Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (2007) CAR review

The 8C Competizione? Always thought it was just a concept vehicle. Is it now a proper production car?

Well it’s certainly about to go on sale – for a mere £111,000. Alfa is only going to make 500. And just 41 will come to the UK, the first of which arrives on our shores in January. The ‘production’ car is very similar stylistically to the concept car, first shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The subtle bodywork changes are mostly to do with aerodynamics. The concept car looked fabulous but apparently flew in more ways than one…

So what’s the story?

Alfa wants to elevate its image, to play on the BMW/Audi field. It's also about to re-enter America after a 13-year absence and needs a halo vehicle to lead the charge. Enter this sublimely beautiful Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. It was designed by Alfa’s own Centro Stile (styling centre), has a carbonfibre body and, for convenience and cost, uses the Ferrari-made V8 currently powering all new Maseratis (the Quattroporte and the Granturismo) It also has the six-speed manual paddleshift gearbox as used on some Quattroportes and the outgoing Maserati Coupe/Spyder. The gearbox is sited in the rear, and linked to the engine by a torque tube. Again, that’s just like the old two-door Maserati and the manual version of the Quattroporte, and it improves weight distribution (49:51 front:rear, says Alfa). The floorpan is a mix of outgoing Maserati Coupe/Spyder and new GranTurismo with quite a few bespoke Alfa components. Wheelbase is shorter than on any modern Maser. So it’s an Alfa/Ferrari/Maserati hybrid, not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s made in Maserati’s factory in Modena, and comes down the same line as the Quattroporte and GranTurismo. All good ingredients so far.