ALFA ROMEO 8C AVAILABLE FOR TEST DRIVE IN AUSTRALIA FROM SEPTEMBER
The Alfa Romeo 8C, the stunning concept car produced by the Italian car maker as its proposal for a super car, will be available for 1600 kilometre Test Drives in Australia from this September.
Powered by a supercharged 4.3 litre V8 engine boasting more than 400 bhp, the Alfa Romeo 8C has a top speed in excess of 300 kmh and shatters the dash to 100 kmh in less than 4.5 seconds. The advanced drivetrain is clothed in a gracefully aggressive body made from carbon fibre that has been praised for its beauty and integration of a host of styling links to classic Alfa Romeo models of the past.
Despite the rarity of the Alfa Romeo 8C and its performance potential, Alfa Romeo Australia is expecting thousands of people across the country to Test Drive the Alfa Romeo 8C, especially as there is no time limit on the test drive and the 1600 kilometre test route may be repeated as frequently as each Test Driver wishes.
There is one requirement, though.
Each Test Driver must be in procession of an Xbox 360 or, later in the year, a PC, PS2 or PSP, along with a copy of Atari’s TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED, the new driving simulation that is already being described as the ultimate immersion in virtual reality.
The game’s designers wanted to include only the cream of the world’s automotive supercars, which could then be tailored to each driver’s specific requirements. The Alfa Romeo 8C was an obvious choice to take on the world’s best. And, because Test Drive Unlimited offers not just 1600 km of roads, 125 race challenges, 44 time challenges, 51 speed challenges and 40 club challenges, it also allows multiplayer challenges that will be enable test drivers to pitch the Alfa Romeo 8C against all its super car rivals in super-realistic conditions.
Alfa Romeo has been fully involved in creating the virtual reality Alfa Romeo 8C to ensure that it is offers a completely accurate driving and visual experience.
“Driving a supercar, especially one as rare as the Alfa Romeo 8C, used to be an almost impossible dream,” says David Stone, General Manager for Alfa Romeo in Australia. “Test Drive Unlimited may not put you behind the wheel of the actual car, but it allows you to experience the Alfa Romeo 8C while doing things that would never be allowed on the public road, not just individually, but to also line it up against it supercar rivals and judge it in every category, from looks to performance. Best of all, you’ll never have to worry about the price of petrol, no matter how many laps of the 1600 km track you complete!”
TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED – THE DETAILS
Atari, one of Australia’s leading sources of interactive entertainment, will launch in September the most revolutionary driving game ever delivered - Test Drive Unlimited, the hottest, totally immersive online and offline world, where you set the rules, the time and the place, and there is nothing stopping you.
Due for release for Xbox 360 in September, with PC, PS2 and PSP versions to follow, Test Drive Unlimited will revolutionise the racing genre.
Test Drive Unlimited is the ultimate automotive experience for car and bike enthusiasts alike. Visit the most sophisticated car and bike dealers to purchase new vehicles or simply take them for a test drive. Choose from all the real-world manufacturer interior and exterior options to make each vehicle one-of-a-kind.
Test Drive Unlimited challenges players online and offline to experience the most exotic and fastest vehicles on more than 1600 km of diverse Hawaiian roads. Gamers win races, challenges, missions and tournaments to earn credits and purchase new cars, bikes, apparel, homes and garages.
Packed full of innovation, Test Drive Unlimited is destined to reinvent the racing genre:
The Challenge:
Choose from an astounding 360 multiplayer and solo challenges, including and online and offline total of 125 race challenges, 44 time challenges and 51 speed challenges, 40 club challenges and many more. If that’s not enough to satisfy you, design your own! Challenge gamers around the world to take you on in 8 player races or meet with 1000s of other petrol heads in the 24/7 online community to chat, trade and race.
The Vehicles:
Offering an unprecedented choice of the world’s most luxurious cars and bikes, Test Drive Unlimited features 90 of the most desirable vehicles on the planet, including Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati, Aston Martin, Shelby, Mercedes, Pagani, Koenigsegg, Saleen and Jaguar – each officially licensed. Additional vehicles will be made available via Xbox Live® Marketplace after launch.
The Location:
Explore over 1600 km of Hawaii’s Oahu island paradise, where every metre of road, building and landmark is mapped out using authentic GPS data. From the volcano rises to the sun-drenched streets you’ll experience one of the most diverse and challenging terrains on the planet.
The Individuality:
Customise your avatar with an extensive choice of popular branded clothes and create your own unique look with a vast choice of hair styles, colourings and the ability to fine tune all the facial features. Personalise your car or bike with options from the actual manufacturer’s catalogue then boost each vehicle’s power with performance upgrades.
The Lifestyle:
Stack up the cash by winning races and completing challenges and go beyond racing by bagging yourself a fine crib in the hills and filling your garage with sleek, sexy models of automotive art. As you cruise around the island, admiring the landscape and seeking out new challenges, watch out for convoy missions to take on, hitch hikers looking for a free ride, and even girls to pick up.
The Showrooms:
Cruise into the classiest car and bike dealerships completely furnished to precisely replicate the manufacturers’ real-life showrooms, from the walls, to the carpet, to the floor plan. Purchase new rides, or take them for a free test drive. Every vehicle is rendered with incredible fidelity and boasts unrivalled interior details including full car functions such as radio, electric windows, horn and more.
If you want it all – the sun, the exotic life, the pad, the kudos and the beautiful surroundings – Test Drive Unlimitedcan take you there. It’s not just a racing game. It’s a racing lifestyle.
Test Drive Unlimitedwill cruise into stores on Xbox 360 in September, with PC, PS2 and PSP versions to follow later this year.
