We all thought this would be the last supercar built by Alfa Romeo before the brand goes all electric. But things have changed along the way, and the 2009 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is going to get an ICE-powered successor, which is going to drop soon. We still have time to enjoy the fine lines of the 8C.
The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is going to be one of the muses for the upcoming Alfa Romeo supercar. No wonder. While presenting the 8C Competizione during BBC's Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson rhetorically asked: "Can a car ever be art?" and called it "the most beautiful car ever made."
Impossible to radically agree or disagree since this is so subjective and emotional. It has got the sensual lines, the enticing profile, the aggressive front fascia. Everything about it screams "bellezza." That would be "beauty" in Italian.
The designer, Wolfgang Egger, had obviously found the right pencils to draw this car at the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo. He wanted to draw an automobile that would subtly follow the lines of the 1960s and 1970s cars.
Photo: RM Sotheby's
And he had quite a responsibility. The 8C in the designation was a reference to the 6C 2500 Competizione, which finished third twice at the Mille Miglia in 1949 and 1950, in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio and Augusto Zanardi. In 1950, it won the Targa Florio.
Meanwhile, the engineers were preparing the right engine for it. A Ferrari-assembled 4.7-liter V8 with a soundtrack so husky and raw that it would wake up the entire Modena, the Italian town where the car was built. That V8 churns out 444 horsepower (450 PS) and 354-lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque. With these figures on the menu, it hit 100 kph (62 mph) in 4.2 seconds before it flashed to a top speed of 181 mph (292 kph).
By the time the 8C Competizione was unveiled, Ferrari had quite a history of building sports cars and winning in motor racing. So the 8C was not exactly a game of dice. They knew exactly what they were doing.
It was also the moment Alfa Romeo bravely returned to the North American market. So that is where most of the cars went. A total of 829 examples saw the light of day, with 500 of them being coupes. Only 41 made it to the United Kingdom, which meant around 8% of the total production. And here is one of them.
Photo: RM Sotheby's
This Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione proudly wears the triple-layer Rosso 8C paintwork and the optional ball-polished wheels with new Pirelli P Zero tires following a recent servicing at the Meridien Modena. The Afla "Quadrifoglios" are painted in green on both fenders on white background.
Full-grain black leather is on board, as well as a steering wheel in leather and aluminum pedals.
The car we are dating with is number 426 of 500 and was delivered to Robert Kemp of Southampton in April of 2009. In June 2015, it ended up in the hands of the current owner. At that time, the odometer showed 4,517 miles (7,269 kilometers) covered in six years. The new owner added some 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers) in the next eight years. Not quite a daily.
It comes with the original manuals and service book, which confirm it has only been in the care of Ferrari and Maserati dealers. A set of fitted luggage, a car cover, and two sets of keys are also part of the package. The asking price is 247,500 pounds ($316,191).
Photo: RM Sotheby's
The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is finally getting a successor
The story of the Afla Romeo supercars is far from over. Revealed at the Mondial de l'Automobile in 2006, the 8C Competizione seemed to be the last of them. Years passed, and no word on a possible successor ever came. The Giulia would not be designed to take the place of a supercar in the first place.
But 16 years later, the Italian carmaker looks like it has changed its mind. The all-new supercar is going to break cover on August 30, the day of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Heavily inspired by the legendary T33 Stradale, the limited-run model should reportedly be called the 6C or 333. The 6 in the name should be a hint to the twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6, which currently resides under the hood of the Giulia Quadrifoglio, while the 333 would come as a reference to the iconic 33 Stradale from the 1960s. But it should come with Formula-One derived tech and extra oomph compared to that of the sedan.
The Italians have big plans with the 6C-or-333-whatever-its-name-will-be, since the brand has not yet confirmed any designation. The company's CEO, Jean Philippe Imparato, anticipated that the car would be sold out by the time he actually unveils it. And it would happen – he explained – because it would be iconic and super sexy.
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