Alfa Romeo’s last supercar entry was the V8 powered 8C which made its first appearance back in 2010. The model combined this eight-cylinder fury with a body that was the automotive equivalent of a supermodel. However, the 8C’s presence was brief and its long term future fizzled despite the moniker appearing in an old product roadmap Stellantis released back in 2018. However the automotive juggernaut has rectified this mistake with the unveiling of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, Alfa’s last ICE equipped model before the brand goes all-in on EV powertrains.
33 Stradale Is No Successor, Forges Its Own Path
Before we go on any further, we might as well address the elephant in the room, and that’s the question of whether the 33 Stradale is a formal successor to the 8C? While it may seem that way on the surface, Alfa reps made it clear that the model is forging its own path with the 33 Stradale being inspired by the 1960s version which was limited to 18 examples.
Like that model, the bodywork on this new age 33 Stradale is a rolling canvas of high end art with the slick suit of clothes being crafted by the coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. While this might seem like an unusual choice in theory, this is actually a typical day at the office for Alfa with the model sharing this honor with another wild Alfa, the Giulia SWB Zagato. Unlike its ancestor, the 33 Stradale is “slightly” less exclusive (and we use that term lightly) with the brand planning to produce only 33 examples. with all 33 already being sold.
Alfa claims that all 33 cars will be unique and that each one will be a one of a kind expression of its owners personality. The interior comes in two flavors (Tributo and Alfa Corse) with the Tributo being a modenrist interpretation of the classic car’s cabin. The Alfa Corse on the other hand is much sportier and goes all in on delivering all out comfort and usability for its
owners. The steering wheel does not have any buttons plastered on it with Alfa claiming that it didn’t want occupants to be distracted by the beeps and buzzes of modern society. Instead, the brand wants all the attention to be on its driving manners but it doesnt hurt either that these same eyes will also be focused on the combination of leather, Alcantara, carbon fiber and aluminium accents that are splashed throughout the interior.
Turbocharged Performance Lacks Nettuno Flavor
Performance for the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale comes from an all-new 620-horsepower, 3.0-liter, turbocharged, V-6. However, while it’s easy to assume that this is a Nettuno V6 carried over from Maserati, Alfa revealed that the engine here actually shares its DNA with the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifolglio’s 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic is mated to the engine but unlike the Tremec sourced unit in the MC20, the Alfa’s is sourced from ZF.
In addition to the ICE engine, buyers can also spec the 33 as a pure EV with the electrified setup producing 750 horsepower though it remains to be seen if this is a tri-motor setup we are looking at here or if its some other setup but Alfa revealed that both engines are capable of launching the 33 Stradale to 62 mph in less than three seconds before topping out at 207 mph. Carbon fiber ceramic brakes and a brake-by-wire system provide maximum stopping power while the double-arm suspension benefits from active dampers and a front lift system to help the car clear steep driveways and speed humps.
Alfa Romeo promises that more special halo cars are on the horizon, but it’s not known what they are and whether one could try and replicate what we saw in the Alfa Romeo 4C.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.