We all got hot under the collar when Alfa Romeo revealed the Giulia GTA and GTAm, but the 2006 8C Competizione is actually the most important Alfa of this century.
Although just 500 8C Competiziones were made (1,000 if you add the Spiders) this most beautiful modern Alfa marked a turning point for the Italians. After years of doing its best to add some spark – usually Twin Spark – to Fiat front-wheel drive platforms, Alfa Romeo went back to its roots. In doing so, it defined its future.
First shown as a concept at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, the gorgeous two-seater coupe’s name evoked memories of the brand’s eight-cylinder race cars of the 1930s and its Mille Miglia and Targa Florio glory days of the late Forties and early Fifties.
In Wolfgang Egger’s styling you could see the influence of the 33 Stradale in the car’s eyes and the Giulietta SZ in its rear, but the whole form came together as forward-facing, not some navel-gazing retrospective.
Such was the reaction to the show car that the 8C Competizione was given the green light for production, hitting the road in 2006. Amazingly it was almost unchanged from the concept car, with the exception of a rear-hinged hood, and different headlights and wheels. The glorious curves were crafted in carbon fiber, painted in classic Alfa Red or Black as standard, with Pearl Yellow and Competition Red as options.
Beneath the body sat a ‘dual frame’ chassis made from aluminum and titanium. And then there was the powertrain. Up front was a 4.7-liter cross-plane V8 built by Ferrari, mated to a six-speed transaxle gearbox with paddle shift and a limited slip differential. With 444 hp at a heady 7,000 rpm and gearshifts in just 175 milliseconds, it certainly lived up to the Competizione name.
Although just 500 8C Competiziones were made (1,000 if you add the Spiders) this most beautiful modern Alfa marked a turning point for the Italians. After years of doing its best to add some spark – usually Twin Spark – to Fiat front-wheel drive platforms, Alfa Romeo went back to its roots. In doing so, it defined its future.
First shown as a concept at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, the gorgeous two-seater coupe’s name evoked memories of the brand’s eight-cylinder race cars of the 1930s and its Mille Miglia and Targa Florio glory days of the late Forties and early Fifties.
In Wolfgang Egger’s styling you could see the influence of the 33 Stradale in the car’s eyes and the Giulietta SZ in its rear, but the whole form came together as forward-facing, not some navel-gazing retrospective.
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione_front three quarter |
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione_side |
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione_rear overhead |
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione_wheel |
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione_dash |
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione_interior front |
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione_luggage 2 |
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione_luggage |
Beneath the body sat a ‘dual frame’ chassis made from aluminum and titanium. And then there was the powertrain. Up front was a 4.7-liter cross-plane V8 built by Ferrari, mated to a six-speed transaxle gearbox with paddle shift and a limited slip differential. With 444 hp at a heady 7,000 rpm and gearshifts in just 175 milliseconds, it certainly lived up to the Competizione name.
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione_engine |
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione_chassis |
More importantly it was a sound investment for Alfa Romeo. On the back of the success of the 8C Competizione Alfa Romeo was able to convince its Fiat overlords that buyers wanted true Alfas. Soon after the Italians launched the lightweight (if somewhat flawed) 4C, the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV and renewed a passion among fans the world over.
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Spider - front three quarter |
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| © Provided by Hagerty Alfa Romeo 8C Spider - rear |
