Ride the fire! Alfa Romeo 8C is crushing minds! :)
Alfa Romeo has been teasing us ever since it showed the 8C as a concept car way back in 2003 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Since then, the concept has been a fixture at every important international gathering, finally appearing in production form at Paris last fall and at Geneva in March.
The limited 500-unit run of the $200,000 supercar is reportedly spoken for, although Alfa has promised that it will sell a handful in the U.S. in anticipation of its return to the American market in time for the 2010 model year. So, it will be some time before anyone will catch a glimpse of this sleek 2-seat coupe in the States anytime soon.
But, if you have a hankering to see an 8C up close, you might camp out on the north loop of Germany’s Nurburgring, where near-production-ready cars are being tested before the first 8Cs are delivered to European customers in September.
Riding on a 102.2-in. wheelbase, the 8C promises blistering performance from its Maserati-derived 4.7-liter V-8, which is said to produce 450 bhp and 347 lb.-ft. of torque with maximum revs in the 7000-rpm range. The 8C should be relatively light, using a tubular aluminum chassis and a carbon-fiber body - it should tip the scales somewhere around 3300 lb. The manual gearbox features an electronically controlled, pedal-less clutch, and the 6-speed offers five different shift programs through its steering-wheel-mounted paddles - Normal and Sport modes with manual shift, Normal and Sport modes with automatic shift and an ice mode for winter driving.
The 8C rides on a fully independent wishbone suspension and 20in. wheels shod with P245/35R-20 rubber. Since there are so few of this expensive, stylish and wickedly fast coupe available for U.S. buyers, it is an interesting calling card for Alfa’s return to America, to say the least.
The wait is finally over and Alfa Romeo has a supercar fit for the premier league
We’re used to Italian exotics from Ferrari and Lamborghini, but Alfa now plans to push upmarket – and it’s created this stunning machine to spearhead the exclusive assault. The 8C Competizione is a sports coupe with searing performance, sensational styling… and a ?100,000 price tag. Originally debuting in concept form at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, the car is ready to order for delivery in a year’s time. And to see what those lucky buyers can expect, Auto Express was first to get behind the wheel.
When Alfa took the wraps off the 8C, few people thought it would make production unchanged. But, as you can see here – and as visitors discovered at last week’s Paris Motor Show – it retains all the concept’s amazing details.
At the front, the gaping air intakes and fared-in headlights give a really aggressive look, and they’re matched for visual drama only by the quad exhaust pipes and twin circular tail-lights at the rear. But it’s the classic sports car shape, with a long bonnet and short tail, that’s the real star feature. It’s been made possible by an aerodynamic undertray which sucks the model down on to the road at speed, doing away with the need for ugly wings and spoilers.
The body itself is bang up-to-date, too, being made of carbon fibre on a steel spaceframe chassis. Sitting well behind the front axle virtually in the middle of the car is the 8C’s heart – a 450bhp 4.7-litre V8, which is shared with the forthcoming Maserati Coupe. The two models will be built on the same production line in Modena, Italy.
Just like Alfas of the past, the gearbox and differential are mounted toge-ther at the rear, helping to give the 8C perfect 50:50 weight distribution. The suspension is double wishbone all-round, while huge vented Brembo disc brakes hide behind the 20-inch alloys.
Inside, the cabin is classic Alfa, with twin cowls for the speedo and rev counter, plus a simple facia with carbon fibre trim. The shell-type racing seats, also carbon fibre, are clad in the luxurious leather used by Ferrari.
Our model was one of the first 8C prototypes, and was fitted with a conventional six-speed manual box. Customer cars will use a semi-automatic version, which will allow the driver to change gear via the steering wheel-mounted paddles. With some chassis fine-tuning still to be done, our drive was brief, but it’s obvious that the 8C is a true Italian sports car.
The V8 roars into life at a push of the starter button, revving angrily and noisily like a thoroughbred racer. Stab the throttle and the 470Nm of torque has no trouble launching the 1,400kg car away from the line. Alfa says it’ll do 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 190mph – and from the driver’s seat, it certainly feels savagely fast.
Backing up this huge acceleration are rock-solid brakes, which slow the 8C as if you’ve hit a wall. And while we couldn’t quite put the Alfa through its paces in corners, the steering is alive with feel even at low speed. The stiff suspension offers immediate responses, promising a truly involving drive.
Is there a downside to the 8C? Just one: the fact only 500 models will be built. If you have this kind of cash, we’d advise you to get in the queue now!
1 Comment »
Boy, this car looks amazing! Imho this car is much more beautiful than most of Ferraries.
Comment by eugenum — August 9, 2007 @ 14:54