Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione 2006

[Quo.Lore]

The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione has won over many admirers, especially for its retro styling, however the former "Stig", British racing driver Ben Collins, has adamantly disagreed: he proclaims the V8 engined sports car to be the "worst supercar" he has ever driven. First shown in 2003 at the Frankfurt IAA, the Alfa Romeo Centro Stile-designed 8C Competizione concept wowed the crowds at the German motor show and three years later at the Paris Mondial de l'Automobile the Italian brand showcased a pre-production version announced the sports car would build to a limited run of 500 units. The production car was fundamentally changed from the more racing-focused underpinnings of the concept and instead it used Maserati-sourced architecture as well as the Trident's brand-new 4.7-litre V8 engine.

The 8C Competizione kicked off deliveries in the autumn of 2007 with a handful of examples also making their way to Stateside to the garages of select customers. The 8C Competizione coupé has generally been regarded as a slightly unfinished package due to the speed at which the production project was carried out. By contrast the 8C Spider, which quickly followed in its footsteps, is regarded as being a much more all-round sorted car as niggling issues had been ironed out by the time it hit the showrooms.

Ben Collins who caused a storm of controversy - as well as a legal wrangle between his autobiography's publisher HarperCollins and his outgoing employer the BBC - when he announced he was "The Stig", a masked character from the Top Gear TV programme, has this week rated the Alfa 8C Competizione as the "worst supercar I ever drove".

"Regardless of how you feel about some people, most of the time you can find a redeeming feature if you dig deep enough. After all, Wayne Rooney can kick a football," writes Collins. "In the galaxy of motoring, however, there are occasions when the only redemption for a machine lies inside a box of matches. I've danced a few tangos with some beautiful belles over the years but I recall driving some dogs, too. I will begin with the worst supercar I ever drove, which was also one of the most beautiful. The Alfa Romeo 8C had the kind of looks that suggested she was wearing a suspender belt underneath that red dress. Her husky V8 voice whispered to you that 450 horsepower (336kW) was ready to tickle your toes with a feather and 100 km/h would come in just four seconds.

"My date with the 8C took place on the Fluela Pass, a high mountain road that snakes across the Swiss Alps via an endless barrage of hairpin bends and cambered sweepers," continues Collins. "You might call it a rite of passage for a car's handling capability, because the constant twisting worked the brakes and suspension hard and the slightest error meant being dispatched into a ravine. Pressing the brake pedal of the 8C was confusing, because the brakes seemed to operate the steering. The suspension was so unhinged that the weight of the car felt like it stayed on whatever wheel it had been leaning on during the previous corner as you entered the next one. Hitting the brakes, therefore, effected a sudden and perilous weight transfer. The stiff suspension reacted violently. The ensuing skid as you entered a corner was jaw-dropping, as the 8C lifted its skirt to reveal not the frilly lace it had promised but, rather, a set of wedding tackle," Collins concludes.

italiaspeed.com

Se si crede la descrizione di Ben Collins, la 8C sarebbe instabile nella guida sportiva. Addirittura pericolosa.

La colpa alla sospensione, che accentua i trasferimenti di carico al punto di renderli brutali.

Beh si sapeva che 8C non è un mostro d'efficienza, ma qui si va oltre. Mi sembra strano che non sia stato rilevato da altre prove.

[MacGeek]

My date with the 8C took place on the Fluela Pass, a high mountain road that snakes across the Swiss Alps via an endless barrage of hairpin bends and cambered sweepers," continues Collins.

Se si crede la descrizione di Ben Collins, la 8C sarebbe instabile nella guida sportiva. Addirittura pericolosa.

La colpa alla sospensione, che accentua i trasferimenti di carico al punto di renderli brutali.

Beh si sapeva che 8C non è un mostro d'efficienza, ma qui si va oltre. Mi sembra strano che non sia stato rilevato da altre prove.

Sarà mica un po' inacidito dopo quello che è successo sulle Alpi Svizzere durante le riprese del DVD di Clarkson? (A sti punti mi viene da pensare che il patatrac l'abbia combinato lui... forse gli hanno presentato il conto della riparazione e non l'ha ancora mandato giù )

[Mivar]

ma è una Goldwing quella per terra?

[Prestige]

eh già

[Ospite]

I will begin with the worst supercar I ever drove, which was also one of the most beautiful. The Alfa Romeo 8C

Ah sì? Peccato che la 8c non nasce come una supercar ma come una granturismo

[Asderio]

Ah sì? Peccato che la 8c non nasce come una supercar ma come una granturismo

quoterrimo...tra l'altro concetto detto e ridetto, ribadito MILLEE volte...

[Ospite]

Giusto per capire... ma questa, che fine ha fatto? Ennesimo carico di buone speranze e belle parole accantonate nel ripostiglio a favore di qualcosa di più economico, come l'attuale dirigenza ci ha abituati?

[TurboGimmo]

Sarà mica un po' inacidito dopo quello che è successo sulle Alpi Svizzere durante le riprese del DVD di Clarkson? (A sti punti mi viene da pensare che il patatrac l'abbia combinato lui... forse gli hanno presentato il conto della riparazione e non l'ha ancora mandato giù )

Ci credo, andava contromano

[AleRPM]

forse pensava di stare a casa sua...

[vpn]

Giusto per capire... ma questa, che fine ha fatto?

Hmmm, non mi sorprenderebbe che sia stata cancellata... In effetti è da tempo che non se ne sente più parlare della 8C GTA!