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2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Road Test | The driver's choice becomes less compromised

The 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio marks the third model year of the Italian SUV. And every time we’ve driven it, weÂ’ve come away smitten with its driving dynamics but disappointed in areas of technology and finish. So, Alfa Romeo has made some changes, upgrading some interior pieces, revamping the infotainment system and upgrading the driver assist systems. Wisely, everything mechanical has been left alone. The result: This is the best version of arguably the best-driving performance crossover on the market. But it still has room for improvement that could continue to sway some buyers to the competition. WeÂ’ll start with a recap of the best part of this crossover: how it drives. The now famed Ferrari-derived 505-horsepower V6 is the headline grabber, for good reason. It delivers loads of power and does so smoothly and across most of the rev band. It sounds great when driving in Dynamic or Race mode. The transmission itÂ’s connected to, an eight-speed automatic, shifts smoothly and reasonably quickly, but some of the competition can crack off shifts faster. But what really makes the Quadrifoglio shine is the combined capability of the chassis and all-wheel-drive system. They provide enormous amounts of grip and a neutral feeling that encourages you to keep adding power through every corner. It feels light and responsive, more like a car than a crossover. ThereÂ’s a bit more body roll than you might expect for such a serious sporting machine, but itÂ’s not unwelcome. It gives the Stelvio a fluid, lively feel, not unlike what you would find in a Miata, which is also slightly roly-poly. The Stelvio is never upset by bumps, either, and the ride ranges from compliant to bouncy depending on the driving mode. The steering in Dynamic and Race mode is extremely well-weighted and progressive, though in Normal mode, itÂ’s a bit light and numb. On the whole, though, the Alfa is wonderful to drive. Nevertheless, itÂ’s also a luxury crossover starting at over $80,000, so it canÂ’t just drive well. It needs to provide a premium experience with plenty of gizmos to justify the price. In this area, the Quadrifoglio makes a solid initial impression. Every surface is covered in either leather or carbon fiber, and features double stitching at every seam. It looks and feels lovely. The interiorÂ’s crown jewels, though, are the huge aluminum shifter paddles.

2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray vs the world: How it compares on paper

The 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray in its base form offers an astonishing amount of performance for the money. In fact, so impressive is the car's spec sheet that the Corvette kind of exists in two different competitive sets: one of cars priced similarly, and another with cars of similar performance and reputation. To get a feel for how it handles each of these segments, we've compiled specifications for those two sets of players. You can find the first set below, which looks at cars of roughly the same price point. Following that is a bit of analysis, and then there's a chart of cars with similar performance and reputation. And that chart will also have some analysis. Though final pricing for the Corvette hasn't been announced yet, we know the Corvette will start at less than $60,000. And as far as pricing goes, its closest competitor is the Porsche 718 Cayman, which also starts at just under $60,000. Both are mid-engined and rear-drive, but the Corvette offers an extra 195 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque. The Cayman does boast a curb weight of right around 3,000 pounds, so it weighs a few hundred pounds less than the Corvette, but it's likely not enough to make up for the power deficit. The Corvette's sub-3.0-second 0-60 time bears this out against the Cayman's best 4.5-second run. Impressively, though, the Cayman has more cargo space than the Corvette in a package that's nearly 10 inches shorter. The Cayman also still offers a manual option for those that prefer self-shifting. The 2020 Toyota Supra is on the cheap end of this sports car class, just crossing $50,000. It also boasts more power than the Cayman, though it's still down by 160 ponies and 105 pound-feet of torque to the C8. It's also about as roomy as the Corvette, despite being about the same size as the Cayman. Cargo space is a bit tighter. Its driving characteristics will likely differ, too as the Supra sits on a front-engine platform. It might even feel closer to a C7 Corvette in some ways. The other mid-engine entry in this price range is the 2019 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. Its small 1.7-liter turbo inline-4 only makes 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, but it's also far and away the lightest of this group at 2,487 pounds. That's roughly 1,000 pounds lighter than the Corvette. It isn't as fast as the Corvette in a straight line, but that lightness surely pays dividends in cornering and braking.

Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato briefly teased, could be a coupe

Earlier this month, Alfa Romeo and Zagato teased the upcoming Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato with a single image of an unbroken LED taillight outlining what looked like a Kamm-back rear end. Zagato recently published a few more teasers to its Instagram page, but someone might have pressed the Send button too soon — the video and images are gone from the source. No matter, because this is the internet. The new shots hint at something that could justify Alfa Romeo boss Jean-Philippe Imparato's assessment that the vehicle will be "very exciting, very selective, and very expensive." The image with the carbon-backed driver's seat contains a new rear window shutline and a crossbar. The redrawn glasshouse leads us to believe this will be a coupe, making the most of that Short Wheelbase designation. Some have called the crossbar a roll cage, but it looks to us like the kind of brace used in some cars that omit their rear seats, like the original Bentley Continental GT Supersports. The engine shot doesn't give anything away except the Quadrifoglio badge. The twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 could come with the same 505 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque as the Giulia Quadrifoglio, it could be uprated to the 532 hp and 442 lb-ft of the special edition Giulia GTAm, or, as buyers would hope, it could go beyond that. We'd expect the output to be sent through Alfa's eight-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential.  Zagato standards like new mesh vents and a vented hood make their appearances elsewhere. The grille gets printed with a stylized version of the red cross and crowned viper in Alfa Romeo's logo between the tri-section headlights that should debut on the facelifted Giulia. In back, a closer shot of the taillights gives away segments between LEDs, so the rear end won't be a continuous clamshell piece like the vintage Giulia TZ and Giulia TZ2. Detail bits like a carbon fiber front splitter and another take on the five-leaf-clover wheels from the Giulia GTA will make for dark and shiny jewelry.  The Giulia TZ debuted in 1963, the Giulia SWB Zagato will be the 50th birthday present to the original. Market launch is rumored to come in March next year, an official debut should come not long before that.