CAR - Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

Ghostride

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Joined
Apr 11, 2005
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25
Location
Norway
Car(s)
2001 Alfa Romeo 156 Selespeed
CAR magazine have driven the new Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. You can read their review here:
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/first_drive.php?sid=1154&page=1

Excerpt from the review:

CAR said:
Alfa8CDr_3_560.jpg


So does it drive like an old Maserati Coupe or a smaller Quattroporte?

No, and that?s good news. Modern-day Maseratis are comfort biased and when you?re on a charge, the steering and suspension control can be a bit sloppy. The 8C is far sharper, harder edged and sportier. The V8 is bored and stroked up to 4.7 litres and power rises to 450bhp. Not only does it go harder than any current Maserati ? top speed 182mph, 0-62 mph in 4.2 seconds ? but it is far sharper and more agile.

The engine note is more strident and more tuneful. It?s a fantastic engine, incredibly elastic but really gutsy. And what music! The note changes throughout the rev range, from vroomy V8 low down to an F1 wail at high revs. Just fabulous! Plus the Sport button changes the note ? the Audi RS4 does the same trick. Push the button in the (carbonfibre) centre console, and rear exhaust baffles are opened, so the engine sounds more tuneful at idle and at low-medium revs. At higher revs, the engine sounds inspirational no matter what you do with the switchgear.

The ?Sport? setting also quickens gearshift times (from 0.4 to 0.2 sec) and also allows a bit of fun before the stability control starts to quell your enthusiasm ? modest tail-out driving is possible. (You can turn the traction control off totally if you?re brave.) The Sport setting doesn?t change damper settings: the 8C has good old-fashioned mechanical (non-electronic) dampers.
 
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