Supercar style for Alfa Romeo’s ‘6C’ flagship

ALFA ROMEO chief executive Jean-Phillip Imparato has confirmed a new ‘super sports car’ will be unveiled this August that will be built as a follow-on from the Ferrari-powered 8C flagship sold in the early 2000s.

 

But as the speculated ‘6C’ name suggests (the engine’s cylinder count plus C for Competitzione), it will have some form of six-pot engine and not a V8.

 

Images of the ‘6C’ surfaced at an Alfa Romeo new model launch for the Giulia and Stelvio in China – which was attended by Mr Imparato – showing a sleek, low-slung, two-seater having more in common from a styling perspective with the miniature supercar looks of the brand’s recent 4C model and aerodynamic purposefulness of the T33 race car from the 1970s, rather than the elegant grand touring vibe of the 8C.

 

Mr Imparato said the new sports model “will be an iconic car and is an expression of true Alfa Romeo DNA”.

 

He confirmed that its global debut will take place on August 30 this year at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Milan – timing that corresponds with the Italian F1 GP at Monza.

 

Pricing details are not yet available but judging by the high-end supercar – if not hypercar – looks, this will be deep into six-figure territory..

 

It is a big step away from the SUVs and sedans that has come from Alfa in recent times – and will reportedly feature petrol power with no electrification.

 

Mr Imparato said the new flagship “will give the legion of Alfa and Italian sportscar fans something worth waiting for”.

 

It will be promoted using the slogan “Dare to Dream”, as a similarly exclusive follow-up to the 8C that found only 829 buyers in coupe and convertible variants between 2007 and 2010, failing to achieve Alfa’s announced limited production run of 1500.

 

The same will likely not happen to the new 6C supercar as the 1000 production run of the sexy-looking two seater is expected to be fully subscribed at launch. 

 

According to British publication Autocar, Mr Imparato confirmed in February that deposits were being taken before the supercar had been officially signed off by Alfa Romeo parent firm Stellantis.

 

“It will be sold out before I unveil the car,” he said at the time. 

 

"This project is a dream come true, inspired by a daring team that wanted to achieve something unique,” Mr Imparato told Autocar. 

 

Alfa Romeo sees a large chunk of its future business coming from China (and outside of Europe), which is why the 6C announcement and the launch of 2024 Giulia and Stelvio updates took place there.

 

In relation to the 6C’s looks, Mr Imparato told Autocar: “We're working on something that I could put alongside the 8C in the museum of Arese, being proud of our contribution to the history of Alfa Romeo. That is what we want."

 

The Alfa boss also hinted that the car will likely be fitted with a combustion engine, rather than an electric powertrain.

 

Rear wheel drive power is tipped to come from a modified version of the already potent twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 out of hot Quadrifoglio variants of the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV, no doubt with the wick turned up  to more than those models’ 375kW and 600Nm – with less weight into the bargain.

 

More intriguingly, Mr Imparato has confirmed the existence of an electrified “1000hp Giulia” model due in a few years.

 

The 113 year old Italian car-maker would likely equip the 6C for everyday use but speculated pricing and positioning could see it more along the lines of a supercar than an everyday sports model.