Alfa Romeo will provide the shapely performance star of the 2004 Australian International Motor Show with the arrival of the 300 kph Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione in Sydney on 7th October.

The Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione will join an all-star display from Alfa Romeo, including the acclaimed new GT, the pocket rocket 147 GTA, the award-winning 156 and 156 Sportwagon, the classic sports cars and the ranging-topping luxury of the new 166, another Sydney show debutante.

"The Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione is clear statement of intent for all future Alfa Romeos," says Kevin Wall, General Manager for Alfa Romeo in Australia. "It leaves no doubt what so ever that Alfa Romeo's commitment to style, performance and ability is as strong as it has ever been, indeed, it is growing stronger with every new model, just look at the beauty of the GT and the eye-watering performance of the 147 GTA for clear evidence."

Designed and developed at the Alfa Romeo Style Centre, the 8c Competizione is a new icon for Alfa Romeo, evoking the great sports car tradition of which the name is part. In the Thirties and Forties, the '8c' signature identified the racing and road cars that were equipped with the new eight cylinder engine developed by the famous engineer Vittorio Jano. The term 'Competizione' is a tribute to the 6C 2500 Competizione, the sports coupé driven by Fangio and Zanardi in the famous Mille Miglia race in 1950.

Therefore, '8c Competizione' is not an invented name, but a clear reference to Alfa Romeo's racing history. And of course the Alfa Romeo legend was created to a great extent by the victories its cars achieved on race courses all around the world. There were so many of them that alone they represent a long, fascinating chapter, made of men and competitive spirit, engines and cutting edge technical ideas.

The Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione is a generously proportioned carbon fibre two seater, as indicated by its measurements: 1900 mm wide, 4278 mm long and 1250 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2595 mm. The body is given extra dynamism by the horizontal furrow cut into the side above the front wheelarch.

In addition to this, the large tyres (245/40 - R20 at the front and 275/35 - R20 at the rear) and the powerful, muscular rear wings accentuate the strong, forceful personality. This does not detract in any way from the elegance of the lines that run smoothly from front to back, to the light clusters set into the integral bumpers. A stylistic balance that has its maximum expression in the daring design of the rear window that covers the rear and partially envelops the rear pillars.

The front elements have been repositioned as they were on the most important Alfa racing cars of the past - the side grilles and the shield are aligned at the same height - a decision of historical and evolutionary significance. But a rapid glance will reveal that the styling of the whole exterior is full of classical references, an ideal opportunity for a modern interpretation of traditional Alfa Romeo stylistic cues. For example, the front end recalls the former 33 Coupé Stradale, while the rear sports the characteristic round light clusters of the Giulia TZ.

It is difficult to be indifferent to the '8c Competizione' concept car, because it is the pure expression of Alfa Romeo's concept of the car. And with this new model, Alfa's stylistic language takes a further step forward. Compared to another concept car, the 'Nuvola', which also featured the shapes and surface treatment of the new Alfa Romeo aesthetics, the styling approach of the Alfa 8c Competizione enhances the brand's DNA with a modern hi-tech interpretation of the most famous designs in Alfa Romeo history.

Nor can it be forgotten that the Alfa Romeo sports cars of the past and the present all share a particular feature: the ability to thrill even the most experienced drivers when they take the wheel. And the Alfa 8c Competizione is no exception. Suffice it to say that under the bonnet lurks a supercharged 4.2 litre V8 (90°). This powerful unit delivers over 400 bhp at 7000 rpm and together with a 6-speed manual rear transmission, takes the prototype to a top speed above 300 km/h, accelerating from 0 to 100 kilometres in just 4.5 seconds. This engine commands not only absolute performance and outstanding peaks of power and torque (over 45 kgm at 4500 rpm), but also smooth, effortless delivery even at low speeds. The result is a car capable of exciting performance that is perfectly at home on everyday roads and not only on the racetrack.

The 8c Competizione combines this brilliant performance with extraordinary roadholding and the handling of a true thoroughbred. This is achieved via dual wishbone suspension at front and rear, which ensures extremely enjoyable handling, combining the control expected of front-wheel drive with an exceptionally sporty drive and pinpoint response, which are particularly important on mixed roads. Alfa Romeo chose rear-wheel drive for the 8c Competizione to support the exuberant engine and to deliver truly unbeatable emotional experience behind the wheel.

Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione

Technical specifications: Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione

ENGINE
position: front, longitudinal
no. of cylinders: 8 in 90° V
timing gear: two overhead camshafts per row
no. of valves: 4 per cylinder
turbocharging: volumetric compressor
capacity: 4244 (92 bore x 79.8 stroke)
max. power output: over 400 bhp at 7000 rpm
peak torque: over 45 kgm at 4500 rpm

TRANSMISSION
gearbox: mechanical 6-speed
position: rear axle
drive: rear wheel

CHASSIS
front suspension: dual wishbone
rear suspension: dual wishbone
front brakes: floating ventilated disc 380x34 mm
rear brakes: fixed ventilated disc 330x28 mm
front tyres: 245/40 R 20" x 8.5"
rear tyres: 275/35 R20" x 10"

