Alfa Romeo will pay tribute to its legendary sports cars with a new flagship
We know Alfa Romeo will offer a fully electric model range by 2027, but before then the Italian firm will launch an all-new supercar to neatly bridge the gap between its internal combustion engine past and the pure-electric future by being offered with both kinds of powertrain.
Previous teaser images have suggested the new car will be called ‘6C’ although it’s possible it could be named ‘33’, after the historic 33 Stradale. Whatever the supercar will be called, Alfa Romeo chief executive officer Jean-Philippe Imparato says we can look forward to an “iconic car, that is an expression of true Alfa Romeo DNA”. The world premiere of the new car will take place at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Milan on 30 August.
Imparato previously hinted at a special pure-combustion-engined sports car project that we’ll see in 2023, “Alfa is sportiness. You will see something sporty in 2023. I am in two scenarios: full EV or full ICE. I can tell you [this car] will be a very exciting one, very expensive, very selective. We will probably have some surprising, interesting proposals that will not always be full EV for the coming two years.”
The brand's boss was also quick to draw upon links with the Sauber-run F1 operation; the new car could be powered by an evolution of the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 as used in the brand's Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio performance models. Another option would be to borrow fellow Stellantis group member Maserati’s Nettuno V6, which powers the MC20 supercar.
An MC20 platform would make the most sense from a financial standpoint, not least because an all-electric MC20 Folgore is in the works. If the Alfa Romeo supercar were to utilise that EV powertrain it would have over 1,200bhp.
The 6C name gained traction thanks to a teaser video on Alfa Romeo’s social media which gave us a brief glimpse of the car’s rear light. The actual cluster looks like a ‘6’ and a ‘C’ merged together, which would fit the 6C nameplate. That name has been used on Alfa Romeos previously, between 1927 and 1954.
In terms of styling Imparato added, “I am not the only one to love Alfa's past. We have so many fantastic ideas based on our iconic history, so I can say yes, but I can say it's like nothing else.
“In each of our proposals you will always, always find a kind of signal of our DNA and our heritage, and you will find it clearly and quickly, so I am sure when you see something [the car] you will say this reminds me of whatever.”
With Imparato’s hints in mind, our teaser image (above) previews how the new car – likely to be mid-engined and using a carbon fibre chassis – could look, with a low, curvy front end inspired by the brand's sports cars of the sixties, plus a low roof and chunky rear wheel arches; expect Alfa's traditional telephone dial alloy wheels to feature.
Alfa won't stop at sports cars though, as the brand has plans for more special, limited-run models. When asked about the potential for these, Imparato said “The answer is yes. We have to be transparent and consistent, let me say I will not make any new GTA special editions. We sold 500 cars and we will respect this commitment on this kind. We won't bulls**t the customer with a new special edition on the GTA every year, so I will not do that.
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“Having said that, if the question is are you working on some very specific, high-level offers, the answer is yes.”
Alastair Crooks
Staff writer
A keen petrol-head, Alastair Crooks has a degree in journalism and worked as a car salesman for a variety of manufacturers before joining Auto Express in Spring 2019 as a Content Editor. Now a Staff Writer, his daily duties involve tracking down the latest news and writing reviews.
Keyword: New Alfa Romeo supercar: latest details ahead of full reveal