LIVE TO RIDE, RIDE TO LIVE.
Alfa Romeo has always been synonymous with performance and style, which are fundamental aspects for all enthusiasts that have increasingly contributed to building a solid spirit of belonging for any Alfista to the wider petrolhead community, as it happens in a large family.
The same spirit nourishes the dedication and passion of the owners of Harley Davidson, iconic American motorcycles born in the early 1900s and now widespread to all corners of the world: “Cool. But since we’re on Alfattitude, what does Harley Davidson have to do with Alfa? "
The story we will tell you next is the story of Stefano Frezzotti, a Harley Davidson enthusiast to the point of making it his living, but bewitched by the Biscione lineage too, for which it was definitely love at first sight…
Continuing with the dialogue; Stefano is a Harley Davidson enthusiast and seller, who hosted us at his dealership in Jesi (Ancona, Italy) to tell us how the love for his Alfa Romeo 8C Spider was born. Certainly a very special Alfa by any means, sold in a limited number of only 329 examples with some extras that not even the year-older 8C Competizione sibling can boast about.
“I fell in love with the lines of the 8C Competizione ever since its presentation as a concept car at the 60th Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003. Its fluid, harmonious lines reflect the style and exclusivity of the Harleys that I have always been a fan of, making my mind resound with the desire to have one in my garage as soon as possible."
The 8C Coupé, the "Competizione" as we know it in its final form, is presented for the first time as a production car at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, where Stefano got a further confirmation that this was exactly the car capable of breaking through to his Alfista heart. All idyllic, you might think, but after the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2005, a rumour made its way among the insiders, according to which Alfa Romeo is to build an open version of the 8C shortly thereafter…
“Wind running through my hair, are you telling me? I love the Coupé version, but the Spider is the one I will drive. "
This is exactly the thought that was warmly welcomed into Stefano's heart. Combining the freedom that only his Harleys can give, with two more wheels and a sonorous naturally aspired V8 derived from Maserati-Ferrari: the perfect recipe for a veteran biker with a passion for visceral sports cars.
In addition to the sensations much closer to those experienced on a motorcycle, in terms of connection with the environment in which you drive, the "Aperta" 8C, as we would call it if it was born in parallel world of the 2016 LaFerrari, differs in some respects from its older sister. Starting with the most important technical difference which concerns the brakes; 380 and 360mm carbon-ceramic discs were made to measure by Brembo for the front and rear axles respectively, continuing with the characteristic that most distinguishes the 8C chosen by Stefano, the soft top, which in full compliance with the Alfa Romeo style is made of canvas.
Despite the strong sporting verve, those who have chosen to drive the Spider version of the Arese gran turismo have to carry a few extra kilos around, as the 8C Competizione stops the balance at 1585kg, while the open twin reaches 1675kg. The open top version needs extra reinforcements to make up for the loss of the structural integrity that a fixed roof provides.
As soon as you set your eyes on an 8C, Competizione or Spider, a single image conjures to the mind of an Alfista: the Alfa 33 Stradale signed by Scaglione. We’re in the Pantheon of automotive greatness. It is undeniable, this is the very first thought of an Alfa enthusiast, not to mention the immortal "Transaxle" configuration, with the engine placed in the front and a single block consisting of gearbox and differential mounted at the rear which was first pioneered by Skoda in 1934. This revolutionary setup was then adopted with the appropriate reinterpretations by Lancia on the Aurelia in the 1950s by Vittorio Jano and subsequently made glorious by Alfa Romeo starting from 1972 on the Alfetta, and later on other icons of the calibre 75 and SZ.
The transaxle transmission scheme is positioned on a frame that smells of Italian excellence: it is no coincidence that Alfa has worked in close collaboration with Dallara, which is certainly not a new comer in the field of chassis, thus obtaining a frame, which with its special multi-material composition (aluminium, titanium and carbon), is capable of offering high torsional stiffness, emphasising even more the excellent work done by the wishbone suspension.
What is the other aspect that stands out most in this splendid four-wheeled work of art?
The majestic symphony of the Ferrari F136, the 4.7L V8 at 90 ° which when it hears the ignition command, begins to perform its baritone song.
The dark, grave note that roars at the control of the accelerator pedal of the 8C is, in fact, developed jointly by Ferrari and Maserati, who, together with Alfa Romeo, have given this car a 450 hp aspirated engine and 470 Nm of torque, 80% of which, thanks to a sophisticated system of intake and exhaust geometries combined with special phase variators, it is already available at the very low threshold of 2000 rpm.
Stefano invited us to take a ride on his Bianco Madreperla open grand tourer, needless to say we accepted instantly: as soon as we settled into the enveloping seats made of carbon by Sparco and dressed in the leathers of Italian furniture excellence Poltrona Frau, one immediately perceives the high-end nature of this machine along with its aggressiveness.
In fact, as soon as one hears the "thunder" with which his 8-cylinder heart starts beating, he really gets the impression of getting into a racing car, but enjoying all the privileges of a grand tourer.
The acceleration leaves you breathless and compressed in the embrace of its seats, while you enjoy a very fluid 0-100 in 4 seconds flat, which once reached, will be shortly doubled effortlessly, by the mighty 450hp that propels this 8C.
We conclude the story of this experience by citing the historical Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, who during an episode of the show describes it as follows: "It's called 8C and I think it's simply the most beautiful car ever built."
Well, yes, Alfisti friends, dear old Jeremy was telling the truth. The 8C is truly a masterpiece of contemporary art, and like all self-respecting masterpieces of art, it must be shown, felt, studied and even perceived through multiple senses. All at the same time.
Alfa Romeo has truly defined another pinnacle of its timeless history with this car, a history that is destined to make a comeback yet again.
