This isn’t going to be fun for the new BMW M3, nor any brand purists. Personally, I’m on record claiming that I think the new G80 M3 is going to be a dynamite car to drive, one that’s so good it will completely overshadow its bizarre looks. Having said that, in a photo comparison like this, the new styling has no driving dynamics to hide behind. Especially when it goes up against the prettiest sedan in the segment –the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.

While I’ve personally driven the Giulia Quadrifoglio several times, none of us have driven the M3 yet, so we’re not going to comment on how the two cars will compete on the road. All we can do at this point is compare their styling. So which is the prettier car?

Up front, it’s a bludgeoning. The Alfa is by far the prettier car. In fairness to the M3, the Alfa is far prettier up front than everything. But it’s especially pretty when you compare it to the new M3. The Alfa is genuinely gorgeous, with graceful, smooth and seductive lines, pretty headlights and a reasonably-sized grille. While the M3 is all punch-you-in-the-face, with an extremely oversized grille, angry headlights and massive air intakes. It admittedly looks better than we thought it would but it’s still not good looking enough to match up with the stunning Alfa.

I will admit that the BMW M3 fights back when you look at both cars from the side. The M3 has great proportions, the right stance and muscular surfaces. However, the Alfa is still the better looking car. It’s actually really close but the Alfa’s smooth lines and curvaceous shape gives it a much more exotic look. The BMW M3 looks cool in profile but the Alfa looks downright sexy.

Out back, it’s a closer matchup than from any other angle. Both cars have slim-ish taillights, similar rear spoilers and quad exhausts. I like the rear diffuser of the Alfa, which makes it seem sportier than the M3 but I’m actually gonna give the nod to the Bimmer from behind. The way its rear wheel arches flare out from behind give it a more athletic, menacing look than the Alfa.

On the inside, this is a bit interesting. The Alfa Romeo has more style. Its sculpted dashboard with contrast stitching looks really good. The way its infotainment screen is built into the dash is nicer looking than the Bimmer’s, its analog gauges are sportier and its steering wheel is far better looking, especially thanks to those big metal paddles. The M3’s cabin looks good, too, it’s just a bit boring. Aside from the cool color in these photos, there’s really nothing to stand out.

Having said that, in terms of quality and technology, the M3 squashes the Alfa like a bug. So it’s tough to make a call here; do you go with style over quality or vice versa? Because we’re not going to comment on driving dynamics, it’s likely not fair to comment on physical quality. So we’ll leave that for when we actually drive the two cars back-to-back. As for style, the Alfa’s steering wheel and awesome paddles give it the edge.

Overall, there’s really no question — the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is the better looking car. It’s a stunning thing that snaps heads of onlookers trying to get a glance at it. The new M3 is certainly better looking than most fans give it credit for but it’s not good looking enough to beat the Alfa in a beauty contest. Especially with its massive, controversial grille.

More importantly, though, the Alfa poses the M3’s biggest threat in terms of driving dynamics, as it’s absolutely brilliant to drive. However, I think this new M3, based on its specs and chassis improvements, might be able to take it down. Plus, it gets a manual and the Alfa doesn’t…