that is a Zagato signature, the distinct Alfa Romeo front grill and the boxy rear end. Inside, you’ll find a consistent colour scheme with what you see outside, with ample carbon fibre panelling and leather upholstery all finished in black with green highlights.
If you like what you see, we’ve got the unfortunate news that the Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato is a unique build for a German Alfa Romeo client, which only goes to make the car all the more special. While the reputation of Alfa Romeo as a heart-racing automaker might not be where it was in the past, this project is proof that the Italian flame is still burning and just needs a little oxygen to put out serious heat.
