Giulia Quadrifoglio

Leave Cagliari on the SS195 and within the hour you are on the SP71, the ribbon of asphalt that climbs from Chia towards Capo Spartivento and Teulada: fast crests and dips, corners you can read from a distance, turquoise water flashing between the mastic bushes. It is exactly the kind of road where a rear-driven sports saloon is worth more than a supercar — you use all of the engine, all of the chassis, all of the time. We built our Cagliari–Chia–Villasimius itinerary around it.

Then there is the matter of the flag. Taking an Alfa Romeo with the Quadrifoglio on its wing along Italy's most beautiful coastline carries a flavour no rival from across the Alps can replicate. Delivery through our luxury car rental in Cagliari — at the airport, the port or your hotel — puts the south of the island within reach of your right foot from the very first minute.

The 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 does not sound like a German engine. Its voice is raspy and metallic, rising in pitch with real anger, and in Race mode — exhaust valves wide open — it fills the gorges of the Sulcis coast with a timbre you could identify blindfolded. The 510 hp arrive with ferocious progression: 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and a 307 km/h top speed that hints at how much aerodynamic work hides beneath the bodywork.

The Giulia's stroke of genius, though, is its steering: ultra-quick and light, it makes the saloon feel half a tonne leaner than the spec sheet admits. A carbon-fibre propshaft and a talkative rear axle complete a balance rare among four-doors, while the 8-speed automatic, in manual mode, bangs down through the gears behind aluminium paddles the length of your palm.

The green cloverleaf on a white field first appeared in 1923, when Ugo Sivocci painted it on his Alfa at the Targa Florio and drove it to victory. It has been the seal of the most extreme Alfa Romeos ever since — a century of racing condensed into a single emblem. On the Giulia, it marks the most powerful saloon the marque has ever built.

To explore the brand further, our Alfa Romeo rental in Sardinia page gathers the available cars; if you prefer to think in categories, there is our selection of high-performance saloons for rent. Check availability with our WhatsApp concierge, stating your dates and delivery point.