Ever since the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione ended production in 2010 after a very short run beginning in 2007, car enthusiasts and Alfisti (diehard Alfa Romeo enthusiasts) wondered if there would ever be a successor. With the untimely and sad death of former Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne, just last month, Alfa’s future was further clouded by the disruption.
But, as the late great Marchionne would likely say, the show must go on, and thus it appears Alfa will be building a new 8C supercar — and it’s going to be a plug-in electric hybrid.
News comes in from CAR Magazine in the United Kingdom, who recently got the detailed scoop on Alfa Romeo’s next halo car. It will be a successor to the 8C Competizione and will supposedly retain the 8C name.
In the outlet’s August 2018 print issue (yes, they still do that in 2018), CAR outlined some of the key highlights of what to expect with Alfa Romeo’s new 8C supercar.
Word is that the 8C’s new plug-in electric hybrid powertrain begins with the company’s Ferrari-developed 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged gasoline V6 from the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The lively mill then gains electric assistance by being paired with an electric motor.
The gas engine itself churns out a whopping 500 horsepower in both the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models. With the electric boost however, speculation suggests a total system output of over 800 horsepower for the 8C. Yes, you read that correctly: 800 horsepower.
This will reportedly come from serious internal engine upgrades that uprates the gas engine to over 600 hrosepower, while a heavy duty electric motor provides an additional 201 horses.
Furthermore, while the 8C featured a front-engine, rear-wheel drive platform, the next 8C will move its engine to the middle of the chassis. The result is an electric motor that sits at the front axle while the gas motor powers the rear, essentially creating an all-wheel drive supercar.
The Alfa Romeo 8C nameplate is a big ordeal overall, especially in the United States as the 8C Competizione was the first new Alfa Romeo to be sold stateside since the company left the market in the 1990s. However, because only 500 total 8C Competizione coupes were made, along with 500 Spiders (only 35 came to the states), not many people could get their hands on one.
Production for the next PHEV supercar is apparently slated for 2020 with model years beginning in 2021.
Alfa isn’t alone on electric avenue. Most other sports car and hypercar makers are planning hybrids and electrics. An electric Porsche can’t come soon enough, fans say, and storied brand Pininfarina will follow as well.
There aren’t any firm declarations on pricing. But CAR predicts a starting price of around 250,000 GBP, or just under $320,000 USD.
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