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The First Alfa Romeo Supercar in 16 Years Is Finally Coming

Alfa Romeo will unveil a new supercar this spring. It will be a successor to the 8C Competizione and will follow the design lines of the iconic T33 Stradale. The Italian manufacturer presented a teaser video showing one of the taillights of the upcoming supercar.
Alfa Romeo's supercar, successor to the 8C Competizione 9 photos
Photo: Alfa Romeo
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The only 13-second teaser posted by Alfa Romeo on Instagram is shrouded in mystery. A quick succession of shots of Giulia and Stelvio enhanced during the 2022 and the new Tonale are shown in the first few seconds. And then an announcement appears: '2023 is coming. Are you ready? We are."

The teaser ends with a short sequence featuring a round taillight sign of a car that looks nothing like any of the cars in Alfa Romeo's lineup today. The video teaser is accompanied by a message from Alfa Romeo: "Roads are there to be mastered. All you have to do is get on board your #AlfaRomeo. Destination: an astonishing 2023."

Jean-Phillippe Imparato, the company's CEO, announced in the summer of 2022 that Alfa Romeo will present a limited-edition sports model in the first half of 2023. In an interview last year, the Alfa Romeo boss confirmed that the Tonale would not be the last model of the brand powered by a combustion engine.

However, it is unclear what type of powertrain the new Alfa Romeo supercar will get. Imparato said last year: "At the moment, I have two scenarios: conventional combustion engine without hybrid technology or full EV." Given that the current battery technology is not ready for sports cars and they are too heavy, we believe Alfa's supercar will have a conventional or a hybrid propulsion. Being a limited production model, sales will have a small impact on the brand's fleet emissions.

The Alfa Romeo boss also said the upcoming car will be a "very attractive, very selective and very expensive product" but mentioned it will be an original model that is not related to other supercars in the group, such as the Maserati MC20.

It is also unknown what platform the new supercar will use as chief designer Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos said it would not be based on Stellantis' STLA architecture. The only thing we do know is that the design will remind us of the sensational T33 Stradale.

The Alfa Romeo T33 Stradale is one of the most beautiful cars in the world. Designed by Franco Scaglione, it weighed just 700 kg (1,543 pounds) and had a centrally placed 230 ps (227 hp) V8 engine that propelled it from 0-100 kph (0-62 mph). The T33 Stradale was capable of hitting a top speed of 260 kph (161.5 mph).

Alfa Romeo had plans for a new supercar as early as 2018. Then, in the summer of 2018, Sergio Marchionne, head of FCA, who has since passed away, presented Alfa Romeo's plans for the future at an investors' meeting.

These plans mentioned a modern successor to the 8C Competizione with a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine driving the rear axle and an electric motor on the front axle. Total power of 700 ps (690 hp) should have made this supercar flash from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in just 3 seconds.

But then FCA merged with PSA, and the project was frozen due to the pandemic and other priority projects for Alfa. But now the idea is back in the game.



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Editor's note: For illustration purposes, the photo gallery includes images of the Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione (predecessor of the the new sports car) and of the 33-2 Stradale, which inspires the design of the upcoming model.

 

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