Alfa Romeo has been teasing the possibility it might launch a new supercar since last January. Now, it’s confirming plans to bring a limited-edition sports car to market, with a debut scheduled Aug. 30.
Based on a teaser first released on Instagram, it’s widely expected that the new model will be dubbed the 6C. Comments made to Britain’s Autocar by Alfa CEO Philippe Imparato earlier this year suggest the new model will be based on the legendary T33 Stradale, of which a mere 18 were made back in 1967.
Alfa is planning to bring automotive journalists to Milan for the debut. But, in keeping with the way most manufacturers now reveal new products, a new Twitter post indicates the event will be webcast, as well.
Dream a little dream
The tweet features a close-up of a grille, below which, the automaker says in Italian, “Il coraggio di sognare,” which means “The courage to dream.”
While official details won’t be revealed until the end of next month, there’s informed speculation about what’s to come.
To start, this would mark the first sports car to come from the Italian brand since the mid-engine Alfa Romeo 4C was pulled from production three years ago. Introduced in 2013, the 4C was meant to put a halo on the long-struggling brand following the merger of parent Fiat and Detroit’s Chrysler Corp. And it marked the brand’s reestablishment in the U.S. market after a decades-long absence. All told, about 10,000 4C sport cars were sold worldwide.
Drawing from the past
The 6C designation, meanwhile, has its own long history. It was used on a variety of 6-cylinder models produced by Alfa from 1927 to 1953.
The badge would reappear as part of a broad product program being rolled out under Stellantis, the trans-Atlantic automaker formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and France’s Groupe PSA.
As for the 33 nameplate, it dates back to the mid-1960s, noted Automotive News Europe, and a track version won the world sports car championship twice, in 1975 and again in 1977.
The street-legal T33 Stradale was a two-seat, rear-engine coupe that was built in extremely limited numbers back in 1967. Its pint-sized 2.0-liter V-8 produced 230 horsepower, a modest number today but, at 115 hp per liter, a significant accomplishment in its day.
With a helping hand from Maserati
The supercar that Alfa is planning to reveal Aug. 30 may take design influence from the T33, but its expected to follow a very different path, from an engineering perspective, the automaker basing it on the current MC20 Cielo built by Alfa’s Italian sibling brand, Maserati, news reports suggest.
Starting at 271,000 euros, or just over $301,000, the MC20 Cielo roadster uses a mid-engine layout. The 6C, speculation goes, will pair a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 with twin electric motors to punch out around 800 hp. That would be, if accurate, about 179 hp more than the Cielo.
Looking to the future
That sort of drivetrain would, again, serve as a halo for Alfa Romeo brand as the automaker is making a transition from internal combustion to battery-electric technology, with hybrid models serving as a bridge.
It’s begun the migration with the gas-electric version of the Tonale SUV that recently went on sale in the U.S. Alfa has indicated several all-electric models are under development, including an SUV that may be offered solely in the American market. But, in keeping with promises Imparato has made, the electric SUV will be imported from Italy.
It’s possible Alfa might have another debut on tap for next month, with a “Designer’s Cut” version of the 4C on tap, the automaker confirmed. It would mark the 10th anniversary of that little two-seater.