2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia QV Active Aero Splitter Can Trace Its Roots to the Alfa 90

Cue the Alfa Romeo 90 (Tipo 162A). An executive sedan shaped like a brick and beautified by Bertone’s Marcello Gandini, this model was manufactured from 1984 to 1987. Front-engined, rear-wheel drive, powered by a choice of naturally aspirated inline-4 and V6 engines, the 90 was an Alfetta rear-mounted transaxle chassis with engines lifted from the somewhat larger Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 (Tipo 119).

For 1984, the Alfa 90 was a bit of a technological showcase. Electric front windows and electrically adjustable seats were standard. Opting for the Quadrifoglio Oro translated into the addition of things like electric rear windows, trip computer, a digital instrument cluster, power steering, and central locking. But there was a bit of a drawback with the Gandini brick-like aesthetics: the drag coefficient was a pitiful 0,37.

Still, the Alfa Romeo 90 boasted a notable feature that mirrors the Lancia Thema 8.32’s electrically operated boot spoiler - a small chin spoiler that moved downwards at high speed. This happened to help the engine cool, not for aerodynamics’ sake as it happens on the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia (Tipo 952) QV. If anything, the following clips are a testament to how a chin spoiler evolved over the course of 31 years.

On the Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde, Alfa Romeo is adamant that we’re dealing with “an excellent Cx (drag coefficient).” As for the Active Aero Splitter, this system mirrors the rubber skirt of the Porsche 911 Turbo S, providing better downforce at high speeds for better front axle grip when the going gets hypersonic.