Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato Debuts as Sporty Coupe with a V6 GTAm Mill

Italian automakers are notoriously known for their thoroughbred sportscars that are both nice to look at and drive in. Aside from famous marques like Ferrari and Alfa Romeo, Italian automotive designing houses such as Zagato are also well-known to sculpt some of the most stunning automobiles to ever grace the globe.

As part of the centenary celebrations of collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Zagato, the Milanese coachbuilder has unveiled the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato. As the name implies, this one-off sporty coupe is based on Alfa’s sporty sedan, the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The Alfa-Zagato collaboration dates way back in 1921, where both firms produced Alfa’s iconic racer, the TIPO G1.

Just like many other ‘traditional’ Italian stallions, the Giulia SWB comes with a six-speed manual transmission that pairs with a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 mill derived from the GTAm-spec Giulia that delivers 533 HP and 600 NM. Though no performance numbers have been disclosed by both firms, the Giulia SWB is expected to outperform its engine donor’s nought to 100 KM/H sprint time of 3.9 seconds, thanks to its smaller two-door configuration.

In terms of styling, the Giulia SWB is as good as an Italian Berlinetta can get, with a sleek bodyline and Kammback-style rear end. Its front fascia features a fierce-looking design that pays homage to its predecessor, the Alfa Romeo SZ hot ‘hatch’.

The Alfa’s iconic triangular grille design is here to stay, while its headlights feature a three-point LED ‘bulb’ style, akin to the facelifted basic Giulia. Providing a breather to its V6 powertrain is a pair of vents on the hood, plus a scoop opening on top of said triangular grille.

The coupe’s side part sees its door handles being replaced with small buttons on the B-pillar in order to provide a more streamlined look, as well as the obvious aerodynamics benefit. Giving a true performance pedigree is the liberal usage of carbon fibre in the Giulia SWB’s body panels, including its flared rear fenders.

Meanwhile, its front fender is donned with Alfa's iconic "Quadrifoglio" (Italian for four-leaf clover) logo that's specially reserved for its performance models only. Should this berlinetta not quite 'Italian' enough for you, there's also Tricolore-finished trims on the Giulia SWB's carbon fibre side mirrors.

The rear-end styling unveils one of Zagato’s trademark design cues, the double bubble roof – also made of carbon fibre. In typical Alfa-Zagato’s styling, its taillights span across the car’s width, while also following the rear-end’s curvatures. Like any true performance cars, the Giulia SWB hosts a rather massive carbon fibre rear diffuser with double vertical fins flanking its centre-mounted dual tailpipes.

Inside this Giulia SWB lies a carbon-laden cabin, finished in colour-pop green stitchings and trims that match the external hue. Its racing seats are embossed with Alfa Romeo writings, as well as Zagato’s ‘Z’ logo on its headrests - also matching the body colour. The presence of carbon fibre trims around the gear knob and front dash blended well with the leather upholstery.

Prior to the fruition of this sports coupe, Zagato was initially planning to produce a special commemorative model for both Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, until being approached by an unnamed German customer. With an appetite for special cars, said customer commissioned the build of Giulia SWB that is poised to join his long-list of sportscars, including the Alfa Romeo SZ and 8C Competizione, as well as several Zagato-built Aston Martin models, too.

As a one-off special commemorative model, the Giulia SWB’s pricing details have not been disclosed. Considering the Giulia GTAm (stands for Gran Turismo Alleggerita modificata) retailed at around €147,000 (RM692,829) sans taxes and insurance, expect a much more ridiculous price tag for the Giulia SWB.