2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Video: Does a Track-Day SUV Make Sense? Who Cares?

CARS.COM — We recently got a chance to push the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio around the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, the only Formula One track in the United States and … we’re not mad about it. Not mad at all.

Related: First Drive: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Is the SUV for Racetracks

First: It’s incredibly unlikely anyone who purchases a Stelvio Quadrifoglio will ever take their SUV and flog it around a track on the weekends. It’s heavier than Alfa’s Giulia Quadrifoglio by around 500 pounds; it’s taller; and it doesn’t have all the active aerodynamic features or carbon-fiber parts available on the sedan.

And yet! It’s possibly the best performance SUV we’ve driven on tracks so far. Sharing the same platform as the Giulia gives the Stelvio a significant track advantage, as does the combination of its twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V-6 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. That 505 horsepower and 443 pounds-feet of torque certainly doesn’t hurt, either.

Carbon-ceramic brakes are optional, and while they’re great for those track days the Stelvio Quadrifoglio will probably never see, in daily driving they can be incredibly noisy. We recommend sticking with the standard steel Brembo-brand brakes, which are more than strong enough for regular use.

You can find more of our thoughts regarding the Stelvio Quadrifoglio in the video below — and be sure to listen a few times just to get your fix of that sweet, sweet exhaust note. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio goes on sale soon and starts at just under $82,000.

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