ROCHESTER, MI – Looking sumptuous and sexy in its “arrest me” red exterior, the 2008 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione two-seat coupe made its North America debut as it rolled up the driveway to the 110-room Meadow Brook Hall, which was built nearly 75 years ago on money made selling far less exotic cars -- Dodges.
Italian auto manufacturer Fiat tapped Maserati North America President and Chief Executive Officer James Selwa, a Detroit-area native, to reintroduce the premium Alfa Romeo brand that was discontinued in the United States in 1995 due to poor sales. On June 1, four days before the prestigious Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance car show where Alfa Romero is the featured marque, Selwa showed off the limited edition, $200,000-$220,000 super car for its debut.
Also displayed was the new 2008 Maserati GranTurismo for its first-ever North American unveiling. Slightly “down scale” when compared to the Alfa, the premium GranTurismo has a sticker price of $120,000. Besides the limited edition C8, the Alfa Romeo brand will return to the U.S. market in late 2009 with several production models.
Last year, Fiat executives hinted that the models would be the 159 sedan, the Brera coupe, and the Spider convertible. Alfa sells its 147 hatchback, 159, Brera, GT coupe, and Spider south of the border in Mexico.
“This is a real car; it’s not a show car,” said Selwa as he stood at a lectern in the humid, 90-plus degree Fahrenheit outdoor temperatures while introducing the 8C. “The way we are going to come back into the market is to build something absolutely outstanding. And that’s what this car is.”
Less than a hundred will come to America and since we will actually be getting the last of the run, these cars are expected to be highly collectable. “This is a very beautiful, modern car,” said Selwa. Touches of chrome accented the car – such as with its four tailpipe tips, around the circular taillights, the windows and grille.
Only 500 of the 8C Competiziones will be produced in total for 2008 and then “no more,” Selwa said. The very limited edition Alfa Romero carries design cues from some of the brand’s famed race cars of yesteryear while combining it with the latest in automotive technology and high performance.
The 8C’s front end takes styling cues from the 33 Coupé Stradale, and the round taillights are similar to those of the Giulia TZ. It is 74.8 inches wide, 168.4 inches long, 49.2 inches high, and has a 102.1 inch wheelbase. Its 20-inch tires are 245/40 - R20 at the front and 275/35 - R20 at the rear.
“The entire body is all made out of carbon fiber,” Selwa said as the sunshine sparkled off of its red body and chrome wheels. “No one else offers this on the market today. It is a big challenge to make a car out of carbon fiber and make it look this good and is ultra light weight.”
Under the carbon fiber exterior is a steel unibody that reportedly is similar to the Maserati Coupé. Its engine is a 4.7-liter, 90-degree V-8 that produces 450 horsepower, up to 7,000 rpm with 346 lbs.-ft. of torque at 4,750 rpm. This Maserati powerplant is mated to a 6-speed transaxle for absolutely superb weight balance. The 8C can make a fast and furious rush from the 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and tops out at 190 mph.
The transaxle’s design is similar to one used when Alfa won two Formula One championships in the 1950s. That racing heritage carries forward to the suspension system, which is similar to that of a competition vehicle.
In fact, the car’s name also is a tribute to the 1948 6C 2500 Competizione sports coupe that came in third place in the 1949 and 1950 Mille Miglia open-road endurance races in Italy.
“The electronics in this system – unlike a lot of cars you drive today – is very forgiving. It doesn’t penalize the driving pleasure of a car,” the Maserati executive continued. “You can run this car extremely hard, far harder than any other car, before the electronics takes control. “You will find that this car is really an stunning example of what real ultimate performance can do.”
The 8C Competizione first appeared as a show car at the 60th Frankfurt International Motor Show in 2003. In September 2006, the prototype production model was displayed at the Paris Auto Show and immediately went on sale. Selwa confirmed that only 87 of the super cars will be distributed at the “very best” of Maserati’s 50 North American dealers, but all of these cars have already sold.
David T. Fischer, chairman and CEO of Detroit’s Suburban Collection, who owns several automotive dealerships, also is one of the Maserati dealers who will be getting one of the Alfas. When asked if he is going to be allowed to briefly keep one of the cars in his showroom, Fischer smiled and replied, “I liked this car so much, I’ve bought one.”
The 8C is an exciting car to reintroduce Alfa Romeo, Fischer added.
After more than a decade of absence, Fiat is rebuilding its Alfa brand by reintroducing it to a select few of its dealers around the country.
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