Italy's Carabinieri 505HP Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

While on vacation in Rome, Italy I spotted some Alfa Romeo’s driven by the Carabinieri.

The Carabinieri are the national gendarmerie (military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population) of Italy who primarily carry out domestic policing duties. It is one of Italy’s main law enforcement agencies, alongside the Polizia di Stato (state police) and the Guardia di Finanza (financial / drug / border & customs police). As with the Guardia di Finanza but in contrast to the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri are a military force. As the fourth branch of the Italian Armed Forces, they come under the authority of the Ministry of Defense; for activities related to inland public order and security, they functionally depend on the Ministry of the Interior. In practice, there is a significant overlap between the jurisdiction of the Polizia di Stato and Carabinieri, although both of them are contactable through 112, the European Union’s Single Emergency number (similar to our 911). Unlike the Polizia di Stato, the Carabinieri have responsibility for policing the military, and a number of members regularly participate in military missions abroad.

The Carabinieri have a long history with Alfa Romeo. The new Alfa Romeo Giulia falls exactly 70 years from the date when the first Alfa entered service: this was the 1900 M “Matta.” It was followed soon after by the arrival of the 1900 sedan and the consequent birth of the emergency response car of the Carabinieri.

Then came the Giulia in the ’60s, followed by the Alfetta, Alfa Romeo 90, Alfa Romeo 75, Alfa Romeo 155, Alfa Romeo 156, and Alfa Romeo 159. In 2016, Alfa Romeo delivered two Giulia Quadrifoglios to the Carabinieri for use in Rome and Milan.

The Carabinieri-spec Giulia gains B4-level armor for the windows and front doors. This is enough to protect against pistol cartridges up to a .44 magnum. There are emergency lights on the roof, and each one has a separate fairing, which makes them look aerodynamic and stylish. There are also flashing lights on the side and LED flashers on the mirrors.

An interesting touch on the inside is that the detention cell can only hold one arrested person. The advantage is that three officers could ride in this Giulia.

The standard engine in the Giulia is a 2.0-liter engine with 197 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. This gets the sedan to 62 miles per hour in 6.6 seconds and a top speed of 143 mph (230 kph).

The Giulia Quadrifoglios come with a 2.9-liter V-6 producing a peak 505 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque thanks to turbocharging. The engine, developed and built by Ferrari, pushes the Giulia Quadrifoglio to 60 mph from rest in just 3.8 seconds. The top speed is 191 mph (307 kph).

Thanks to some aluminum and even carbon fiber in the construction, the Giulia Quadrifoglio weighs in at just 3,360 lbs and has a 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution.

Difference Between The Italian Military & Carabinieri:

Both the Italian infantry and the Carabinieri field well trained and well equipped troops. The Italian infantry fields heavier equipment, but the Carabinieri can also field proper military gear in case of emergency. The main difference is the training: while the Italian Army focus mostly on combat training, the Carabinieri are more oriented toward police training. However, every Carabiniere need to serve for one year, at least, in the army. The Carabinieri are combat trained troops, perfectly able to put up a fight, and then we can add the Carabinieri elite units, like the paratroopers of the Tuscania Regiment, that are more combat oriented than the average Carabiniere, and can compete with the Italian elite units.