The occasion was the prestigious FuoriConcorso 2025 event, held on May 24 and 25 on the shores of Lake Como in conjunction with the Villa d'Este Concours d'Elegance, that Santo Ficili, CEO of Alfa Romeo, lifted a corner of the veil on the future of Quadrifoglio versions. And if his statements are to be believed, performance enthusiasts will be in for some electrical surprises... as well as thermal ones.
Among the jewels on display, the very exclusive Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale rubbed shoulders with other emblematic models from the brand. But it was above all Ficili's intervention with the press, in particular "Motor1", that caught the eye. When asked about the future of the Quadrifoglio, he stated bluntly:
"We're going to surprise you, with electric and thermal."
A significant answer in a context where Alfa Romeo had initially announced an electric 100 % as early as 2027. The head of Alfa Romeo told the "alvolante" media that the brand is working to redefine the timetable for the combustion engine:
"As you know, we had gone in the direction of only having electric cars, instead we also have to develop combustion engines, for which we are defining a timetable."
Asked whether thermal power would return by 2026, Ficili was evasive:
"We'll let you know soon."
Towards a dual Quadrifoglio offering?
Does this mean that Alfa Romeo is preparing a dual Quadrifoglio version for future models: a hybrid version with an internal combustion engine (perhaps for the new-generation Giulia and Stelvio), and a 100 % electric version (like the one expected for the 33 Stradale)? Or that "thermal and electric" simply indicates a plug-in hybrid version.
The mystery remains, but one thing is certain: the internal combustion engine is still on the agenda. Santo Ficili has not confirmed which block will be used, but two candidates seem to stand out:
- the GME 3.0L 6 cylindersalready used in the United States on Dodge, Ram and Jeep models;
- the Nettuno 3.0L V6 from Maserati, notably fitted to the MC20 (and derived from the Alfa Romeo 2.9L V6).
In any case, hybridization is to be expected. And just in time: we revealed that Stellantis works with ZF to integrate a hybrid transmission on the STLA Large platform, which will serve as the basis for future top-of-the-range Alfa Romeo, Dodge and Jeep models.
ZF technology for added strength
ZF has developed the 8HP Gen 4 automatic gearbox, production of which has begun in Germany and will soon be manufactured in the USA. This transmission integrates a powerful electric motor in the gearbox housing, delivering up to 160 kW (218 hp) and 450 Nm of torque, performance worthy of an EV. Even better:
"Depending on the manufacturer and the battery used, an electric 100 % range of over 120 km is possible."
In other words, with this technology, Alfa Romeo could offer a high-performance plug-in hybrid Quadrifoglio, while retaining the sound, character and feel of a combustion engine. The best of both worlds?
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The Nettuno V6 is already available and manufactured in Italy, while the GME in-line 6-cylinder is in the USA, so I'd rather see the Italian engine in a hybrid version that can be used for future Maseratis, which seems logical to me.