Launch :: Alfa reveals its new performance car-Giulia

The Alfa Romeo Giulia’s most sporty version will offer more power than rival models from BMW and Mercedes-Benz because it will use Maserati's Ferrari-derived 510-hp V-6 engine.

Dubbed the Giulia Quadrifoglio, the car was unveiled today at the Alfa Romeo museum in Arese, outside Milan. It will be the first Giulia variant to go on sale as Alfa emphasizes performance in a bid to gain an edge over its German premium rivals.

The Giulia Quadrifoglio will go on sale in Europe early next year and in the U.S. a few months later. Other Giulia versions will follow later, including all-wheel-drive models and diesels for Europe.

The car “embodies the core elements which have made Alfa Romeo one of the world's best-loved automotive brands -- distinctive Italian design; innovative powertrains, perfect weight distribution, unique technical solutions and the best weight-to-power ratio," Alfa Romeo said in a statement.

The Giulia Quadrifoglio (cloverleaf in Italian) is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter engine used in the Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans.

The car delivers 85 hp more power than the BMW M3 (425 hp), which is also is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter engine.

The hottest variant of the Mercedes-Benz C class, called AMG C63 S, has the same power as its Alfa rival, but uses a much larger engine: a twin-turbocharged 4.0 liter V-8.

The C class with an engine comparable in size to the Giulia Quadrifoglio's is the C-450 AMG, which has a 3.0-liter V-6 turbocharged engine that delivers 367 hp.

Audi does not offer a direct competitor to the Giulia Quadrifoglio at the moment.

The Giulia Quadrifoglio has the fastest acceleration in its class. The car goes 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds, compared with the BMW M3’s 4.1 seconds and 4 seconds for the Mercedes AMG C63 S.The Alfa will be offered only with rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission. A carbon fiber hood and roof help reduce weight to about 3,300 pounds.

The sedan is the first model in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ 5 billion euro relaunch plan for Alfa that aims to increase the money-losing brand's annual global sales to 400,000 by 2018 from 70,000 last year.