Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Encyclopedia
The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is a sports car
produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo
. It was first presented as a concept car
at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and later released for sale for the 2007 model year. The name refers to the eight cylinder (Cilindro in Italian) engine (8C) and Alfa Romeo
's racing pedigree (Competizione, Italian for 'Competition')
race and came third both times. It was in the latter of these two races that the car was driven by Juan-Manuel Fangio and Augusto Zanardi. It won the 1950 Targa Florio. A 3.0 litre prototype was built but not produced. These 6C 2500 models were among the last vehicles with links to the pre-war cars.
, Alfa Romeo announced the production of a limited series of 500 units of the 8C Competizione. The production version is very similar to the concept, with the biggest difference to the exterior being the rear-hinged hood
. The car came in four colours:
Alfa Red, Competition Red, black or yellow. Custom paint colors were available for an additional charge. The bodyshell is made of carbon fibre, produced by ATR Group.
The carbon fibre body is fitted to a steel chassis, made by Italian company ITCA Produzione. The final assembly takes place at the
Maserati factory in Modena
, Italy.
An 8C Competizione was featured on the main sculpture at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed
. One of the two remaining Alfa Romeo P2
s was also part of the display.
derived 90 degree cross-plane
wet sump lubricated 4.7-litre V8 assembled by Ferrari.
The top engine performance figures may be summarized as a maximum power
of 331 kilowatts (450 PS) at 7000 revolutions per minute
, a peak torque of 480 newton metre
s (354 lb·ft) at 4750 rpm (80% at 2500 rpm) with an engine redline of 7500 rpm and rev limiter of 7600 rpm. The V8 engine has variable timing
intake valves and compression ratio
of
11.3.
The six–speed transaxle
gearbox has computerized gear selection by means of levers behind the steering wheel and may be used in Manual-Normal; Manual-Sport; Automatic-Normal; Automatic-Sport and Wet modes. The gearbox can shift in 175 milliseconds when using Sport mode. The 8C also has a limited slip differential
.
magazine, with a stopping distance of 32 metres (105 ft), when travelling at an initial speed of 97 kilometres per hour (60.3 mph). The official top speed is announced to be 292 kilometre per hour but it might be higher, with estimations that it could be around 306 kilometre per hour according to the Road & Track magazine. An Alfa Romeo engineer also stated that it is faster than the announced top speed.
The 8C was built in a limited production run of 500 units, and Alfa Romeo earmarked the entire production run among several important markets; the entire run quickly sold out. The 8C marked Alfa Romeo's return to the American market in 2008, after withdrawing in 1995. The first 8C was delivered to an Italian customer in October 2007. The first American-market 8C was seen in November 2008, wearing "001 USA" registration plates. The car was purchased by film director
and stock exchange magnate
James Glickenhaus
, also known for being the owner of the bespoke
Enzo-based Ferrari P4/5
. The 8C's production run was completed by the end of 2008.
. As of 2009, the 8C has not been raced by a factory-sponsored team.
, Alfa Romeo unveiled the 8C Spider, a roadster version of the Competizione coupé. The Spider concept was built by Carrozzeria Marazzi
. Production of the 8C Spider was confirmed by Sergio Marchionne
on September 25, 2007. It was announced that the Spider would be built in a 500 unit production run and would cost around €20,000 (US$27,500) more than the coupe version.
began in 2009, in Modena
, with Maserati
in charge of building the cars. As previously announced, 500 cars will be built, each priced at €175,000 (US$241,000) excluding taxes. The production version was unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. 35 of 500 Spiders are going to United States. In the October 2011 issue of Evo (magazine) the 8C spider won the best sounding car.
Alfa Romeo claims that the 8C Spider's top speed is 290 kilometre per hour, which makes it slightly slower than the coupe version. The brakes on the Spider are Brembo
carbon-ceramic units. The Spider has a two-layer electrically operated fabric roof. The windshield frame is made of carbon fibre to try to maintain a 50/50 weight distribution.
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
produced by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
. It was first presented as a concept car
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and later released for sale for the 2007 model year. The name refers to the eight cylinder (Cilindro in Italian) engine (8C) and Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
's racing pedigree (Competizione, Italian for 'Competition')
2003 concept car
The 8C Competizione was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003. The lines of the twin seater are meant to echo the styling of Alfas of the 1950s and 1960s, and the "Competizione" name is a reference to the 1948 6C 2500 Competizione, which competed in the 1949 and 1950 Mille MigliaMille Miglia
The Mille Miglia was an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 ....
race and came third both times. It was in the latter of these two races that the car was driven by Juan-Manuel Fangio and Augusto Zanardi. It won the 1950 Targa Florio. A 3.0 litre prototype was built but not produced. These 6C 2500 models were among the last vehicles with links to the pre-war cars.
