Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Will Debut in Paris
Since the separation and re-organization of the Fiat group’s brands and products, the fate of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Concept has been hanging in balance. Originally debuted as a sports coupe at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, the concept evolved into a roadster before quietly bowing out, with rumours bantered about that the project had been cancelled. However, Alfa Romeo is on the rise again with a new range of products, and has officially green-lighted the 8C as a production car. It will debut in Paris at the end of the month as Alfa Romeo’s new flagship car.
The retro-inspired exterior has changed very little from the initial concept, but for all of its classic-car looks, the 8C’s body is very advanced. Although the curves and flanks might suggest an aluminum construction, the car’s body is made from carbon fibre to keep weight down. The shape has also been tested extensively in the wind tunnel and has been engineered to perform extremely well at high speed. Through the use of under-body diffusers, the body is relatively free from unnecessary vents and spoilers, yet, the nose of the car produces positive downforce, reportedly enabling it to feel firmly glued to the road, even at high speed.
Under the long, slender hood of the 8C is a brand-new 90-degree V8 engine, a configuration that Alfa has not produced in decades. The engine is a technologically advanced unit that features variable valve timing, plus a specially developed intake and exhaust manifold in order to produce an exhaust note that’s bound to be nothing short of glorious. Like most modern high-performance engines, the block, head and many internal components are made out of aluminum to reduce weight.
With a displacement of 4.7 litres, the engine produces 450 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 346 lb-ft of torque from 4,750 rpm. Although the engine has a redline of 7,500 rpm, Alfa promises that the 8C won’t be peaky or high strung, as 90-percent of peak torque is on tap at 2,000 rpm. The engine drives the rear wheels through a rear-mounted six-speed sequential gearbox with paddles that features various manual and automatic modes to suit the driving situation. A low-inertia twin-plate flywheel and clutch system is said to give the car instantaneous throttle response for lightning-quick performance.
Though Alfa Romeo’s modern-day racing experience comes mostly from its experience in touring car racing, the 8C looks to fulfill any claims of being a track-bred road car. The double-wishbone suspension that it rides on is a new development, while the brakes are heavy-duty aluminum calipers with perforated discs. Standard 20-inch wheels on 245/35 front and 285/35 ZR high-performance summer tires provide grip and traction, though, to ensure that the car is easy to drive, even in the trickiest situations, Alfa has fitted its latest VDC stability control system.
Details to its price, as well as its production volume will be announced at a later point in time, although, when the vehicle was initially released in concept form in 2003, Alfa remarked it would be a limited run. This means it may not be available when Alfa returns to North America next year, if it is still on schedule. On the other hand, it might just be in time to lead the brand across the Atlantic. Keep your fingers crossed.
