Whip out your tricolore flags and pop on some Pavarotti: the Italian police have bought some Alfa Romeo Giulias, and it’s time to get overly patriotic about it, whether you’re Italian or not.

See, the Carabinieri – the harder, military arm of the Italian police, the ones that deal with the nastier crimes – have been dabbling with a car that isn’t Italian. The Lotus Evora, to be precise.

But with the dawn of Alfa’s new saloon, and specifically the BMW M3-baiting, 503bhp Giulia QV, they’ve returned their navy livery to a local product.

And if you’re thinking about being a miscreant on Italian soil, it really is worth having a rethink. The QV’s twin-turbo V6 engine yields a 3.9-second 0-100kmh time and a claimed 307kmh top speed, so your chances of getting away are probably slim.

Its conversion for police use isn’t just about stickers, lights and sirens anymore, either; the Giulia has gained a gamut of cameras and tablets, too. And unlike that Lotus, there’s a proper amount of seating for rounding up several hoodlums at once.

The first two Giulia QVs have been delivered to the Carabinieri, too, with Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne present to do the honours. The Giulia is part of a large deal to supply cars to the Italian police, with more Alfas as well as Jeeps and Fiats among them.

But this Giulia is the best of the bunch. Have a flick through the pictures, and then tell us which is cooler: this, or the Polizia’s Lamborghini Huracan?