Say the name "Alfa Romeo" to any car enthusiast and you're guaranteed to make them weak at the knees. The famous Italian carmaker has been churning out some of the most beautiful, exciting, and visceral cars in the world for its 105-year history, with a strong racing pedigree and an even stronger classic car market value.  In recent years, however, tumultuous times fell upon the marque, and besides a few exceptions, they were reduced to making just two hatchbacks for the last decade or so, neither of which were available in the U.S.  But under new Fiat-Chrysler ownership and the determined eye of CEO Sergio Marchionne, Alfa has its sights set on a full U.S. revival, with several new models entering the market in the coming years. The first of which was the raw and raucous 4C, by no means a perfect sports car, but one of the purest driving experiences that money can buy  Now, Alfa has a sports sedan to go toe-to-toe with the big boys from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Lexus, and Cadillac in the ultra-competitive compact luxury sedan market.  Meet the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia, a rip-roaring red Italian rocket with its sights set firmly on the 3 Series and C-Class. With bold, love-it-or-hate it styling, a suite of powerful engines, and all the Italian charm you could hope for, the Giulia looks to make Alfa Romeo a household name once again.  Alfa's gone for broke with the reveal of the Giulia, debuting only the "Quadrifoglio" (four-leaf clover) edition, featuring a 510-horsepower (!!!) Ferrari-designed V-6 similar to those found under the hood of the Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte. This pushes the Giulia along to 60-mph in just 3.9-seconds, quite a bit quicker than its German rivals.  On top of that, the Giulia sports lightweight construction through the use of carbon fiber and aluminum throughout the car, and boasts a perfect 50/50 weight distribution. And, thankfully, the Giulia will be offered in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive only. No worry of front-wheel-drive understeer ruining the party here.  We're firmly on the "love" side of the exterior design debate, but there are also many detractors. Love it or hate it, there's no desputing that the Giulia is distinctively different from all of its major competitors, and that could be its greatest triumph or its biggest downfall.  No word yet on when it will reach the U.S. or how much it will cost, but expect the Quadrifoglio to be similarly priced to the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63. Color us red with excitement!
Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has big plans for Alfa Romeo's revival, and it starts with the all-new Giulia sports sedan.