New Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale: exclusive hypercar appears at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Alfa Romeo’s says “courage and madness” has helped create its new 207mph 33 Stradale hypercar
Alfa Romeo’s latest halo car, the 33 Stadale, has been unveiled in the UK for the first time at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed. The car is yet to be finalised, although first customer deliveries will take place in December 2024.
One of the customers is none other than Valterri Bottas - not a huge surprise given the Formula One driver helped Alfa Romeo develop the 33 Stradale. Of the limited production run of 33 units, each with a price tag in the region of £2.8m, all have been sold and we’ve been told no two 33 Stradales will be the same specification. As the name suggests, it’s a tribute to the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale built between 1967 and 1969, but with modern power because there’s a choice of pure-petrol and an all-electric version.
Former Cupra design boss and now Alfa Romeo’s Head of Design, Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, spoke to Auto Express about the importance of the 33 Stradale as a halo car for the brand. “It’s something that needed to be done. The last very important supercar for Alfa Romeo was the 8C. The customers were ready and waiting and there was an expectation.”
It’s clear the new 33 Stradale has been influenced by the old model in its design. There are rounded headlights, a low grille opening with a small and modern interpretation of Alfa Romeo’s Scudetto shield, and a front clamshell bonnet that opens just like the original’s. The butterfly doors with overhanging glass are also a throwback design, as is the rear clamshell cover for the engine. To the rear there are circular lights and a black piece of trim that mimics the meshed venting of the old car. 20-inch alloy wheels, finished in black, gold or silver, fill the arches.
The cabin is like no other Alfa Romeo. It’s a fairly minimalistic approach, with a small touchscreen located low on the dash for a more driver-focused layout. Even the steering wheel is devoid of any buttons so the driver isn’t distracted. The driver’s instruments are quite conventional, with a screen with two dedicated dials for the tachometer and speedometer.
The touchscreen can slide up into the dash and out of sight - something Mesonero-Romanos wanted for the interior. “Most drivers will only use the touchscreen for navigation. On roads you know you don’t want a cluttered interior so that is why we have added the functionality of removing the screen from sight.”
A wraparound windscreen along with the segmented side windows certainly give the 33 Stradale a 1960’s racer feel from the driver’s seat. The front wheel arches are clearly visible too which Mesonero-Romanos claims to help drivers place the car on the road.
The interior is “20 per cent away from the finished result in terms of quality” according to Mesonero-Romanos. The materials all feel of a premium quality to us with robust switches and aluminium throughout. Some wobbly leather trim and Tonale indicator stalks (we’re told these will be made from carbon fibre) remind you this is only a show car at this stage. There is a rear window, but Alfa Romeo has added a digital rear-view mirror to help bolster visibility - the camera for which is just above the engine cover.
Overhead there are a few toggle switches inspired by an aeroplane’s cockpit and the centre console houses aluminium switches for various driving modes, and the gear selector. Driving modes include ‘Strada’ (Road), which is the softest setting, and ‘Pista’ (Track) which ensures the powertrain is at peak output and responsiveness. Elsewhere there’s a hydraulic nose lift switch that can raise the front by 50mm at speeds of under 25mph.
Two interior designs are offered with the 33 Stradale. ‘Tributo’ utilises leather and aluminium where ‘Alfa Corse’ replaces that with Alcantara and carbon fibre. The bucket seats are designed to combine comfort with ergonomics and in a nod to the minimalist cabin design, there are no door handles, just a leather strap. A glove box comes in the form of a removable bag, which can be specified in different materials and colours.
While Alfa Romeo hasn’t specifically said the 33 Stradale uses the same platform as the MC20 from Stellantis stablemate Maserati, it seems likely, with the Alfa Romeo using a 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbocharged engine – similar to the MC20’s ‘Nettuno’.
Alfa Romeo says the 33 Stradale boasts over 620bhp with the V6, but there’s also a pure-electric configuration with over 750bhp. Alfa claims a maximum range of 280 miles for the EV. There’s a claimed top speed of 207mph and 0-62mph time of under three seconds. With the differences in weight between the two powertrains, we expect Alfa Romeo to tweak the two cars’ chassis individually, which feature a double-arm suspension with active shock absorbers and carbon-ceramic brakes.
Mated to the V6 engine version is an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, sending power to the rear wheels through an electronic differential. The body of the 33 Stradale is formed from an aluminium H-frame and carbon fibre monocoque for rigidity and lightness.
No customer was allowed to purchase both the pure-electric and the internal combustion engined 33 Stradale and while split figures between the two haven’t been revealed, there will be more petrol-powered 33 Stradales built than electric versions.
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