Meet the new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, a limited-run supercar offered with either a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine or a fully electric powertrain – and rumoured to be priced at about R40-million apiece…

The new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale has been unveiled, following a similar recipe to that used to create the legendary 1967 model of the same name. Just 33 units of the fresh custom-built 2-seater coupé will be produced – and all have already been sold, reportedly for as much as R40-million apiece.

“With the new 33 Stradale, we wanted to create something that lived up to our past, to serve the brand and to make the Alfisti fandom proud. Such a result could only have been achieved thanks to the expertise, hard work and passion of our team, with the support of management who have the clear ambition to contribute to writing chapters in the brand’s future, in full respect of its unique history. This is the brand’s first fuoriserie [custom-built] car since 1969, and I promise it won’t be the last,” said Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO of the Alfa Romeo brand.

So, what powers the modern version of the 33 Stradale? Well, the Stellantis brand says the supercar can be specified with either a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine delivering over 460 kW or a fully electric powertrain generating in excess of 560 kW (the latter with an estimated WLTP range of 450 km).

The V6 petrol engine is longitudinally mounted in the centre and drives the rear wheels through an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (while also employing an electronic limited-slip differential). For this combustion-engined version, Alfa Romeo claims the 0-100 kph sprint is seen off in “under 3.0 seconds”, while the top speed comes in at 333 kph.

In order to keep weight down, the 33 Stradale employs a carbon-fibre monocoque and aluminium H-frame, along with butterfly doors (another nod to the original). In addition, the window frames are fashioned from carbon-fibre, while the rear window is made from polycarbonate. The Italian firm says the newcomer’s aerodynamic drag coefficient comes in at 0.375 at zero downforce.

The new 33 Stradale employs a double-arm suspension system with active shock absorbers along with a hydraulically activated front-axle lift system to make negotiating speed bumps and other road obstacles a little less daunting. Meanwhile, the brake-by-wire system incorporates Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes.

The aviation-inspired cockpit – which is filled with materials like aluminium, carbon fibre, leather and Alcantara – has been designed to “minimise” distractions, says the automaker, resulting in a “limited number of controls” on the centre console. The steering wheel is devoid of buttons while a 3-dimensional instrument cluster with a telescopic design is sited directly in front of the driver.

According to Alfa Romeo, no 2 units of the 33-strong production run will be the same thanks to variations in body colours, upholstery and fabrics, while customers were furthermore given the chance to develop “functional stylistic elements” – think air intakes, wheels and even the front shield – with the development team. Each unit comes with a special VIN (repeated on the central tunnel) that includes 8 digits chosen by the customer.

“The 33 Stradale project has come about as a result of the passion and dedication of a small team of designers and engineers at the Alfa Romeo Centro Stile. The design is inspired by Franco Scaglione’s masterpiece of 1967, with a bold look to the lines of future Alfa Romeo models,” said Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, Head of Alfa Romeo Design.

“The result is made possible by the expertise and the best tradition of Italian design. A true manifesto of essential beauty: a limited number of lines, sensual and at the same time powerful capable of arousing desire and strong emotions.”

Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera has been tasked with producing the new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.

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