For further information visit
The Alfa Romeo 8C
Designed and developed at the Alfa Romeo Style Centre, the 8c Competizione is a new icon for Alfa Romeo, evoking the great sports car tradition of which the name is part. In the Thirties and Forties, the '8c' signature identified the racing and road cars that were equipped with the new eight cylinder engine developed by the famous engineer Vittorio Jano. The term 'Competizione' is a tribute to the 6C 2500 Competizione, the sports coupé driven by Fangio and Zanardi in the famous Mille Miglia race in 1950.
Therefore, '8c Competizione' is not an invented name, but a clear reference to Alfa's racing history. And of course the Alfa Romeo legend was created to a great extent by the victories its cars achieved on race courses all around the world. There were so many of them that alone they represent a long, fascinating chapter, made of men and competitive spirit, engines and cutting edge technical ideas.
The Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione is a generously proportioned carbon fibre two seater, as indicated by its measurements: 1900 mm wide, 4278 mm long and 1250 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2595 mm. The body is given extra dynamism by the horizontal furrow cut into the side above the front wheelarch.
In addition to this, the large tyres (245/40 - R20 at the front and 275/35 - R20 at the rear) and the powerful, muscular rear wings accentuate the strong, forceful personality. This does not detract in any way from the elegance of the lines that run smoothly from front to back, to the light clusters set into the integral bumpers. A stylistic balance that has its maximum expression in the daring design of the rear window that covers the rear and partially envelops the rear pillars.
The front elements have been repositioned as they were on the most important Alfa racing cars of the past - the side grilles and the shield are aligned at the same height - a decision of historical and evolutionary significance. But a rapid glance will reveal that the styling of the whole exterior is full of classical references, an ideal opportunity for a modern interpretation of traditional Alfa stylistic cues. For example, the front end recalls the former 33 Coupé Stradale, while the rear sports the characteristic round light clusters of the Giulia TZ.
It is difficult to be indifferent to the '8c Competizione' concept car, because it is the pure expression of Alfa Romeo's concept of the car. And with this new model, Alfa's stylistic language takes a further step forward. Compared to another concept car, the 'Nuvola', which also featured the shapes and surface treatment of the new Alfa Romeo aesthetics, the styling approach of the Alfa 8c Competizione enhances the brand's DNA with a modern hi-tech interpretation of the most famous designs in Alfa Romeo history.
Nor can it be forgotten that the Alfa Romeo sports cars of the past and the present all share a particular feature: the ability to thrill even the most experienced drivers when they take the wheel. And the Alfa 8c Competizione is no exception. Suffice it to say that under the bonnet lurks a supercharged 4.2 litre V8 (90°). This powerful unit delivers over 400 bhp at 7000 rpm and together with a 6-speed manual rear transmission, takes the prototype to a top speed above 300 km/h, accelerating from 0 to 100 kilometres in just 4.5 seconds. This engine commands not only absolute performance and outstanding peaks of power and torque (over 45 kgm at 4500 rpm), but also smooth, effortless delivery even at low speeds. The result is a car capable of exciting performance that is perfectly at home on everyday roads and not only on the racetrack.
The 8c Competizione combines this brilliant performance with extraordinary roadholding and the handling of a true thoroughbred. This is achieved via dual wishbone suspension at front and rear, which ensures extremely enjoyable handling, combining the control expected of front-wheel drive with an exceptionally sporty drive and pinpoint response, which are particularly important on mixed roads. Alfa Romeo chose rear-wheel drive for the 8c Competizione to support the exuberant engine and to deliver truly unbeatable emotional experience behind the wheel.
Technical specifications: Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione
ENGINEposition / front, longitudinal
no. of cylinders / 8 in 90° V
timing gear / two overhead camshafts per row
no. of valves / 4 per cylinder
turbocharging / volumetric compressor
capacity / 4244 (92 bore x 79.8 stroke)
max. power output / over 400 bhp at 7000 rpm
peak torque / over 45 kgm at 4500 rpm
TRANSMISSION
gearbox / mechanical 6-speed
position / rear axle
drive / rear wheel
CHASSIS
front suspension / dual wishbone
rear suspension / dual wishbone
front brakes / floating ventilated disc 380x34 mm
rear brakes / fixed ventilated disc 330x28 mm
front tyres / 245/40 R 20" x 8.5"
rear tyres / 275/35 R20" x 10"
DIMENSIONS - WEIGHT
wheelbase / 2595 mm
front track / 1610 mm
rear track / 1580 mm
length / 4278 mm
width / 1900 mm
height / 1250 mm
weight empty / approx. 1500 kg
fuel tank capacity / 90 litres
PERFORMANCE
top speed / over 300 km/h
0-100 kmh / 4.5 seconds
(ENDS)
Editor’s Note: Attached are two pictures of the Alfa Romeo 8C from the Test Drive Unlimited Game and a picture of the actual car when it was in Australia for the 2004 Australian International Motor Show.
For further information, please contact
David StoneGeneral Manager / Tel: (02) 9701 8000
Alfa Romeo Australia / Fax: (02) 9701 3555
E:
Edward Rowe
Public Relations Manager / Tel: (02) 9701 8000
Alfa Romeo Australia / Fax: (02) 9701 3555
Mob: 0407 913 244
E:
David Wildgoose
PR & Promotions Manager / Tel: 02 8303 6832
Atari Australia/New Zealand / Mob: 0413 321 836
ATECO AUTOMOTIVE PTY LTD
Street Address: Heritage Building, Campus Business Park, 350 Parramatta Road, Homebush NSW 2140 Australia. Postal Address: Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd,Locked Bag 260, Silverwater, NSW 1811, AustraliaA.B.N. 34 000 486 706
Alfa Romeo Media web site:
Release Number: 545-alfa-AU
Date of Issue: 29 September 2018. Time of Issue: 16:48:47