Vehicle: 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Q4

Goal: The Giulia has excellent handling and punch, but I always question the gulf in Alfa’s performance range. Regardless of what trim the 2L Giulia comes in, the power figures remain the same. So, we decided to do something about that, in moderation, of course. Approaching the task as the average enthusiast, refraining from going all out with a massive 430hp turbo and supporting mods, we decided to perfect the car’s fantastic daily driver characteristics.

Summary: 

We recently completed the installation of the Muchboost 330hp turbo and can confirm fit and finish are identical to factory spec units. Replacing the turbo on the Giulia reaffirms the belief that engineers are utterly unaware that technicians exist, much less the typical owner may want to work on their own car. The space is cramped and filled with sharp, pointy things, which, in our example, show signs of a semi-violent struggle. Splatters of blood and chunks of skin adorn the space, and I needed a tetanus shot anyway, so it worked out.

With a fresh band-aid over my injection site, the blood and flesh hosed off, and the turbo mounted, we installed a DICorse downpipe we grabbed from Robert Zecca and a Sprint Filter drop-in. We uploaded the custom tune from our Master Tuner Dotto Giotto. Taking to the streets to verify our installs, we got the car nice and warm to check for leaks, the liquid form (oil and coolant), and the boost type. After detecting the sounds of a faint boost leak, which I initially confused with a band of rabid crickets, we returned to the garage and tightened the clamp on the turbo.

With the binding complete, we set off again, experienced no further issues with boost leaks or infestation, and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. Obviously, the Giulia feels better and pulls harder with improved throttle response and more torque. The car no longer starts dropping gears at the drop of your foot; instead, it whisks you along effortlessly, as it should.

The turbo noise under load is present but not obtrusive. It makes just enough noise to let you know it’s there for you, doing due diligence, blowing on the engine like a mother blowing on a freshly earned ‘owie.’ If you’re a car guy, you will love it. If you’re not, what are you even doing with your life?

So far, the upgrades on the Project Giulia are nearly perfect. We will continue to monitor and log data, working with Dotto to ensure all is well and that we’re optimizing the potential of our newest addition. Stay tuned, as our next update will cover heat management.