Alfa Romeo to reveal new supercar
Something special in the works
Italian firm Alfa Romeo will send off its petrol-powered model lines in spectacular style later in August when it reveals a flagship supercar that will top the range.
While few details have been released about the car — the only image we’ve seen so far is a teaser, which features a close-up of the car’s louvred air vents with the serpent from Alfa’s logo imprinted on it — there are plenty of rumours about what it will be called, how much it’ll cost and even the powertrain it uses.
According to Alfa Romeo boss Philippe Imparato, the company is “working on something that I could put aside the 8C in the museum of Arese, being proud of our contribution to the history of Alfa Romeo. That is what we want.”
Alfa Romeo has been tight-lipped about its name thus far, but rumours have suggested that the ’33’ name might return, in a nod to the low-slung Tipo 33 racing cars that had success in the 1960s.
Another suggestion is 6C, which would associate the car not only with historic racing and sports cars from Alfa’s early years but would fill a gap between the 8C Competitzione grand tourer and later 4C small mid-engined sports car in terms of naming.
Alfa may turn to Maserati
The 6C tag would also be appropriate for the rumoured motive power for the new model. Sources suggest that the new Alfa Romeo sports car could share its construction with the recently launched Maserati MC20, a car that features a carbon fibre tub with a 3-litre twin-turbo V6 bolted into the back.
If Alfa uses this engine, it’s believed that it could receive a boost in performance over the 621bhp that it makes in the MC20, possibly with the addition of an electric motor, to an output in the region of 800bhp. Using this engine would all but confirm an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission for the new car, too.
Another possibility is that Alfa could source an engine in-house and use the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 that features in the hot Quadrifoglio versions of the Giulia and Stelvio models. That has up to 533bhp in the most potent Giulia GTAm version, although there’s potential for the new model to have an even higher power figure.
At a later date, there’s the potential for the new supercar to be sold as a pure-electric model. Maserati is working on an MC20 Folgore (Folgore is Italian for thunderbolt and is the name Maserati uses for all its electric models), so it wouldn’t be a big step for Alfa’s supercar to use the same technology.
Whichever powertrain is used, the new Alfa will be an exclusive machine. Again, there are no firm details on the numbers that will be produced but it’s expected to be offered in limited numbers, possibly even 33, to tie in with the Tipo 33 name.
Other rumours suggest an even more limited production run. With such limited numbers being suggested, we can expect a high pricetag, with some quarters suggesting it will cost in the region of £1m.
We’ll know more about the new model on August 20, when the car will be revealed in a live stream from the Arese museum. Incidentally, that’s the same weekend as the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at Monza, and it’s expected that the Alfa Romeo F1 team will be involved with the car, although it’s not known to what extent.
Related articles
- After reading about Alfa Romeo’s next car, you might like to read about the marque’s 100-year history of the quadrifoglio
- Here is our review of the Alfa Romeo Tonale
- You might also like to read all about the Maserati MC20 supercar
Latest articles
- Cupra updates Leon and Formentor with sharp styling and longer-range hybrids
- Extended test: 2023 Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer GS PHEV
- Omoda 5 prototype review: Bargain family SUV is solid first effort for new Chinese brand
- Dacia Duster 2024 review: Rugged, affordable SUV modernised with electrification and quite the glow up
- Audi A3 Sportback 2024 review: Softly, softly, catchy premium hatchback buyer
- New electric-only Mini Aceman fills gap between Mini Cooper hatch and Countryman SUV
- Tesla driver arrested on homicide charges after killing motorcyclist while using Autopilot
- Porsche Macan 2024 review: Sporty compact SUV goes electric, but is it still the class leader for handling?
- F1 2024 calendar and race reports: What time the next grand prix starts and what happened in the previous rounds
