An ultralight helicopter finished in Rosso Alfa shared the Pista & Piloti paddock with more than 240 historic and performance cars. The aircraft is an Evocopter ClassiX inspired by the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, borrowing its visual identity through materials and graphic details adapted to light aviation.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio inspires a $336,000 ultralight helicopter
The project belongs to Paul Ressle, founder of Bavarian company Evocopter and an Alfa Romeo collector. The fuselage features the Quadrifoglio emblem and historic Alfa Romeo lettering, while leather and Alcantara carry the same theme into the cabin. Alfa Romeo Germany supported the initiative by inviting the prototype to the event held on August 29 and 30 at the TRIWO circuit in Pferdsfeld. The connection therefore comes from an authorized collaboration rather than an official Alfa Romeo product.
Beneath the customization sits a helicopter developed around strict technical requirements. The ultralight category limits maximum takeoff weight to 600 kg, or about 1,323 pounds, including the people on board. Evocopter therefore uses carbon fiber for the fuselage, cabin and rotor blades, keeping empty weight down to 367 kg, or roughly 809 pounds. A chrome-molybdenum steel spaceframe supports the structure.
The powertrain has nothing to do with the automotive world. The ClassiX uses a Lycoming O-360 J2A aviation engine with roughly 6.0 liters of displacement, 160 hp and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. Maximum permitted speed reaches 115 mph (185 km/h), while cruising speed ranges from about 81 to 93 mph (130-150 km/h). At 75 knots, or around 86 mph (139 km/h), Evocopter claims fuel consumption of 27 liters per hour, or about 7.1 US gallons per hour.
The two fuel tanks hold a combined 105 liters, or roughly 27.7 gallons, and use impact-resistant rubber bladders filled with foam to reduce risks during an accident. That solution reflects Ressle’s main priority. “My goal was to build a safe ultralight helicopter,” he explained, adding that he chose the Giulia Quadrifoglio as the inspiration for the first example.
Prices start at around €290,000 before taxes, equivalent to approximately $336,000 at the current exchange rate.
The sports sedan that inspired its appearance costs considerably less but delivers much greater performance on the ground thanks to its 520-hp 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. With rear-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission, the Giulia Quadrifoglio reaches 191 mph (307 km/h) and accelerates from 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds.
