Novitec Alfa Romeo 8C: Take Good Thing, Add Supercharger

Tuning house Novitec—which specializes in Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia modification—has created what it’s calling the world’s fastest and most powerful street-legal Alfa Romeo. Tapping the experience of its Maserati-focused sister company, Novitec Tridente, Novitec has put together a supercharger package for the Alfa Romeo 8C’s Maser-sourced 4.7-liter V-8 that kicks output up to 591 hp and 434 lb-ft. That’s a bump of 147 and 80, respectively.

Although most of the work involved in pairing a supercharger with the 4.7-liter V-8 had already been done, Novitec had to alter the setup to fit in the engine bay of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and 8C Spider. The supercharger runs 5.3 psi of boost, and is assisted by a water-to-air intercooler and custom fuel injectors. Novitec also went to the trouble of recalibrating the engine-management mapping to ensure a factory level of harmony among its installed mods.

Novitec claims that the 0-to-62 run drops to just 3.9 seconds in its tuned 8C, and top speed stretches to 190 mph. We’ve estimated that a regular 8C Spider would need 4.4 seconds to get to 60, while the top speed would be drag limited to 181 mph.

In addition to the supercharger, an adjustable coil-over suspension, a stainless-steel exhaust system with an engine-speed-sensitive baffle, and staggered front–rear 21- and 22-inch, five-spoke wheels wrapped in Pirelli ZR-rated rubber are all on offer. Novitec tastefully made no “enhancements” to the exterior of the 8C, even taking pains to design the exhaust system so that it exits through the stock cutouts in the rear lower valance, but the big wheels give the Alfa a nicely aggressive, purposeful look. The tuner does, however, offer the option of a fully customized interior slathered in leather and alcantara in “any desired color,” should you want to go all Mansory purple-Barney on the guts of your Alfa.

None of these bits come cheap—the supercharger kit alone will set you back 19,000 euros, which at current exchange rates is a breathtaking $28,082—not to mention the cost of supplying your own 8C.

View the original article here

Zagato’s TZ3 Stradale is a Dodge Viper–Based Homage to Alfa Romeo

Italian design and engineering house Zagato has released a second TZ3 model, the TZ3 Stradale following a gorgeous one-off called the TZ3 Corsa, revealed last year. A little background for those who don’t read Small Italian Coachbuilders Weekly: Zagato’s TZ3 models are being built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Alfa Romeo, and pay homage to the original Zagato-bodied Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ and TZ2 sports cars from the 1960s.

Zagato labels the new Stradale an “avante-garde design exercise,” despite its track-ready Dodge Viper ACR underpinnings. (For reference, last year’s TZ3 Corsa used underpinnings from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.)  The ACR bones show through in a few places, namely the car’s prodigious width and well-defined shoulders, windshield surround, staggered front–rear tire sizes, side-exit exhaust, and Viper side-view mirrors. The ZT3 Stradale also inherits the ACR’s 600-hp, 8.4-liter V-10 and six-speed manual, creating what Zagato calls the “first American Alfa Romeo.”

Don’t think that the TZ3 Stradale is all Dodge, though. The ACR chassis is wrapped in classically-proportioned, long hood-short deck bodywork rendered in carbon fiber. (That the Viper shares these proportions no doubt helps.) The rear features Zagato’s signature Kamm tail, highlighted by a blacked-out panel with an integrated vertical rear window that augments the gunslit backlight. The taillights look to be taken straight off of an Alfa 8C, while the wheels recall various Alfas with their rotary-phone-dial look. The b-pillar is hidden behind the glass, giving the greenhouse a pillarless look, and the front-end treatment is more aggressive than the “track car” TZ3 Corsa’s, with more chiseled headlights and an Alfa grille with exaggerated chamfering. The Stradale is very attractive, but there are some parts that look like they need more work, like the unfinished-looking, gaping hole of a grille out front, the unadorned fender and hood vents, and the De Lorean–style inset windows.

As for the TZ3 Stradale’s pricing, that’s a number only nine customers will find out for certain.

View the original article here