If you ever found yourself in one of those situations where you were in the right place at the right time, than you will understand my weekend. I write about electric cars these days, and together with a friend, I decided to investigate a little startup called I-DriveGreen that promotes the idea that we can drive green regardless of what we drive. As we were driving in, I was surprised to see a Maserati GT, and even more surprised to see the glorious Alfa Romeo
8C Competizione right next to it. Next to the Alfa was a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Corvette C6 Callaway and a Ferrari 430 Scuderia. I felt it was a cruel thing to show us these beauties when we were to drive boring old modern, soulless sedans. Little did I know what fate had in store for me!
I had been talking to the co-founder, JP Libert, and some race drivers the night before. We chatted about cars and of course, my love of Alfa Romeos. Next morning, before our first run, JP was talking about how we should drive our everyday mules with as much care as we would these exotics. It was becoming very painful to think about treating these floating sofas as anything but special, but I tried. He then turned to me, with a certain smile and said something like: “Nick, you like Alfas? Why don’t you take the 8C for a spin.” It would be hard to describe what went on inside at that moment. It was something like a slow dual reaction of disbelief and complete exhilaration. Take the 8C for a spin? Did I just snooze and started dreaming or is the automobile God smiling at me?
Off we go to the cars. Trepidation, impatience, exuberance… does it even convey what I felt? I don’t think so. It was more of an impossible dream come true. Walking around the car, you cannot help but get a sense how it is unlike anything else on the road. Its subtle lines are reminiscent of a glorious Alfa Romeo past, a little retro hint here and there, a touch of the beautiful 33 Stradale, it has all the ingredients to satisfy any worthy aficionado.
Opening the door, it becomes clear this hand-made Alfa does its best to keep its curb weight down with ample use of carbon fiber. Sitting inside was a pleasant experience. Much like any Alfa Romeos, everything is where it should be, right at hand’s reach. The tachometer and other instruments are neatly nestled inside the arms of the steering wheels. Yes, Alfa thought this one out. Everything is digital, which takes a little time to comprehend. The interior is mostly red, but not overwhelming. The hand sewn leather seats are firm yet comfortable. They hold you well in place and will accommodate most sizes. If the outside hints at the past, the inside is resolutely modern.
The engine comes to live with an enthralling roar. The accelerator pedal is hard but gives you a good sense of how much power you are calling forth. As I start to move the car, I am surprised to feel how heavy it is at very low speeds. Once the car picks up speed, it is another story. It reminds me of a clumsy albatross walking on the ground, but how the same bird glides effortlessly when it takes to the air. We warmed up the engine for a few minutes on the curvy Sonoma back roads. The car is easy to drive and makes for a perfect daily driver. It effortlessly swallows bumps and curves as it reveals the condition of the road. This is one of the things that impressed me: Alfa Romeo did a splendid job at making the suspension firm enough to relay what was going on on the road but at the same time, it was a pleasant ride that was not tiring. But by the time I had the sense of the car, it was time to see what Alfa had placed under the hood.
With a quick and precise sequential gearbox derived from the Ferrari unit, it is easy to take advantage of the car’s full potential. The paddle shifts are logically located on the steering column, which makes them easy to find in any position. In all honesty, I never felt much urge to use the 6th as the engine’s thrilling roars makes you want to stay in third, fourth and sometimes fifth.
Under 3,000 rpm, the 8C is a very well behaved GT cruiser. In many ways, it is the perfect “wine discovery” GT as it effortlessly cruises up and down, left and right on those tight roads. But pass the 3,000 rpm mark and it is an entirely different story. The engine roars alive with a symphony of guttural sounds that begs its locked-up power to be delivered to the street.
At higher speed, the steering becomes a little more firm and gives your forearms a bit of a work out. The car is razor sharp precise. Throw it into any turns and it will oblige. It will stay on course. Pushing the 8C into its last corner would probably give you a trigger happy end but the car does not seem to be vicious in any way. A correction from the steering wheel or just letting go of the gas will get it back on track. The car is obviously well designed and refined. It feels very balanced, and as I try to send it from one corner to another, it responds positively. I finally got to see how it felt on open straight roads. It gave me the impression of being polyvalent, equally at ease on narrow, windy roads or open straightaways.
The 8C is the perfect GT car. If the Maserati GT is beautiful, I would not want to drive it in sporty mode on such narrow roads. If the Ferrari 430 is an all-out car, it is a little too obvious and flamboyant. The 8C is the perfect middle ground between those two. It is equally happy in traffic and will not let you down if you feel the need to raise your adrenaline level. With only 200 of them made, and just 75 delivered in the U.S., I feel fortunate to have driven it in these circumstances. The car delivers exactly what an Alfa Romeo should be like, elegant, very sporty, crisp and sharp, and all around well behaved.
Yes, I still have that smile thinking about it, and to think the GTA is coming out soon…
