Alfa Romeo is returning to the United States with this, the 8C Competizione. A bit of a mouth full, but however you spit it out, you'll be referring to one seriously stunning car, even for Alfa Romeo. The first supercar Alfa's attempted in a long long time, the 8C Compe-you-know-what is essentially a re-bodied Maserati Gran Turismo. Both cars share the same chassis and engine, but feature their own bodies, interiors, and suspension and handling set ups! . We've all seen what Maserati came up with, and Alfa Romeo has certainly matched them for impact and desirability. But these two are chalk and cheese, especially in how they look.
The Alfa Romeo is an unashamedly retro take of a modern supercar. Ford did it with the GT, and with much success. Folks in the US seem to like their retro cars. Mustangs, Corvettes, GT Chargers, and many more past icons have re-appeared. While some are clearly a question of taste (they're all rubbish), the 8C has the substance. The design harks back to Alfa's glory days, when the Italians were synonymous with motor sport. The shape works very well
, particularly in Alfa's preferred hue of red. The great thing about this car is its simplicity. There's no clutter, none of that Mercedes-like criss-cross of lines and flanks. It's just one simple, flowing shape that still manages to be as aggressive and identifiable as it needs to be. You get a bit of a headache looking at a Ferrari F430. It's so complex, and there's so much going on with the aero work on that car. Park this beside! it, and it's so much easier to understand while giving no street-cred away to the Ferrari. Those flared wheel arches and long, swooping bonnet are both perfectly proportioned and meaty in stance.
Inside has no real surprises. There's plenty of leather, carbon fibre, and engine related dials to qualify for a supercar. What is a revelation, though, is that the 8C is rear wheel drive, thanks to sharing the same chassis with the Maserati. However, while the Maserati is more focused on refinement, the 8C was focused as a more hard-edged drive. How they've executed t! hat is yet to be seen, but they'd have pulled off a massive achievement if the 8C is more enjoyable than the Gran Turismo, which is the best all-round Grand Tourer of the moment. If they've done it right, then the Alfa Romeo will offer a completely different focus than it's Italian cousin. They both have the same V8, the same basic platform, and the same Italian passion instilled in their pedigree. The only choice is, which one suits you more? The sophisticated yet utterly drop-dead-gorgeous allure of the Maserati, or the retro and in-your-face aggression of the Alfa Romeo.
If it were me I'd take the Gran Turismo, but there'll be plenty of people who'll batt for the other team, the yanks included. And it seems that's all Alfa Romeo is concerned about, as it's left-hand drive only. That's a real shame...
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