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As a styling effort, the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde managed to raise some eyebrows. Some criticize the Kia Optima-like taillights and stiff upper lip front fascia while others are madly in love with the exterior aesthetics. I’m with the latter, but I have to highlight that the Giulia overshadows the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V only slightly in terms of eye candy.But we’re not here to talk about which is the prettiest and which is the most fun to drive in the segment. The aim of this story is to clear some things up about. First of all, the cars showcased yesterday are rear-wheel drive and boast a 6-speed manual with a short-throw gear lever.All the primary controls are built into the steering wheel, including things like the ignition switch. So Ferrari like. On the central transmission tunnel, there are two rotary controls: Alfa Romeo’s DNA switch that now features a RACE mode, joined by an iDrive-like control wheel for the media system.Believe it or not, the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia QV employs carbon fiber for the Brembo brakes, hood, roof, driveshaft, and the frame of the seats. The lightweight yet strong diet continues with aluminum and composite materials used to manufacture the entire engine lineup, brake calipers, front strut suspension, front and rear chassis bits and bobs, the body shell, doors, fenders, bumpers, and the rear crossbar.Regarding the engine, the 3.0 twin-turbo V6 with 510on tap doesn’t have anything in common with the 410 HP 3-liter TT V6 employed by the Maserati Ghibli. To differentiate these two better, we’ll mention two details. First and foremost, Ferrari developed both force-fed six-cylinder powerplants. For the Alfa Romeo Giulia, we’re talking about a 90-degree cylinder bank angle, cylinder deactivation technology, and a design loosely inspired by the 3.9L TT V8 of the Ferrari 488 GTB.In the Maserati Ghibli V6’s case, we’re talking about a 60-degree cylinder bank angle, no cylinder deactivation tech and no 488 GTB-inspired design, even though the engine was engineered by Ferrari. The all-aluminum motor under the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV’s bonnet enables the car to run the 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in 3.9 seconds. Thanks to a mass of 1,525 kg (3,362 lbs) and a perfect 50/50 weight distribution between the axles, this is an extremely capable compact executive sedan focused on go-faster attributes.The Italian company promises extremely enticing things: segment-leading torsional rigidity and the most direct steering feel in its class. As an added bonus, there’s a torque vectoring system with a double clutch on the menu, allowing the rear differential to split the engine's torque between the rear wheels.Then there’s the Integrated Brake system, which is detailed by Alfa Romeo as “an innovative electromechanical system which combines stability control and a traditional servo-brake for instantaneous brake response and consequent record-breaking stopping distances in addition to the all-important weight optimization.” Whatever you say, Alfa.Last but not least, skip to the 24-second mark of the video below. See that lower apron move up and down? It’s the Active Aero Splitter, a system that resembles the aero-conscious rubber skirt of a. In the 2016 Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio Verde’s case, the apron moves independently according to driving conditions, offering more downforce and better grip at high speeds.