► 33 units limited production
► Two seats, 621bhp and RWD
► Is it the prettiest car of the 21st century?
In a world where every second new-car press release is for a mid-sized electric family SUV, the arrival of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is welcome. For while it is unobtainable to all but the lucky 33 on the list to own one, it does signify a drastic tactical shift from one of the world’s most storied car manufacturers.
That’s because, while cars like the Tonale, Junior and Stelvio will make their way onto thousands of driveways, the history and heritage that Alfa leans so heavily on feels like a distant memory without a halo car to hang everything off. The Giulia and Stelvio QVs have done a decent job over the last few years, but the 33 Stradale is set to be on a whole different level.
We can’t image there will be many opportunities to drive this car, so when the invite to Balocco (Stellantis testing grounds) came through, we jumped at the chance to be one of the few publications in the world to get behind the wheel.
What’s new
On the face of it, absolutely everything. After all, it’s been years since Alfa made anything that vaguely resembles a supercar. The styling is directly inspired by the original 33 Stradale (itself a road-going version of the Tipo 33 race car) and features butterfly doors that cut into the roof and open with the ceremony of an Italian opera.
Meanwhile, the bold, beautiful headlight clusters feature 33 ‘stripes’ that circle the main unit, while in-between sits the famous Alfa Romeo shield. This is available with the classic logo or as a 3D carbon version, with the Alfa crest visible from close or afar depending on which you go for.
What’s more, the bonnet (or rather, cofango) opens up as a beautiful one-piece shell from front-mounted hinges, while the rear engine cover mirrors this with rear-mounted hinges. There’s plenty of jokes to be made about Alfa reliability, but there’s equally no denying that if the 33 Stradale were to run into – ahem – troubles, it would be the prettiest breakdown in history.
However, there’s plenty under the skin of this 33 Stradale that we’ve definitely seen before. For example, the carbon tub is a modified version of that used in the Maserati MC20. As is the engine. As is the gearbox. Maserati also helped developed some of the electronics on the car. In short, Alfa Romeo likely didn’t have the budget to create a supercar from scratch, so they tapped into the Stellantis’ group’s vast resources to deliver the performance befitting of the looks.
What are the specs?
A 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 develops 621bhp and 538lb ft of torque. That’s enough for 0-62mph in 3.0 seconds and a top speed of 207mph – otherwise known as 333km/h. Meanwhile, the gearbox is an eight-speed DCT automatic that Alfa admits is taken from the MC20.
Forward and back of the carbon tub are aluminium subframes with semi-virtual steering (designed to improve consistency in the steering feel), double-arm suspension with active shock absorbers and an e-diff. There’s also a brake-by-wire system with Brembo calipers and carbon ceramic discs.
As for the rest of the car, you can customise until your heart is content. Customers have collaborated with the Bottega team of professionals who will help spec the 33 Stradale, with options to change the colour of the bodywork, interior leather, badges, brake calipers and even opt for carbon details instead of ‘regular’ bodywork panels. Each spec must be signed off by the 33 committee – a) to make sure no two are the same and b) to stop any garish monstrosities slipping through the net.
The 33 Stradale is being hand built (production of the 33 examples is likely to run until 2027) away from other Alfa Romeos at the Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera coachbuilder headquarted in Milan. Responsible for some of Alfa’s finest body designs – think 1938 8C 2900B Mille Miglia Roadster and 1954 1900 Super Sprint – it represents an old-school throwback to how rare and unusual cars used to be crafted.
How does it drive?
This may not come as surprise, but the driving experience is remarkably similar to a Maserati MC20. On the one hand, that might be seen as a disappointment. After all, the Maser costs a tenth as much. However, given that we’ve seen plenty of beautiful Alfas that don’t have the dynamics to match, this seems like a reasonable compromise.
The engine feels like a Giulia QV on steroids – because it is. It’s not high-revving or particularly sonorous, but it is hugely tractable and together with the snappy eight-speed DCT box (noticeably better than what you get in any of Alfa’s other cars) it creates a deeply satisfying – if not soulful – driving experience.
You’ve got torque by the bucketload and the mid-range feels as strong as just about anything south of hypercar territory. Plus, it’s becoming new and different to drive an Italian supercar with this much power that isn’t hybrid. As a tool for delivering propulsion and a genuine degree of excitement, it delivers.
The chassis? It’s excellent. Ride and refinement is grown up and composed. It stops short of giving you the full, raw supercar experience and means that when you do turn up outside the Casino de Monte Carlo, your brow will be dry and your spine the same shape as when you left home.
That does come at the cost of outright excitement, however. It’s not got the telepathic rotation of a Ferrari or deftness of the most serious 911s, but if we look outside the box at the Pagani Utopia, for example, it’s a lighter, more athletic drive.
The steering is excellent. Quick with reasonable feel, it inspires huge confidence in the car and helps to remove a large part of the intimidation factor associated with a £2.5m limited-edition supercar packing several hundred horsepower. The brake-by-wire system isn’t as intuitive right off the bat (it feels inconsistent and overly sensitive on first impressions), but will likely improve with miles spent behind the wheel.
Push on and there’s clear indications that Alfa has prioritised driveability over everything else. It could be sharper still with a more mobile rear end, but the setup is safe and accessible with a stable rear that you can lean on. As such there’s a front-limited bias that you have to be aware of (take too much into a corner and it’s easy to feel the front stray wide) but the limits are still incredibly high.
What’s it like inside?
Totally unique to any other Alfa Romeo. It feels every bit the coach-built car in the cabin. Customers will be able to choose between two main interior styles. Tributo focuses on a more traditional leather finish while Alfa Corse showcases a sportier, alcantara-led look. As mentioned above however, there’s umpteen customisation options within this.
Climbing into the cabin is made much more of an event thanks to the butterfly doors that cut out into the carbon fibre and aluminium roof allowing vast amounts of light into the cabin. As such, sitting behind the wheel of the 33 Stradale is a unique experience.
A digital dash with custom graphics sets it apart from other Alfas, as does the central infotainment screen that can be hidden away at the touch of a button. Speaking of which, there’s plenty of physical switches – all exclusive to the 33 Stradale. There are separate levers for auto/manual forward gears and reverse, while the roof is lined with a bank of switches for the windows and further ancillary features.
Before you buy
Sadly, all 33 cars have now been sold with a final price tag likely exceeding £2m. But, Alfa Romeo has said that they will have first refusal should the original owners want to sell. This then means the car can be re-sold onto whoever just missed out on the original allocation. What’s more, after 15 years Alfa has committed to making all of the technical information open source, thus meaning anyone should – in theory – be able to fix and service the vehicle. As for rivals, the Pagani Utopia compares for sheer artistry, but otherwise there’s little else like it.
Verdict
There was a worry after the 8C that Alfa Romeo was done with high-end halo sports cars. The Giulia and Stelvio QV have been highlights over the last decade, but as the company shifts into an EV model line-up, the idea of another petrol-powered Alfa Romeo supercar seemed like a pipe dream.
So while the 33 Stradale may be virtually unobtainable and drive like a car that costs a fraction as much, its very existence is somewhat of a miracle. Finally, there’s a true flagship to top the range and give credence to the heritage and history that – for contemporary car buyers – there was precious little evidence of. Oh – and it must just be the finest looking car of the 21st century.
Photography by Olgun Kordal