During the taxi ride from Charles De Gaulle airport to our hotel, we concluded that the best-looking cars on French highways that we never see at home are made by Italy's Alfa Romeo - by a country kilometer. A lot has apparently changed in the 10-plus years the brand has been absent from our shores, and it's all good.
A fine example is the new Alfa Romeo flagship unveiled here in Paris today, the much-anticipated 8C Competizione. After finally seeing this two-seat sports car in the flesh, we can confirm that the production model is an Italian knockout dressed in red - red-painted carbon fiber, that is. And with a 90 degree 4.7-liter V8 engine cramming 450 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque through a paddle shifter-controlled six-speed transaxle to the rear wheels, Alfa's claim of a 0-100 kph (0 to 62 mph) acceleration time "under 4.2 seconds" is utterly believable.
But the even bigger news, delivered by Alfa Romeo Executive Vice President Antonio Baravalle himself, was confirmation that the 8C will in fact be coming to the United States. When we asked Mr. Baravalle when we could expect the Competizione to hit US shores, he enthused, "You can order this car after the show," but went on to explain that US deliveries won't occur until early 2008 - about 20 months from now, but leapfrogging Alfa's reported late 2009 "full line" return by almost two years.
Only 500 examples of the 8C Compitizione are scheduled to be built for worldwide consumptzione, so if you want one, be ready to put your order in early, wait patiently, and expect to pay something north of $200 grand.
Subscribe
Recent Posts
Archives
Manufacturers
Auto Shows
More Categories
Links
Wow, now that's a what I'd call a PROPER grille, not that huge fish-mouth thing on the front of the Audi A3! And the rest of the car looks great too, with simple circular taillights, a beautifully shaped hood, and bulging rear quarter panels.
The restrained use of chrome is to be applauded also; too much chrome with those gaping grilles in more and more cars is reminding me of the nadir of US car styling -- 1958.
I like how the hood lines fit in with the center grille section. Everything flows nicely together. Too bad I'll never afford one!
One of the most significant designs in recent years if not last decade or so. It beats hands down anything that came from Ferrari,Maserati or Aston Martin....It's just really handsome and charismatic, too bad only a few privileged will ever be able to afford it....and oh there's only one perhaps minor complaint and thats the size and placement of rear lights and the way they placed the area for license plate....other than that Che bella machina......
Wow. Absolutely drop-dead gorgeous in so many ways. A true throw-back to the days when cars were actually drawn.....on paper.....with a pencil. When the Pininfarinas, Giugiaros and other Italian design houses blew the auto world away with scandalously voluptuous and sexy designs. Designs that scared your mother and made your father contemplate cashing out the retirement plan for an affair with a car.
I've missed the presence of Alfa in the US for that last decade, regardless of the fact that the Brera and other models I've glimpsed have not blown me away sylistically. I remember the GTVs of the 70s and, of course, the classic Spyder and I welcome another emotional, Italian entry into the US, especially the return of a well-loved one that we have all know. Bravisimo Alfa!
oooohh..... NICE!! very pretty!!! ncie front headlights! very sexy! the back reminds me of a maserati coupe/ convertible