Saturday, July 27, 2013
2007 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Preview
Alfas 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 wont occur until early 2008 - about 20 months from now, but leapfrogging Alfas reported late 2009 "full line" return by almost two years. Only 500 examples of the 8C Compitizione are scheduled to be built for worldwide consumption, so if you want one, be ready to put your order in early, wait patiently, and expect to pay something north of $200 grand.
The production version of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione makes its debut in a couple of weeks at the Paris auto show, but thanks to Spanish site km77.com, photos and details are out on the web for all to see.The car is driven by a Maserati-sourced aluminum 4.7L V8 making 450 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of twist. A six-speed gearbox with paddle shifters channels power to the rear wheels and can also be operated in full automatic mode. Like the engine, the cars suspension is also a refugee from Maserati.
Interiors: personality and technology
The car’s distinctive look comes from extensive use of composite materials on the facia and interior panels. This is a technical choice but also reinforces the car’s spirit and emphasises its personality. The same thinking lies behind the adoption of anatomical seats made out of carbon fibre that can be adjusted and customised on the basis of the driver’s physical characteristics (a facility previously reserved for racing cars).
The carefully-crafted and detailed finish naturally allows the car to be customised to the driver’s taste and a choice of different interior environments is available.
Suspension, wheels and braking system
In the very best Alfa Romeo tradition, the engineering is directly derived from the race track. The suspension on the new model is no exception, with a double wishbone layout, forged aluminium axle carrier and arms and extra strut for toe-in control.
The braking system offers perforated, ventilated discs with aluminium brake callipers to ensure prompt, effective braking even with heavy use. To ensure the car stays glued to the road, it is fitted with 20” tyres specially developed to ensure outstanding performance: 245/35 at the front and 285/35 at the rear, fitted on perforated rims in fluid moulded aluminium to ensure lightness and maximum brake ventilation efficiency.
To ensure the car is entertaining and safe in any driving condition, the 8C Competizione comes with the latest Alfa Romeo VDC, an advanced stability and traction control system to ensure the driver feels at one with his car.
Transmission, robotised gearbox and self-locking differential
The engineers used a layout familiar from other Alfa Romeo cars on the 8C Competizione: the transaxle architecture with gearbox at the rear that is an acknowledged asset of Alfa Romeo cars. This layout allows outstanding dynamic performance while also offering the active safety for which Alfa Romeo cars are fabled.
The engine-gearbox unit is designed in accordance with a transaxle configuration that ensures the weight distribution is very effective for vehicle handling. Due to the small axial engine size and the integration with frame components from the drawing board, the entire power unit can be housed well back to ensure the required sporty configuration.
The 6–speed gearbox with computerised speed selection by means of levers behind the steering wheel is designed to ensure ultra-slick gear shifts and may be used in Manual-Normal; Manual-Sport; Automatic-Normal; Automatic-Sport and Ice modes. The self-locking differential allows acceleration and stability to be managed with extraordinary efficiency in all situations.
8 cylinder 4.7 engine: Italian ‘belcanto’
The engine is the beating heart of any Alfa Romeo. In this case it takes the form of a brand new 90° V 8 cylinder unit with a cylinder capacity of 4691 cc that was designed with one aim in mind: to ensure extraordinary performance while still offering a smooth drive and being usable in all circumstances, from the track to city traffic.
The top engine performance figures may be summarised as a maximum power output of 450 bhp at 7000 rpm, a peak torque of 470 Nm at 4750 rpm and a top speed of 7500 rpm.
The layout of internal fluid movements and the cylinder head cooling system is designed to achieve high duct permeability and effective intake load cooling to maximise volumetric efficiency and engine performance.
Harmonisation of the intake and exhaust geometry together with the introduction of continuous variable valve timing on the intake camshafts and optimisation of the combustion chamber and engine calibration means that 80% of torque is available from 2000 rpm.
In sporty driving conditions over mixed routes, the power unit offers impressively short response times due to the high permeability of the intake duct and the low inertia of the flywheel-twin plate clutch system.
A crankshaft with counterweights at 90°, fully balanced through careful selection of connecting rods and pistons, ensures the engine runs with low vibration levels.
News
British customers buying Alfa’s new supercar will deal straight with the factory in Italy to tailor their car to their precise needs.
Alfa confirmed at the Paris Motor Show that the 8C Competizione will cost around £100,000.
Buyers will be able to choose any colour and trim combination they desire, when sales start in autumn 2007. ‘These cars will be totally bespoke and we will only build 500 of them,’ said a spokesman. ‘No two will be the same.’
The production-ready 8C is virtually unchanged from the concept car of the same name that wowed the crowds at the Frankfurt Motor Show three years ago.
It is powered by a Maserati-derived 4.7-litre V8 with 450bhp and 346lb ft of pulling power for breakneck performance; Alfa revealed at the show that the 8C can top 180mph and sprint to 62mph in less than 4.2sec.
The engine features variable valve timing while the exhaust has been tuned to produce an enticing sound. The car’s body is made of lightweight carbonfibre, while the interior features carbonfibre seats and paddles for the six-speed gearbox.
The 8C sits on 20in wheels and will have the latest version of Alfa’s VDC stability and traction control system.
Although Alfa Romeo has shown a Spyder soft-top version of the 8C, the spokesman said there were no plans to build it. However, if demand outstrips supply for the first 500 coupes, the open car could be built.
