2008 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

Alfa Romeo fist debuted the 8C concept at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. Three years of development followed with the production version being introduced at the 2006 Paris Motor show. Wolfgang Egger of the Alfa Romeo Style Center had designed the 8C, and offered a glimpse into the design language of the future Alfas while retaining the DNA of the great Alfa Romeos of past. The inspiration was derived from such post-war greats as the 33 Stradale and Giulia TZ. The unmistakable grille and badge, accentuated by a cluster of bi-xenon headlights, was one of the most gorgeous Alfa Romeos produced.

The performance was equally impressive, powered by a Ferrari/Maserati-derived all-aluminum 4.7-liter V-8 engine that produces 450 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 347 foot-pounds of torque at 4,750 rpm. The engine is mated to the same transmission used in the Ferrari 599 Fiorano, known as the 'Superfast' gearbox, a computer-controlled six-speed manual transaxle with a computer-controlled twin-disc clutch. The transmission is placed in the rear for better handling, which is complemented by a front and rear dual wishbone suspension setup.

Approved for a limited-production run of 500 units (despite nearly 1,500 orders being received) that began in the 2007 model year, just 84 were destined for US shores, and most were pre-sold through Maserati dealerships.

Alfa Romeo's new halo car featured voluptuous bodywork made entirely of carbon-fiber sitting atop a space-frame chassis.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2019