Alfa Romeo has built some magnificent cars over the years, and the 8C is up there with the Disco Volante, Montreal, Giulia GTA, and modern-day Quadrifoglio models, to name but some. The 8C Competizione is drop-dead gorgeous, and the Spider variant follows it closely, with an open-top view of the sky above.
Limited to only 1,000 copies, equally split between the Competizione and Spider, the 8C was built from 2007 to 2010 in Modena, Italy. It is closely related to a few Maserati models, such as the GranTurismo, GranCabrio, and Quattroporte, and sports a front mid-engine and rear-wheel drive layout.
Developed by Ferrari and Maserati, the 4.7-liter V8 produced 450 ps (444 hp / 331 kW) and 470 Nm (347 lb-ft) of torque back when the car left the factory floor. Working in concert with a robotized six-speed transmission, it enabled a top speed of 295 kph (183 mph) and a 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in around 4.5 seconds.
From a performance standpoint, it may be roughly on par with today’s mega hatchbacks, such as the Audi RS 3 Sportback and Mercedes-AMG A 45 S. However, no mass-produced compact can come close to the thrills it provides, nor to the meaty sound produced by that sonorous V8. On top of that, the 8C lineup keeps it simple, as oversized wheels weren’t a thing back when it came out, and neither were gigantic screens, so the rather basic yet elegant cockpit has aged like a fine wine, and so has the exterior design of this rare beast.
But why dedicate an entire piece to a vehicle that is well over a decade old? Well, if you have to ask, then you should probably have your petrolhead license revoked, yet for the record, it was subjected to a POV drive by AutoTopNL that focuses on the performance aspect. Thus, you should take a short break and check out the video embedded below, as it is well worth it.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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