Alfa Romeo 8C

BY RAY HUTTON

There have been endless predictions that the famous and once-revered Alfa Romeo marque would return to the U.S., having departed in 1995. And later this year, it is really going to happen—with just 84 cars from a limited production run of 500. The $250,000 8C Competizione is a special-edition, two-seat sports coupe that will serve as a kind of ambassador for the line of Alfa cars that should follow.
The 8C, reviving the name of the magnificent supercharged eight-cylinder Alfa sports cars of the 1930s, has had its own on/off saga. It was first shown in 2003 as a concept car at the Frankfurt auto show and in production form at the 2006 Paris show. Its exciting retro styling is the work of Wolfgang Egger, who has since left Alfa for Audi.
The 8C has been dismissed by some as simply a rebodied Maserati, but it turns out to be rather more than that. There are elements from the Maserati Coupé in the structure, and the suspension is lifted from the GranTurismo, but everything above the waistline and all the outer body panels are carbon fiber. The result is a low, stiff structure and a claimed weight of 3500 pounds, hundreds lighter than any other Maserati.

Suspension elements are taken from the GranTurismo, and the engine is a wet-sump development of Maserati’s Ferrari-built V-8, enlarged to 4.7 liters and making 444 horsepower. The transmission is a rear-mounted, six-speed automated manual with paddle controls behind the steering wheel.
There have been rumors that Ferrari will make a similarly sized front-engined V-8 coupe, but the 8C is a completely separate project, engineered at the Fiat-Alfa technical center in Turin. “It was important that our car give a different experience from a Ferrari or Maserati,” said chief engineer Domenico Bagnasco.
And it does. The engine has a broader power band and a different note—an absolutely glorious bark when the butterfly valves in the exhaust are open beyond 4000 rpm. The electrohydraulic gearchanges are less brutal than a Ferrari’s but are accompanied by even more snap, crackle, and pop from the tailpipes. The suspension is tauter and the steering sharper than a Maserati’s.

So the 8C is noisy, agile, and fast—topping 180 mph and going from 0 to 60 mph in an estimated 4.2 seconds, quicker than the Maserati and not far behind a Ferrari F430.
Primarily, though, this is a fun car with which to flatter the ego of wealthy enthusiasts. The cabin is lined with carbon fiber; the bespoke lightweight seats are trimmed with the finest Poltrona Frau leather; the ­aluminum console and grab handles are machined from solid billet. Owners can, and will, buy specially tailored leather bags to fit on the shelf behind the seats. The only space behind the 23-gallon fuel tank at the rear accommodates a zipped case that is ideal for carrying five or six bottles of Barolo.
These 8Cs are being sold and serviced through Maserati in the U.S. a dedicated Alfa Romeo dealer network has yet to be established to handle the mainstream cars that are most likely to begin arriving in 2010. But between now and then, there will be another expensive special edition. The response to the 8C has encouraged Alfa to reverse an earlier decision and build a limited number of convertibles, starting in 2009.

2009 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione – Specs
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 3-door hatchback
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $250,000
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 286 cu in, 4691cc
Power (SAE net): 444 bhp @ 7000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 354 lb-ft @ 4750 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual with automated shifting and clutch
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 104.1 in Length: 172.5 in Width: 74.6 in Height: 52.8 in
Curb weight: 3500 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 4.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 9.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.7 sec
Top speed (drag limited): 181 mph
PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city driving: 12 mpg
EPA highway driving: 17 mpg