Alfa Romeo previews new performance model for Geneva

Alfa Romeo has fuelled rumours that it's plotting a high-performance flagship version of its Giulia Quadrifolgio performance saloon with a new preview video.

Posted to Twitter, the clip confirms that Alfa Romeo will unveil an important new model at the Geneva motor show but gives no details about its design, purpose or name. An accompanying engine note, however, bears a strong similarity to that of the existing Giulia Quadrifoglio's 2.9-litre V6, suggesting it could be a new variant of the performance saloon.

An Alfa Romeo spokesperson told Autocar that more details will be given in the coming days.

Last month, US website Mopar Insiders reported that the Italian firm could revive its historic GTA nameplate for the new model, which is also expected to weigh around 20kg less than standard.

A new GTA would likely use an uprated version of the Quadrifoglio's V6 motor, with a quoted power figure of 612bhp representing a 114bhp boost over the current Quadrifoglio. This would give the new model a significant power advantage over its BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 rivals.

While Alfa Romeo sells the Quadrifoglio with a manual gearbox in the US, the new model will likely be sold exclusively with the eight-speed automatic 'box we get in Europe. Mopar Insiders says it is "unsure if the new hot four-door Giulia offering will make it to the shores of North America".

Rumours of the new super-saloon come just two months after Alfa Romeo stopped development of its long-awaited Giulia-based sports coupé, the GTV, and a successor to the 8C supercar.

Mike Manley, CEO of parent company FCA, told investors that the company's portfolio plan has been "significantly scaled back, with a corresponding reduction in capital spending". Shortly after, the 4C sports car was taken off sale.

Any new high-performance version of the Giulia can be expected to be sold in extremely limited numbers, as the company's five-year product plan, revealed in November, detailed just two new models: the Tonale compact SUV and a slightly larger B-segment model.

Currently, the most potent variant of the Quadrifoglio on sale is the limited-run Racing Edition, which carries a bespoke motorsport-inspired paint scheme and gains 10bhp over the standard model, thanks to an Akrapovič titanium exhaust system.