These are the times we live in. Why highlight the SUV's off-road capabilities when we can highlight its capabilities on… asphalt circuits? THE Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio set three records as the fastest SUV on three historic UK circuits: Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Donington Park.
The Italian SUV, with professional driver David Brise at its command, made 2min 31.6s on the Silverstone Formula 1 circuit; 55.9s on the Indy circuit at Brands Hatch; and 1min 21.1s in Donington Park.
We already knew that the Stelvio Quadrifoglio was fast — it was the fastest SUV in “green hell” until the GLC 63 S robbed it of its title — but considering its “firepower”, it's no wonder its performance.
Under the bonnet we find a 2.9 V6 twin turbo “by” Ferrari, capable of delivering 510 hp and 600 Nm , transmitted to all four wheels via an automatic eight-speed transmission, which catapults the 1,905 kg to 100 km/h in a mere 3.8s and up to 283 km/h — impressive, without a doubt…
More impressive, perhaps, is its ability to turn and brake, despite being an SUV. It's a devastatingly effective weapon, even when the objective is to attack circuits where, out of habit, you'll find rolling creatures closer to the ground and not so bulky.
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The Carwow publication's 2018 “Driver's car” title, leaving behind cars like the Mazda MX-5 or the Honda Civic Type R, says a lot about the machine that is the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.
Stay with the videos of the three records:
silverstone
Brands Hatch — Indy
Donington Park