Alfa Romeo revives 33 Stradale nameplate

Alfa Romeo has brought back to life the 33 Stradale — and will be sold in limited-run fashion.

In a statement, the Italian automaker said that the aforementioned two-seater coupe will only have 33 units.

According to Alfa Romeo, the model’s rebirth serves as a genuine manifesto of the Italian brand’s capabilities – now and in the future – in terms of style and driving experience.  

“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,” Alfa Romeo Chief Executive Officer Jean-Philippe Imparato said.

“This is the brand's first ‘fuoriserie’ (custom-built) car since 1969, and I promise it won't be the last,” he added.

Legendary nameplate

Directly derived from the Tipo 33 (the monarch of world motorsport in that era), the 1967 33 Stradale project marked Alfa Romeo’s return to racing. The car immediately scored a victory when it debuted at the time trial at Fléron, followed by a line of long successes that include wins at The Championship for Makes in 1975 and 1977.

After such, Alfa Romeo produced the 33 in a very limited edition for private individuals, as a custom-built car that combined the performance of the Tipo 33 racing car with comfort and drivability suitable for everyday use.

Design details

Per Alfa Romeo, the new 33 Stradale drew inspiration from the 1967 model, with enrichments to the sculptural beauty and design elements from Alfa Romeo's new language of style.

Among the standout features for the model are the iconic shield, complex elliptical-base lighting, butterfly doors with large air inlets, and round taillight clusters.

Inside the cabin is “clean” steering wheel devoid of all the usual convenience buttons as well as a cockpit-style instrument cluster with controls located at the overhead and in the lining of the roof.

It’s aircraft-inspired dashboard and central tunnel wears various materials such as aluminum, carbon fiber, leather and Alcantara.

Performance

The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale can be had with a V-6 twin-turbo engine that can provide more than 620 horsepower. Sending the power to its rear wheels is an eight-speed dual clutch gearbox. Meanwhile, the optional battery electric vehicle configuration delivers more than 750 horsepower with a range of 450 kilometers based on Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure standards.

The vehicle’s top-speed is at 333 kilometers per hour (kph) and has the ability to reach 100 kph from standstill in less than three seconds.

Further, it has a double-arm active suspension and a front axle lift system that raises the vehicle when passing obstacles, such as bumps, rails or when entering parking lots or garages, to avoid damage to the bodywork. The said program can be activated with the “Assetto” (setup) control on the center console, when driving under 40 kph. With it, the hydraulic system elevates the front axle by nearly 50 millimeters to overcome the obstacle. The system returns to the standard height when manually deactivated in the system or exceeding the set speed limit.

Additionally, it has two drive modes: Strada (road) mode that ensures comfort and driving pleasure with smooth power delivery, mild pedal sensitivity, compliant suspension and active exhaust valves that will not open below 5,000 revolutions per minute; and Pista (track) mode, that gives drivers an adrenaline-fueled, open exhaust valve option with peak power, increased pedal sensitivity and firm suspension for greater handling.

On the other hand, the vehicle’s stopping power is guaranteed by the Alfa Romeo brake-by-wire system and the company-specific Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes.

Photos from Alfa Romeo

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