Before leaving the office I had been instructed to try race mode at least once, and so the following evening, as I returned from the airport, I put it to the test.
The exhaust valves opened and a gentle touch of the accelerator was enough to launch the Stelvio forward. The spec sheet claims 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds but it feels faster than that – and not far off superbike acceleration.
Climbing through the gearbox like a rat up a drainpipe, the accelerator pedal was barely halfway depressed when I lifted off, for fear of becoming Guildford’s most wanted.
It’s magnificent at speed, without a doubt, but where the Stelvio falls short is at low-speeds. I had been pre-warned about the tyres scrubbing at low speeds, but it still took me by surprise whenever a tight manoeuvre presented itself. Sadly it’s the nature of a large-wheeled, low-profile-tyred beast, but it’s not a particularly nice feeling. Something to work on for the future, Alfa.
Photography by Pete Summers.