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
wheelbase: 2595 mm
front track: 1610 mm
rear track: 1580 mm
length: 4278 mm
width: 1900 mm
height: 1250 mm
weight (empty): approx. 1500 kg
fuel tank capacity: 90 litres

PERFORMANCE
top speed: over 300 km/h
0-100 kmh: 4.5 seconds

Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione

ALSO AT THE AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW FROM ALFA ROMEO

ALFA ROMEO 147  
Alfa Romeo is the only marque to have two European Cars of the Year in its range at the same time and looking at the Alfa Romeo 147 it is easy to see why it is one of the winners. Alfa Romeo has proven yet again that it can provide its unique style, regardless of the size of the car, while the 2.0 litre 114 kW Twin Spark provides performance that is as exhilarating as it is effortless. The Ti adds an extra sporting edge  
147 TS 3dr 2.0 litre 110 kW 5 spd Manual $38,500
147 TS 5dr 2.0 litre 110 kW 5 spd Manual $39,500
147 S/S 3dr 2.0 litre 110 kW Selespeed $41,500
147 S/S 5dr 2.0 litre 110 kW Selespeed $42,500
147 Ti TS 3dr 2.0 litre 110 kW 5 spd Manual $39,990
147 Ti S/S 3dr 2.0 litre 110 kW Selespeed $42,990

ALFA ROMEO 147 GTA
This Alfa Romeo is much more than a hot hatch, with 3.2 litres of Alfa Romeo renowned V6 engine crammed under the bonnet it is the car for which the term  "Hyper Hatch" was invented. Breath-taking performance, stunning good looks, racetrack bred chassis, the Alfa Romeo 147 GTA provides unrivalled excitement on even the shortest journey. New for this year is the option of a six speed Selespeed version to provide a new level of driving involvement.
147 GTA 3.2 litre 184 kW  6 spd Manual $59,990
147 GTA S/S 3.2 litre 184 kW  6 spd Manual $63,990

ALFA ROMEO 156
The Alfa Romeo 156, the second European Car of the Year in Alfa Romeo's range, offers the choice of advance lean burn performance technology in the JTS engine or the silky smoother V6, a choice manual, Selespeed or Q-system automatics. All share the acclaimed 156 styling, the effortless performance of a race track bred chassis and equipment levels that leave rivals gasping.
156 JTS 2.0 litre 121 kW 5 spd Manual $49,950
156 Selespeed 2.0 litre 121 kW Selespeed $52,950
156 V6 24V 2.5 litre 141 kW 6 spd Manual $57,500
156 V6 24V 2.5 litre 141 kW  Q-System $59,950

ALFA ROMEO 156 SPORTWAGON
The Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon allows its owners to have their cake and eat it. On one hand there is everything that the Alfa Romeo 156 offers in style, performance, value and driving excitement. On the other hand is the versatility and flexibility of a compact wagon, adding extra usability and taking away nothing. The rear door, thanks to its intelligent design, offers a wide opening that provides access to spacious boot that may be expanded by folding down the rear seats.
156 Sportwagon JTS 2.0 litre 121 kW 5 spd Manual $53,500
156 Sportwagon  2.0 litre 121 kW Selespeed $56,500

ALFA ROMEO SPIDER
Cars do not come with a much more evocative name than the Alfa Romeo Spider. It is, in all its generations, the very essence of a sports car. It is available with the efficient performance of the JTS engine or the shattering performance of the 3.2 litre V6 derived from the GTA power unit. Either way it is the ultimate open air trip.
Spider JTS 2.0 litre 121 kW 5 spd Manual $55,000
Spider JTS Lusso 2.0 litre 121 kW 5 spd Manual $59,990
Spider 3.2 V6 24V 3.2 litre 176 kW 6 spd Manual $75,500

ALFA ROMEO GTV
Sports car or coupe? The Alfa Romeo GTV certainly has the performance to fulfill either role. With space inside it's a coupe, but its aggressive, compact shape screams sports car. Either way driving the GTV is a unique experience, be it with the 2.0 litre JTS engine or the 3.2 litre V6 derived from the GTA engine. With high levels of equipment and value for money pricing means that owning a legend could not be easier.
GTV JTS 2.0L 121 kW 5 spd Manual $55,000
GTV 3.2 V6 24v  3.2L 176 kW 6 spd Manual $73,500

ALFA ROMEO GT
The Alfa Romeo GT made its Australian debut at the 2003 Sydney Motor Show prior to going on sale here this year. It has been acclaimed for its styling, effortless performance, long standard equipment list and value for money pricing. But for most people their first reaction on seeing an Alfa Romeo GT is  "Wow" because it looks so good from every angle. Inside is room for five people and their luggage, making ownership of this ultimate Alfa Romeo coupe an even easier decision.
GT 3.2 V6 24V 3.2 litre 176 kW 6 spd Manual $79,990

ALFA ROMEO 166
The new Alfa Romeo 166 makes its Australian debut at the 2004 Australian International Motor Show, with its already good looking exterior enhanced by a new, stronger interpretation of the classic Alfa Romeo shield. The Alfa Romeo 166's unique blend of Italian styling, exuberant performance, refined handling and roadholding all remain the same. As does another unique feature in this market sector, value for money!
166 V6 24V  3.0 litre 24v V6 Automatic $84,950