2007 production version
During the Mondial de l'Automobile 2006Mondial de l'Automobile 2006
The 2006 Paris Motor Show took place from September 30 to October 15, 2006, in Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles.- Introductions :* Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione* Audi A3 1.8 TFSI* Audi A4 2.8 FSI* Audi R8...
, Alfa Romeo announced the production of a limited series of 500 units of the 8C Competizione. The production version is very similar to the concept, with the biggest difference to the exterior being the rear-hinged hood
Hood (vehicle)
The hood or bonnet is the hinged cover over the engine of motor vehicles that allows access to the engine compartment for maintenance and repair. In British terminology, hood refers to a fabric cover over the passenger compartment of the car...
. The car came in four colours:
Alfa Red, Competition Red, black or yellow. Custom paint colors were available for an additional charge. The bodyshell is made of carbon fibre, produced by ATR Group.
The carbon fibre body is fitted to a steel chassis, made by Italian company ITCA Produzione. The final assembly takes place at the
Maserati factory in Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
, Italy.
An 8C Competizione was featured on the main sculpture at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or...
. One of the two remaining Alfa Romeo P2
Alfa Romeo P2
The Alfa Romeo P2 won the inaugural Automobile World Championship in 1925, taking victory in two of the four championship rounds when Antonio Ascari drove it in the European Grand Prix at Spa and Gastone Brilli-Peri won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after Ascari died while leading the intervening...
s was also part of the display.
Powertrain
The car uses a modified Maserati platform and powertrain (Maserati 4200, GranTurismo) and features a Ferrari/MaseratiFerrari/Maserati engine
-Shared specifications:The Ferrari/Maserati architecture displaces between 4.2 L and 6.3 L, producing between and in street-legal configuration, and up to in track configuration...
derived 90 degree cross-plane
Crossplane
The crossplane or cross-plane is a crankshaft design for V8 engines with a 90° angle between the cylinder banks.The crossplane crankshaft has four crankpins, each offset at 90° from the adjacent crankpins...
wet sump lubricated 4.7-litre V8 assembled by Ferrari.
The top engine performance figures may be summarized as a maximum power
Power (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
of 331 kilowatts (450 PS) at 7000 revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
, a peak torque of 480 newton metre
Newton metre
A newton metre is a unit of torque in the SI system. The symbolic form is N m or N·m, and sometimes hyphenated newton-metre...
s (354 lb·ft) at 4750 rpm (80% at 2500 rpm) with an engine redline of 7500 rpm and rev limiter of 7600 rpm. The V8 engine has variable timing
Variable valve timing
In internal combustion engines, variable valve timing , also known as Variable valve actuation , is a generalized term used to describe any mechanism or method that can alter the shape or timing of a valve lift event within an internal combustion engine...
intake valves and compression ratio
Compression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
of
11.3.
The six–speed transaxle
Transaxle
In the automotive field, a transaxle is a major mechanical component that combines the functionality of the transmission, the differential, and associated components of the driven axle into one integrated assembly....
gearbox has computerized gear selection by means of levers behind the steering wheel and may be used in Manual-Normal; Manual-Sport; Automatic-Normal; Automatic-Sport and Wet modes. The gearbox can shift in 175 milliseconds when using Sport mode. The 8C also has a limited slip differential
Limited slip differential
A limited slip differential is a type of differential gear arrangement that allows for some difference in angular velocity of the output shafts, but imposes a mechanical bound on the disparity...
.
