8C Competizione road test

http://www.motorbox.com/Auto/VisteeProvate/Le_Nostre_prove/alfaromeo8ccompetizione_test.html

Below is a very rough English translation, the last paragraph seems to stress the "sport" button really puts the car at the limit:


Alfa Romeo 8C A dream become reality The delivery was long but the wait is repaid. To four years from its apparition like concept, the 8C is finally ready to plow the roads, even if alone in 500 examples. Line fascinating, strong engine and excellent guidabilità are the plus of a coupe that will leave however the mark. Sunday, 09 September 2007 FROM DREAM TO REALTA' In The world dell' car not all of the dreams vanish for force all' dawn. Understood or rather – like in the case of the passionate dell' Alfa Romeo – that a dream initiated in the September 2003 to Frankfurt you materialize absolutely four years after, in a sunny morning, taking on the shapes spinning and persuasive of the 8C. In wait of the small news of the Biscione, that it will see the light in half of the next year and that for now it comes called from all Junior, it is at this coupe than l' Director Delegated Antonio Baravalle and its contributors entrust the definitive raising of the brand. Certainty, is a' car produced in alone 500 examples, gone literally to steal in every angle of the planet, and that for a lot will stay alone a dream, but is also a' car that "does image" like little other.

AUTARCHIA The merit goes above all to the shapes spinning and persuasive of whom above, drawn from the Center you Draft Alfa Romeo, that affixes the signature on the body where of habit put it the designer of shout, how to confirm that the line is all flour of its bag. For it finding inspiration, the designer took cue from some between the most glorious Alfa of the past: is from 33 Road that come you light, composed from three elements contained under a sole transparent one and the round lights of tail. Typical Alpha is also the frontal one to three lobes, with to the center the traditional badge, I deprive however of the classic listelli to appear even more bad. From its wide part the V of the chest that plows l' frontal whole, while to enliven the side c' is a little nervatura under the windows. WATER AND SOAP what surprises is l' incredible cleanliness of the lines. If it is removed the thin previous lip in carbon and l' hint of spoiler on the tail, the 8C has not aerodynamic tinsel and also the back diffusore is a very reasonable presence. All of the work has concentrated on the fund, to obtain a ground effect of species. Long 434 cm, wide 188 and high 128, quest' Alfa Romeo succeeds to be in the elegant and muscular meantime, slender and quite planted to land.

CARBON WHEREVER Shapes to part, the body deserves two words also for the fact of to be for large part in carbon, so like in carbon is also the structure supporting monoscocca that leans on the platform, realized instead in steel. And the carbon does from refrain also nell' cockpit. L' crossing of its television characterizes the whole dashboard, the panels door and the shells of the sporty seats. The care of the finishes is manic. Many they are the inside components realized in aluminum extracted from the full one. To understand what that you mean, are thought that it it is left from blocks d' crude aluminum for a total weight of 100 kg to obtain the fine ready parts to the assembly that weigh, added all, only 5 kg. ALL TO THE CENTER AND by the way of hung, the 8C Contest stops l' needle of the balance to 1.585 kg, that weigh down for 49% sull' previous and for the staying 51 on the rear. This value should not surprise: is here that according to the diagram transaxle lived the change, a robotizzato to you be rotten with automatic function and manual, both useable in formal procedure Normal or Sport. What the cold figures do not say is instead that the masses quite hi the center of, with the engine systemized in a certain amount between l' cockpit and l' board of the wheels in front.

