After an extended hiatus, Fifth Gear is back. What better way to return than an epic battle?
For this one, familiar faces Tiff Needell and Jason Plato pitted a Mercedes-AMG C63 against an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio to see which of the super sedans can perform the best drift.
Vehicles from AMG have a long and proud history of being particularly ‘playful’ when you give them some stick. The latest-generation C63 is no different. Those who’ve driven the car will know that it starts to spin the rear tires as soon as you graze the accelerator with your right foot. As Needell discovered, this makes the German bruiser capable of some very impressive drifts with minimal effort on his part.
As for the Giulia Quadrifoglio, it is a slightly more precise handling tool than the Mercedes. The Italian is powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 delivering 503 hp at 6500 rpm and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque between 2500 and 5000 rpm. Those figures are a match for the range-topping C63 S.
One key advantage the Giulia has over the Mercedes is weight. Various tests have shown the Quadrifoglio to be at least 100 kg (220 lbs) lighter than the C63.
However, will this lower overall weight hurt the Alfa’s ability to get sideways and maintain a tire-roasting slide? You’ll have to watch the video after the jump to find out.