2008 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

Revival of the Fittest

Alfa Romeo plans to re-enter the U.S. market in grand style with the expressive and powerful 8C Competizione.

Alfa Romeo, one of the more romantic names in the automotive industry, is whipping up a rare delicacy to tempt Italian-car fans and trumpet its return to the United States: the 8C Competizione.

This supercar is built on a modified Maserati platform, adds a new 4.7-liter V8 derived from Ferrari's technology, and wraps it all in a tantalizing carbon-fiber body. The result is a sports car capable of doing 185 miles per hour with sparkling Italian character and sound, but one that's refreshingly distinct from a typical Ferrari or Maserati. It will cost somewhere between $200,000 and $250,000 when it goes on sale in the United States this year. 

Only 500 Alfa 8C Competizione coupes will be built, followed by a limited batch of Spider convertibles. Of those 500 coupes, 90 or so are bound for the U.S. The 8C will be sold through special Alfa brand ambassadors and serviced at Maserati dealerships.

We had the rare opportunity to drive the 8C at Alfa's Belocca test track in northern Italy, near the Maserati factory in Modena, which has already begun crafting the 8C alongside the Maserati GranTurismo.

Other Alfa Romeo models likely to be sold in the United States starting late in 2009 include updated versions of the Brera coupe and Spider convertible currently on sale overseas.

Exterior

The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione was first shown as a concept car at the 2003 Frankfurt auto show. A panel of top international auto designers named the final version the world's best production design of 2006.

The 8C was designed by former Alfa Romeo design chief Wolfgang Egger, who now heads Audi's design studios. The car's styling pays homage to classic Alfas, including the rare Type 33 Stradale of 1967.

From its V-shaped hood to its sensuous flanks, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is a beautifully expressive yet understated sports car. It smartly avoids the brutal styling of some modern supercars that makes them appear more like modified racers than cars for real drivers on real roads.

The 8C Competizione is built on a shortened version of the platform that underpins the Maserati GranTurismo and Quattroporte. Nearly half of the Alfa's total mass is lightweight, pricey carbon fiber, including the body, dashboard, interior door panels, and seat frames — the last weigh just 22 pounds each. Lifting the slim hood reveals rough, bare carbon fiber on its underside.

The 8C is a so-called mid-engine design, meaning the engine sits largely behind the driver but in front of the rear axle. Weight is concentrated low and in the center of the car to promote quick steering and balanced handling.

The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione rides on huge 20-inch cast aluminum wheels shod with Pirelli high-performance tires. An optional set of ultra-light wheels saves nearly 6 pounds of weight at each corner. Buyers can choose a Quadrifoglio emblem for the fender, the four-leaf clover that once designated racing Alfas.