Performance
It is fitted with specially developed 20 inch tires: 245/35 at the front and 285/35 at the rear, fitted on perforated rims in fluid moulded aluminium. The 8C brakes have been called "phenomenal" by Road & TrackRoad & Track
Road & Track is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, and is published monthly. The editorial offices are located in Newport Beach, California.-History:...
magazine, with a stopping distance of 32 metres (105 ft), when travelling at an initial speed of 97 kilometres per hour (60.3 mph). The official top speed is announced to be 292 kilometre per hour but it might be higher, with estimations that it could be around 306 kilometre per hour according to the Road & Track magazine. An Alfa Romeo engineer also stated that it is faster than the announced top speed.
| Top speed | 292 kilometres per hour (181.4 mph) |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) | 4.2 seconds |
| 1/4 mile (~400 m) | 12.4 seconds @ 116.4 miles per hour (52 m/s) |
| Type | V8 |
| Displacement | 4.7 L (4691 cc) (286.8 cu in) |
| Power | 331 kW @ 7000 rpm |
| Torque | 480 newton metres (354 ft·lbf) @ 4750 rpm |
| (ft m skidpad) | 1.02 g |
Production numbers and markets
| Country | Number of cars |
|---|---|
| USA | 90 |
| Italy | 80 |
| Germany | 80 |
| Japan | 70 |
| France | 40 |
| United Kingdom | 40 |
| Switzerland | 35 |
| Others | 65 |
| Sum | 500 |
The 8C was built in a limited production run of 500 units, and Alfa Romeo earmarked the entire production run among several important markets; the entire run quickly sold out. The 8C marked Alfa Romeo's return to the American market in 2008, after withdrawing in 1995. The first 8C was delivered to an Italian customer in October 2007. The first American-market 8C was seen in November 2008, wearing "001 USA" registration plates. The car was purchased by film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and stock exchange magnate
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
James Glickenhaus
James Glickenhaus
James Glickenhaus is an American investment professional at Glickenhaus & Co., the finance firm started by his father, Seth Glickenhaus. He was formerly a movie director before entering the finance world....
, also known for being the owner of the bespoke
Bespoke
Bespoke is a term employed in a variety of applications to mean an item custom-made to the buyer's specification...
Enzo-based Ferrari P4/5
Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina
The Ferrari P4/5 is a one-off sports car made by Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari but redesigned by Pininfarina for film director and stock exchange magnate James Glickenhaus. The car was an Enzo Ferrari but the owner James Glickenhaus preferred the styling of Ferrari's 1960s race cars, the...
. The 8C's production run was completed by the end of 2008.
Racing version
The possibility of an official racing version of the 8C was first hinted at in 2006, within the computer game Squadra Corse Alfa Romeo, developed by Black Bean Software in collaboration with the automaker. Two racing versions of the car were included. Alfa Romeo later announced that they were preparing to race the 8C in events such as Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring. It is expected that race version chassis will be made by DallaraDallara
Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993...
. As of 2009, the 8C has not been raced by a factory-sponsored team.
2005 Spider concept
At the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d'ElegancePebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is an automotive charitable event held each year on the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California, considered the most prestigious event of its kind. It is the finale of a week long festival of classic cars events in the Monterey area every year...
, Alfa Romeo unveiled the 8C Spider, a roadster version of the Competizione coupé. The Spider concept was built by Carrozzeria Marazzi
Carrozzeria Marazzi
Carrozzeria Marazzi is an Italian coachbuilding company founded in 1967 and is located in Caronno Pertusella, outside Milan.The company was established by Carlo Marazzi and employees from the then bankrupt Carrozzeria Touring of Milan...
. Production of the 8C Spider was confirmed by Sergio Marchionne
Sergio Marchionne
Sergio Marchionne is an international manager best known for his turnaround of the Italian automotive group Fiat and, more recently, for managing the US automotive group Chrysler from bankruptcy to profitability...
on September 25, 2007. It was announced that the Spider would be built in a 500 unit production run and would cost around €20,000 (US$27,500) more than the coupe version.
2008 production version
Production of the 8C SpiderRoadster
A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
began in 2009, in Modena
Modena
Modena is a city and comune on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy....
, with Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
in charge of building the cars. As previously announced, 500 cars will be built, each priced at €175,000 (US$241,000) excluding taxes. The production version was unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. 35 of 500 Spiders are going to United States. In the October 2011 issue of Evo (magazine) the 8C spider won the best sounding car.
Alfa Romeo claims that the 8C Spider's top speed is 290 kilometre per hour, which makes it slightly slower than the coupe version. The brakes on the Spider are Brembo
Brembo
Brembo S.p.A. is a manufacturer of automotive brake systems, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles. It was established in Bergamo, Italy in 1961. Soon after the company was formed, it specialised in disc brakes, which were exclusively imported from the United Kingdom at the time...
carbon-ceramic units. The Spider has a two-layer electrically operated fabric roof. The windshield frame is made of carbon fibre to try to maintain a 50/50 weight distribution.
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