Alfa Romeo 8c & Alfa Romeo 8c Spider
Alfa Romeo is synomonous with luxurious and eye catching cars. They started as mostly racing car manufacturers in the early 1900s and underwent many changes in their production line. In 2007 they revived their 1930 to 1940 styling and released the 8C Competizione. This was fashioned mainly after their 1948 6C 2500 Competizione, which competed in the 1949 and 1950 Mille Miglia races. The car reached the third spot both years but finally won the Targo Florio in 1950.
Alfa introduced the 8C Competizione at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003. In 2006 at the Mondial de l’Automobile, Alfa Romeo shared the news that they would have a limited release of 500 cars and all have been sold out. Later at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California in 2005, they debuted their Spider version of the 8C Compeitzione. The 8C Spider, like its coupe sibling, is planned to be built in a limited number of 500 cars.
Alfa Romeo 8c Spider
The 8C Competizione is almost like the concept except that it has a rear hinge hood. It is a two-seater coupe with a carbon fibre body shell and is available in four colors, black, yellow, 8C Red and Competition Red. The ATR Group makes the body which is fitted on to a steel chasis produced by ITCA Produzione with the assembly line in the Maserati Italian factory. The Spider is a drop top version of the 8C Competizione coupe and the Spider has a two layer electrically operated fabric roof which is electrically controlled via a button in the dashboard. Its cabin is trimmed in high-class leather and its seats have carbonfibre frames to save weight: the whole thing weighs just 1500kg thanks to carbonfibre components. The 8C Spider has different alloy wheels and is priced more than the coupe version.
The 8C Competizione and the 8C Spider are fitted with a Maserati Quattroporte, modified by to a larger 4.7 liters of displacement. It makes 450 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, and 347 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm, with a 7,500 rpm redline. The Ferrari-built motivator will be placed behind the front axle for a low center of gravity and ideal 50/50 weight distribution. The sole transmission choice will be a six-speed sequential manual with paddles, mounted as part of the rear axle for better weight distribution, as is the current vogue.
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
The 8C Competizione has a computerized gearbox which has six different modes such as Manual-Normal; Manual-Sport; Automatic-Normal; Automatic-Sport and Ice modes. The gearbox can shift in 175 milliseconds when using Sport mode. The 8C also has a limited slip differential. In the 8C Spider the Q-Select gearbox has only five distinct modes: Manual-Normal; Manual-Sport; Automatic-Normal; Automatic-Sport and Ice.
The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione has a top speed of 292 kilometres per hour (181 mph) which is slightly higher than the 8C Spider which has a top speed of 290 kilometres per hour (180 mph). The 8C brakes have a stopping distance of 32 metres (105.0 ft), when travelling at an initial speed of 97 kilometres per hour (60 mph). The brakes on the Spider are Brembo made carbon-ceramic type.
