Alfa Romeo at the ‘Winter Marathon 2014’

• 430 kilometres, 11 passes in the Dolomites and 44 time trials: the 26th edition of the international regularity race for historic cars in the mountains of Trento gets underway

• Starring in the event are two valuable cars from the collection of the Alfa Romeo Museum: the 1960 Giulietta SZ and the 1963 Giulia TI Super

• At their side the captivating Alfa Romeo 4C compact supercar and the new Giulietta Model Year 2014, equipped with the brand-new 150 HP 2.0 JTDM 2: this is the best demonstration of the common thread running through both the cars of the past and those currently in production

• At the heart of this common thread are the distinctive values of the Alfa Romeo brand: Italian style, performance and technical excellence for maximum driving satisfaction and complete safety

The 26th edition of the 'Winter Marathon' will take place from 23 to 26 January at Madonna di Campiglio. This captivating regularity race for historic cars is, owing to the number of participants and quality of cars taking part, the third most important event in Italy, preceded only by the Mille Miglia and the Gran Premio Nuvolari.

Against the splendid background of the mountains of Trento, 130 cars will be showing their worth, and two of these will be valuable items from the collection of the Alfa Romeo Museum: the 1960 Giulietta SZ and the 1963 Giulia TI Super. As enthralling as it is demanding due to the weather conditions, the course extends over approximately 430 kilometres and includes 11 passes in the Dolomites as well as no less than 44 time trials, including night trials.

On the sixtieth birthday (1954-2014) of the Giulietta - a fundamental model in the history of Alfa Romeo - the 'SZ' represents one of the most refined, and at the same time sportiest, versions. Designed by Franco Scaglione and built by Zagato, the Giulietta SZ immediately demonstrated its state-of-the-art character, thanks to a highly streamlined all-aluminium body that reduced the vehicle's weight considerably. The so-called 'snub tail' line of the body was not only a masterpiece of aerodynamics, but it proved to be an advantage for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ on both the road and the track.

Equally distinctive is the Giulia TI Super of 1963 enrolled in the 'Winter Marathon 2014', the 'ready-to-race' version - of which 501 examples were produced, almost all in "Biancospino" (hawthorn) colour - with the Quadrifoglio emblem on the sides and tailgate and with a 'slimmed down' body to further enhance its outstanding performance. The 'TI Super' was one of the race cars that permitted the development of a generation of drivers who then passed to the 'bigger' formulas, allowing them to get some attention through the victories and rankings gained at the wheel of the Alfa Romeo saloon.

Highlighting the common thread that runs through both the cars of the past and those currently in production, the two historic vehicles will be accompanied by the Alfa Romeo 4C compact supercar and the new Giulietta Model Year 2014, equipped with the powerful 150 HP 2.0 JTDM2.

Designed by Alfa Romeo engineers and built at the Maserati plant in Modena, the beguiling Alfa Romeo 4C is a mid-engined rear-wheel-drive coupé with '2 bucket seats' that represents the essential sportiness embedded in the 'Alfa Romeo DNA': performance and technical excellence for maximum driving pleasure combined with a breathtaking style.

A genuine, uncompromising 'driving machine' that's at its best precisely on the track, where speed, short braking distances and transverse acceleration are essential for first-rate lap times: from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds flat, top speed of 258 km/h, deceleration peaks in the range of 1.2 g and lateral acceleration peaks over 1.1 g. All this is achieved through optimal weight distribution - 40% on the front axle and 60% on the rear - and a total dry weight of just 895 kg - for the most part made up of carbon fibre, aluminium, steel and SMC - in addition to an extraordinary weight to power ratio of less than 4 kg/HP.

The first-rate performance is also due to the combination of the new 240 HP 1750 Turbo Petrol engine with the latest-generation 'Alfa TCT' dry twin clutch transmission and the advanced Alfa DNA selector with the brand-new Race mode. More specifically, the new '4 cylinder' 1750 Turbo Petrol with direct injection at 200 bar and aluminium block achieves amazing performance. Torque and specific power set new records for this category, at over 200 Nm/l and 137 HP/l respectively, while maximum power of 240 HP (176 kW) is reached at 6,000 rpm.

Also present at the 'Winter Marathon 2014' is an example of the new Giulietta Model Year 2014, equipped with the brand-new 150 HP 2.0 JTDM2. In order to maintain its leading role in the segment, the 2014 range of the compact saloon was launched recently and offers important new features, starting precisely with the new 150 HP 2.0 JTDM 2, with second-generation MultiJet injection system. In particular, the engine is equipped with a low-inertia turbocharger whose efficiency and prompt response allow it to deliver the highest torque in the category even at low speeds: 380 Nm at 1750 rpm. Equipped in this way, the new car is marked by excellent performance: top speed of 210 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds. All this with very low fuel consumption and emissions: the figures recorded on the type-approval combined cycle were just 4.2 litres of fuel per 100 km and 110 g/km of CO₂ respectively.

The style too has been updated, with a brand-new front grille, new chrome-plated frame for the fog lights and various 16", 17" and 18" wheels. The colour range is more extensive, thanks to the addition of three new body colours: Moonlight Pearl, Anodizzato Blue and Bronze. New features are also found inside, such as the steering wheel, seat upholstery and new treatments for the dashboard, door panels and handles.

The Giulietta Model Year 2014 also offers more technological content, such as the new Uconnect multimedia device with 5" or 6.5" touch-screen built into the dashboard. Both versions come with the Bluetooth interface, Aux-in connector, USB port and voice commands. What's more, the 6.5" device also has a satellite navigation system with 3D bird's eye view maps, progressive route guidance and the 'One Step Voice Entry Destination' function for entering the address with voice commands. Both systems have been developed in collaboration with first-class partners: Harman and Here Auto for UConnect 6.5" and Continental for UConnect 5".

Turin, 21 January 2014