It SETS TO MUSIC, TEACHER! And' an insertion "surgical" of the strong one V8 4.7 of diversion Maserati, that rinverdisce the splendors of the Alfa 8C of the Years 30 and 40. Its numbers I am from shudder, with a greatest power of 450 cv to 7.000 turns and a greatest couple of 470 Nm to 4.750 turns, the 80% of which available however already 2.000 turns. Everything for a release from 0 a100 in alone 4,2 seconds and a greatest speed of beyond 292 km/h. Where they did not suffice these numbers, to make to come the skin d' goose provides the discharging, reconciled to hoc to produce a dark and deep rumble to the low, that it is done tearing to the highs. An impartial advice: you it it thoroughly, when verrà published the video test… AND if 0-100 impresses, 100 – 0 is not from except for. The previous disks from 360 mm and back from 330 ensure a space d' stopping of alone 33 meters. ONLY "USED" Like already anticipated, for it appears the 8C, not awn that to wait for that one of 500 proprietors decide to sell the actual example. Four the colors of series in which could be bumped into: red Alfa (pastel), red Competizione (micalizzato), black and yellow Racing. They do not be lacking however some examples in turn for the world painted on champion of the customer, in the majority of the cases on the white one. With the car outside market, just for the chronicle farewell the trouble of to remember the price, that was of 162.550 euro for l' Italy. Now it will want us little to discover if the tendency dell' used will be at the devaluation or, how seems at least at first, to the revaluation. TO TOUCH WITH HAND Sitting Itself for the first time to the steering wheel of the 8C goes some minute before itself god I begin to the operations of start. That not the place of leader crei problems, all' other: the seat is attractive lower part, quite withdrawn and the regulations agree to systemize itself in perfect manner in men that do not say itself, with the steering wheel in vertical to the right height. The time if goes of it above all to enjoy until in fund the quality of the materials and of the componentistica in type. A lot of elements have a handicraft appearance, nothing of pointing out has a' second-rate air or seems built with l' idea of to file on the costs.

BIG VOCIONE I Turn of key, switching on of the painting and pressure on the button of start: is so that it is played the time to get up to the engine that, not even pits annoyed from the thing, rumbles left, ready to roar every smaller request dell' accelerator. The noise is absolutely gasante, deaf and bad like alone the V8 know to do. The departure does not create certain problems. You suffice lieutenant crushed the brake, to pull the levetta right hand behind the steering wheel because itself inserisca the first one or to press the beating R on the central mobiletto to put the back, to do a' acceleratina and electric mommy modulates the friction with mastery. The back visibility is not exceptional but if it is considered that is itself the leader of a supersportiva, us completely complains not. It FORCES SOME NATURE THE 450 cv accept of good degree of to march the step, without to stamp not even to the paces from parade. Their daily bread I am however undone them swift and it is understood it already from the first you sink sull' accelerator. The I pull to the low it is already considerable, with the 8C that itself catapult outside from the rapid curve even if even if has entered in trajectory with a longer gear of the had to. The attractive one comes however an outmoded time the greatest regime of couple, between the 4.500 and the 5.000 turns. And' hence in then that the push of the engine seems uncontrollable, with the pointer of the contagiri that surpasses d' a breath quotes 7.000 until that, about 500 turns more upwards, the limitatore clips the ali all' I extend.

DATEMI A LEVER… The change is all' height of the situation, soft and sweet when goes to walk, I dry and rapid when instead it is put the chivalry to the whip. How often it happens, the Sport Car function is what it is appreciated except for. If it is wanted to observe the panorama, better to choose for the program Normal. If itself dissotterra l' hatchet of war and itself down hard plague sull' accelerator, comes spontaneous to give itself to the you do from you, choosing manually the relations. So make emerges one of the little in the of the 8C, inherited from the Maserati: the levette that activate the change I am fixed on the guard of the steering wheel and do not follow the steering wheel that I turn, compelling sometimes to move the hands on the crown for rotten change to wheels turned. You SUFFICE LITTLE AND' a sin, also because, actual to allow the pilot of to hold the hands quite payments in correct position, the technical dell' Alfa Romeo provided the 8C of one between the most directed steering wheels in traffic. With small motions it agrees to confront also traveled tortuous mixtures and of to have always a big sense of mastery of the situation. IN EXTREMIS From The song its, quest' Alfa holds high the tradition of the Biscione in fact of guidabilità. Thanks to the stable distribution of the hung and to the low center of gravity, its behavior is neutral. L' entrance in bends happens in swift and punctual manner, without indolence, and in phase of percorrenza emerges a' excellent smoothness, in virtue of the large support supplied to the hoops from 20". In exit, instead, if it is wanted to dress the cloths of the funamboli of the controsterzo, not awn that to deactivate the electric control of the stability VDC and to fold itself the sleeves. The switchboard is however settata in manner that, in case of emergency, is sufficient to crush the brake because the microchip return at the work to save the salvageable one. At any rate always it does a little' of practice using the key Sport, that besides to change the logics of the change, gives back the more permissive VDC with the pilot, freer lasciandolo of to play.

 

Here is another test. A lot of good info here, but their road test comments are fairly limited. Worth reading.

http://www.infomotori.co.uk/a_ENG_2913_1.html