Alfa Romeo has teased more details relating to its yet-to-be-revealed flagship sports car that is expected to be revealed in 2023.
The last dedicated sports car in the Alfa line-up was the lightweight 4C, and before it the 8C, but it remains unclear whether this new model will be one of the final internal combustion creations before Alfa Romeo goes fully electric, or if they’ll opt for a hybrid to please the new generation.
The new model is not to be confused with the just-revealed Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato – a one-off coupe creation between Alfa and Zagato, based on the Giulia sedan.
What we do know is just a little bit more about the direction of the new model after speaking with Alfa Romeo’s head of product, Daniel Guzzafame, during a recent trip to Italy to test drive the Tonale PHEV.
With the launch of the Tonale PHEV, it’s clear the brand has a strong emphasis on efficiency and quality, which leans towards the likelihood of a hybrid sports car. For the hotly anticipated model “the directions in terms of design, in terms of technology, in terms of software will be where we (Alfa Romeo) want to go (in the future)” says Mr Guzzafame, highlighting the importance of the brand’s electric future.
It wouldn’t be an Alfa Romeo without some level of performance, but in the same breath Mr Guzzafame stressed the brand’s path towards more efficient and less sporty cars. Which makes the mystery around the new sports model even more intriguing.
So the jury is still out on the specifics of the car and which traditional sports car elements will be held onto. But it looks like we won’t have to wait too much longer to find out.
“We will probably be releasing the main one between next year and the beginning of 2024,” Guzzafame told CarsGuide, with the design being finalised during future discussions between the Alfa Romeo team.
So what will the rest of the marque’s future range look like surrounding this flagship sports car and how will this model fit into the range to maximise sales? The strategy surrounding its release has been analysed by Alfa Romeo and will be carefully positioned to maximise sales of the entire range.
Learning from past mistakes, the decision was made not to come out with a bang and release the sports car as the first model of the new range. “The flagship vehicle means that you are constrained to start from the flagship and then you develop everything else but maybe (this time) it’s not the case,” says Mr Guzzafame. “It doesn’t make sense to put the flagship in a showroom if you don’t have the rest to sell. So first you need to build a showroom and then you put in the flagship.”
As a new addition to the showroom floor in 2023, the Tonale PHEV will eventually sit alongside Alfa Romeo’s new sports car with the aim of avoiding a repeat of the 4C situation, when the flagship was the first of the range to hit showrooms.
“If not we are back in the situation where we had the 4C, this is great. Many (visiting an Alfa Romeo showroom) went ‘what can I buy? The 4C! Anything else? No, just the 4C.” And hence the brand lost valuable sales opportunities.
So, for Alfa Romeo, their flagship sports car is not just a piece of eye candy, but an important strategic sales decision that could make or break the future of an automotive icon.