Revealed: New 8c Cuts A Dash

Here is the view that will greet lucky Alfa Romeo drivers next spring. This is the first look inside the eagerly anticipated 8c Competizione. Although the model's production-ready status has yet to be officially confirmed by the Italian company, engineers and stylists have been working furiously on the car since it made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September last year.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Dan Strong

17th March 2004

Our picture shows how the dashboard taps into classic Alfa design cues to create a functional yet stylish interior that has clearly been inspired by the company's models from the Sixties.

But anyone who is keen on the new supercar needs to be quick if they want to book a place behind the wheel of what looks set to be one of the stars of 2005. Currently, Alfa plans to make only 1,000 examples of the model, which will be based on a unique chassis and feature hand-finished bodywork. The machine is expected to be powered by a 4.2-litre V8 engine developing at least 400bhp. A six-speed manual transmission will feed all that muscle back to the rear wheels.

Aimed at the likes of the Porsche 911 and Jaguar XKR, the 8c could cost as much as ΂£60,000. It is also the first supercoup΃© made by Alfa since the company stopped building its famous TZ and SZ racing cars.

Its creation marks the start of an exciting new period in Alfa's history, with a whole range of limited-edition mach-ines set to be launched.