What's all this about?

Ever since Alfa Romeo first announced the Giulia GTA and GTAm around two months ago (feels like a lifetime, of course, thanks to blinking Covid, but we digress...), we've been trying not to drown in our own drool at the thought of these focused, 540hp supersaloons in the interim. So it doesn't help that the Italian company has now announced that the 500 GTAs and the 500 GTAms that will be built for the global market will be available in a variety of the marque's most notable racing liveries.

Very cool. Which cars do these liveries hark back to?

Any Alfa which had a GTA badge and which did well on the track. And there are plenty of those throughout the annals of time to call upon. Like any of the Giulias with the yellow nose, this flash of colour being a nod to the 1300 GTAJ which took the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) title in 1971. Or the asymmetrical stripe details, lifted from the 1965-1968 Sprint GTA, or the symmetrical ones coming from the GTA 1300 Junior. Course, if you don't want a full racing replica, complete with your own chosen side-decal numbers, complementing Goodwool car cover and even personalised, matching racing gear for yourself too, then Alfa will paint your GTA or GTAm in one of three colours, those being the ones you'd find on the Italian flag (pleasing for vexillologists): GTA Red, Trophy White or (gibber) Montreal Green. Pick the last of these if you're going this route. Please. We implore you.

I'll do my best. Is that it for the colours?

No, you can finish the brake callipers, rollcage, seatbelts and the upholstery stitching in the cabin in various hues, so go and have a long play on the configurator.

Have you got any word on prices as yet?

Ah. Yes. Now. Right then. Ahem. Brace yourself. So far, we've only got Italian prices but the UK figures will be determined from there. As at the time of writing, the GTA will cost €176,500 and the GTAm will rock in at €181,500. That's, um, £153,250 for the former and £157,600 for the latter on a direct exchange. Which is robust, considering the sublime Quadrifoglio upon which they're based kicks off at around £62,000. Yikes!