Alfa Romeo is getting ready to launch their first high performance model in years, Giulia QV in Australia.

Scheduled to hit dealers in February, the car is carrying a starting price of AU$143,900 (equal to USD $103,825), plus on-road costs, which means that it’s roughly AU$4,000 (US$2,886) more expensive than the equivalent BMW M3, but AU$11,000 (US$7,937) cheaper than the Mercedes-AMG C63 S.

The range-topping Giulia comes with numerous technology and driver assist equipment, but the highlight is the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, which was co-developed with Ferrari, paired to an eight-speed automatic. It pushes out 503 horsepower and 600 Nm (442 lb-ft) of torque to the rear wheels, allowing the QV to accelerate from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.9 seconds, before topping out at 305 km/h (190 mph).

In this form, the impressive Italian machine holds the Nurburgring lap record for production sedans at 7 minutes and 32 seconds, but it’s not just fast, as it turns out to be safe too, after achieving the top rating in Euro NCAP’s tests.

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