Alfa Giulia - No Manual?

"rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S" (rb1971)
11/11/2016 at 09:59 • Filed to: None

Jeez, I get busy at work for a couple of weeks and leave the country and you guys can’t be trusted not to screw things up without my soothing presence in your midst?

I am talking of course about the decisions not to offer a manual in the Alfa Romeo Giulia QF in the USA. So annoying.

In fact, I’m so annoyed I just sent this email to Alfa USA along with my real contact info so they know I’m not kidding when I said I would buy one as soon as they are here:

“Dear Alfa - I just learned this morning that the Giulia QF will not be offered in the USA with a manual.

I am an enthusiast that is lucky to make a very nice living, and have owned many European performance cars in my life. I was very excited about the Alfa Romeo Giulia QF and when it was announced made the effort to be the first person on my local list so I would receive one of the first QFs in California.

My only requirement - more than color or equipment - was that the car have a manual transmission.

With the new announcement I am obviously gravely disappointed and will have to reconsider my next purchase. I have owned cars with automatics and automated manuals (including a Maserati Gran Turismo S with the F1 transmission, of which few were made), but while the computer might be faster than I am, driving those vehicles is not nearly as satisfying as driving a car with a true 3-pedal manual.

I know the opinion of one person probably will not sway a corporate decision, but I hope this information is passed on to the right people who might reassess this awful decision. I urge you to reconsider.

Thanks, John”

DISCUSSION (6)

Hot Takes Salesman > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
11/11/2016 at 10:16

Alfa’s response would be interesting.

“Thanks for the concern, one of the three people in the country who would actually buy this car with a manual.”

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > Hot Takes Salesman
11/11/2016 at 10:17

I’ll update the post if I hear anything. I expect something more like:

“Thank you for your interest in the Alfa Romeo Giulia! We have passed your contact information to your local dealers who have help you with your purchase.”

IE - not having read the letter at all.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
11/11/2016 at 10:27

Whelp, time to buy two - one in Europe, one here - sneak the Euro one to an unlicensed chop shop to get needed parts from and get 20% of your investment back (overnight the rest to Japan), slip the parts here in unmarked boxes in an entertaining Ocean’s Eleven style caper, and then find a deaf Italian mechanic who’s also a monk to reassemble things with no fear of discovery. Simple.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
11/11/2016 at 10:37

So I know that if they offer multiple transmissions as standard they have to go through the certification process for all engine and transmission combinations. What about if it was offered as a dealer installed option? Early Mini Cooper JCWs (fun fact: you could get a JCW kit for a base model Cooper through the 2004 model year, if someone could find me a kit they win a million internet points) up until the 2006 model year were not available from the factory but instead were Cooper S’s which were upgraded by your dealer at the time of delivery. I wonder if they could set up a program where they don’t really sell the manual in the US but you could instead have your dealer retrofit your car with a Euro transmission at the time of delivery.

rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S > TheTurbochargedSquirrel
11/11/2016 at 11:11

I’d pay more for a manual as an option. If they need to do it that way I’d be fine with that.

Svend > rb1971 ARGQF+CayenneTurbo+E9+328GTS+R90S
11/11/2016 at 11:15

No manual for the U.K. either while Italy gets it in the QF as well as the lower spec Guilia, Super and Business Sport.