Everything We Know About Alfa Romeo’s Mid-engine Supercar

Alfa Romeo is on the way to becoming a fully-electric brand. While there is still time, the Italian company, founded in 1910, is preparing for its first EV model, scheduled to arrive in 2027. While this is expected to be the next-generation Alfa Romeo Giulia, the brand is preparing something even bigger for the more foreseeable future. It will arrive in the form of a mid-engine, flagship supercar, and here’s what we know about it so far.

One last revival for the Alfa Romeo 8C

Among the many old Alfa Romeo nameplates is the 8C, which dates back to 1931. The 8C name was revived in 2007 with a Maserati-powered, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car, and it looks like the 8C may return one last time before the brand firmly takes a course towards making fully-electric vehicles.

Over the last few years, Alfa Romeo has been generating hype around the supposed revival of iconic models only to unceremoniously shelve them. It is clear that Alfa Romeo needs to have a sports car in its lineup, and under the new leadership of Jean-Philippe Imparato, the Italian carmaker is planning to unveil a “design study” for a fully-fledged supercar as early as 2023. While it may not necessarily be the sports car Alfa Romeo needs, it will be Alfa Romeo’s last flagship model before the company goes fully electric.

A powertrain worthy of a flagship model

We have been hearing chatter about the next-generation Alfa Romeo 8C since 2018 and words like hybrid, twin-turbo V-6, over 700 horsepower, and 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in under 3.0 seconds have been thrown around the internet. Given Alfa Romeo’s current, most powerful engine – the Ferrari-based, 2.9-liter, twin-turbo V-6 – and the company’s partnership with the F1 team, Sauber, a KERS system might be utilized, in conjunction with the internal combustion engine. In its most powerful form, Alfa’s twin-turbo V-6 packs 533 horsepower (397 kilowatts) and 442 pound-feet (600 Nm). With this in mind, a combined output of “over 700 horsepower” (522 kilowatts) from a hybrid setup is believable.

Alfa Romeo could reach inside Maserati’s parts bin

As part of the Stellantis group, sharing hardware with Maserati is not out of the question. Another element of Alfa Romeo’s future supercar is the carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, which although not confirmed, could be shared with the Maserati MC20, which has already proven to be immensely capable on the road. Another potential part, shared with the mid-engine Maserati could be the 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V-6, Nettuno engine.

Being newly-developed (although not all-new), more sophisticated, and more powerful with its 630 horsepower (470 kilowatts) and 538 pound-feet (730 Nm), the Nettuno V-6 sounds like a better basis for a hybrid powertrain. Moreover, it would not be out of character since the last-generation Alfa 8C featured a Maserati-derived V-8. Naturally, this means that the eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic from the MC20 would also be carried over.

Not ready for production just yet

Alfa Romeo CEO, Jean Philippe Imparato already confirmed that “a very exciting, very selective, very expensive sports car” will be unveiled by Alfa Romeo, in 2023. When it debuts, the car will be a design study while a production version is scheduled to arrive by 2025. It seems car, manufacturers are not willing to build a high-performance vehicle unless there is a demand for it. With this in mind, Imparato added that if there is enough interest in the model, the production version will happen.

At this point, there are no clear clues as to what Alfa Romeo’s planned mid-engine supercar would look like, but the Italian marque’s CEO has shared on numerous occasions that he is very keen on reviving models like the Duetto, GTV, and 33 Stradale. With that said, a retro-inspired design for the mid-engine model is quite probable.

The next-generation Alfa Romeo 8C has, on numerous occasions, been announced and then dismissed. A similar fate was seen by other iconic nameplates like the GTV, which was planned to make a return as a two-door version of the current Alfa Romeo Giulia. With the mid-engine “design study” on the way and, hopefully, enough interest towards the model, other nameplates that Alfa Romeo has in the pipeline might make it to fruition, not as EVs, but as high-performance, ICE-powered vehicles.