Alfa Romeo exited the American market with a whimper in 1994. But they're planning to come back, next year, with a roar -- the roar of a 450-horse, race-tuned Ferrari-made V8.
The Alfa Romeo that left America was a traumatized, slow-selling, troubled company, plagued by poor quality and underachieving cars. The Alfa that reenters is now stronger, its cars more stylish; it's now a brand that offers a genuine alternative to rival (read German) European premium automobiles. Plus it has an extraordinary and beguilingly beautiful new flagship, the 8C Competizione. It's this car, with both Ferrari and Maserati blood flowing in its veins, that leads Alfa Romeo's charge back to America.
In 2008, the 8C starts appearing in Maserati dealerships. Eighty-four out of the total build of only 500 cars are coming to America; only Italy (86) gets more. By 2009, a proper U.S. Alfa dealer network starts to open its doors, selling a range of cars including a face-lifted version of the latest Spider, the Brera coupe and the 3-series-rivaling 159.
For a brand new car -- production has only just commenced in Maserati's Modena factory in northern Italy -- the 8C has been a motor-show fixture for over four years. It debuted at the 2003 Frankfurt show, previewing a delightful mix of '60s Alfa styling cues leavened with modern technology. The production version is little changed. The name also evokes a richer period for Alfa. The 8C 2300 of the 1930s was probably Alfa's finest prewar sports car, while the Competizione moniker harks back to the 6C2500 Competizione in which Juan-Manuel Fangio competed in the 1950 Mille Miglia.
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