She is the Queen of the Paris Motor
Show: the new Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione - a two-seater super sports
car that embodies the quintessence of Italian racing cars, and will
be produced as a limited edition.
Derived from the prototype presented
at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003, it combines the very latest
technologies with a body that offers a modern interpretation of the
style of some of the most famous racing cars from the past,
including, notably, the 33 Coupé Stradale and the Giulia TZ (Zagato
tubular body) from the 1960s. Even the name itself - 8C Competizione
– harks back to the Alfa Romeo greats of the Thirties, and will get
the pulse of all true fans racing.
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Conceived at the Alfa Romeo
Style Centre in Arese and developed in collaboration with
Maserati, the new saloon is an uncompromising sports car.
Studied down to the smallest detail, to get the very best in
terms of performance and driving pleasure, its light, strong
structure features a steel chassis supporting a carbon fibre
body. The engine is an amazing new 4.7-litre, 8-cylinder
90°V unit, capable of delivering 450 horsepower. It comes
with rear-wheel drive, and a 6-speed robotic gearbox placed
in the rear train, in a single unit with the differential,
for better weight distribution.
The suspension system features
deformable wishbones, like those found on racing cars. Even
the tyres have been chosen to give the very best in terms of
performance: ultra-low, they are mounted on 20” wheels and
are wider at the rear (283/35 against 245/35). Helping to
tame the 450 horsepower of the 8C Competizione is the car’s
aerodynamics, giving a negative lift effect for increased
grip and stability, and the use of the very latest version
of the VDC electronic system.
The quest for on-the-road behaviour
that can satisfy even the most demanding drivers is also behind the
new Alfa Romeo 147 Q2.
Fitted with the 1.9 JTDM 150
bhp turbodiesel and featuring exclusive sporting trim, this
version uses a new self-blocking differential – called the
Q2 – which increases the car’s ability to ‘discharge’ the
engine torque, improving the ca’s dynamic control and
driving pleasure.
Alongside these
attractions, Alfa Romeo also has its most recent models on display
in Paris: the 159 saloon and Sportwagon, the Spider, the 2+2 Brera
and the Black Line version of the GT coupé
