I’ve been wanting to compare the new BMW M3 Competition with the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio since the former hit the market. Alas, no Giulia has been available to test since then. So that means I have to defer to other journalists’ opinions, such as Carwow’s Mat Watson. In this new video, Watson compares the M3 with the Giulia but there’s a bit of a twist — it’s the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio GTAm.
For you BMW enthusiasts that aren’t up on your Alfa Romeo nomenclature, the GTAm is the fastest, most hardcore Giulia Quadrifoglio ever. It’s the “M3 CS” of Giulias, if you will. So it’s not exactly the fairest of fights. The BMW M3 Competition is a bit of an over-achiever but can it hang with something that’s been properly designed to much race tracks? Watson found out in this new comparison video.
To find out which was best, Watson put both cars on track, which is where the GTAm has its biggest advantage. For GTAm-duty, the Giulia Quadrifoglio was given a power bump to 540 horsepower, a wider rear wheel track, upgraded suspension, carbon ceramic brakes, adjustable aero, a roll cage, a rear seat-delete, and a diet.
Compared to the Alfa, the BMW M3 Competition is at a disadvantage. It makes less power, 503 horsepower, weighs more, lacks the exterior aero of the Alfa, and uses runs a aggressive tire. Naturally, those inherent disadvantages make it slower on track.
At the Bedford Autodrome, Watson set out in the Alfa Romeo first and set a lap time of 47.6 seconds. Afterward, he lapped the M3 Comp and saw a time of 48.1 seconds. While that half of a second might not seem like a lot, it actually is a decent time difference on such a short, technical track. However, the M3 did better than we thought, likely thanks to its mega power. BMW says it has 503 horsepower but anyone that’s driven one knows it pulls like a engine double its size.
After the track test, Watson also tested both cars to 60 mph and figured out which car he’d prefer to actually own. While the Alfa is faster on track, it’s also much more expensive and exclusive, while the M3 is cheaper, more comfortable, more usable, and almost as fast. So which is the one he’d own? Check it out.