The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale makes a beautiful symphony to end the V6 era
- Alfa Romeo is ending its internal combustion era
- The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is the perfect way to celebrate this leap forward
- Its V6 engine is turbocharged to the ear, with a nostalgic burble
Published on Aug 06, 2024 at 3:37 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Aug 12, 2024 at 7:08 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is closing out its internal combustion era, and the rasp of the V6 engine sounds like music to our ears.
The automaker produced two V6 greats – the Busso and the modern Quadrifoglio twin-turbo unit, which also powers the 33.
The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is the perfect end to that era.
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The V6 engine sound
While turbocharged to the ear, it has a burble reminiscent of nostalgic bent-sixes—from the Alfa Romeo SZ to the 147 GTA and the Giulia Quadrifoglio—and you can hear it here.
The mid-engined Alfa supercar boasts a carbon fibre tub and a twin-turbo V6 mounted in the middle – plus a body to die for.
So what’s making that beautiful music? Packing 620 bhp, the 2.9-litre V6 is derived from the unit Alfa Romeo fits to its Giulia Quadrifoglio and Stelvio Quadrifoglio performance models.
Meanwhile, an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox powers the rear wheels.
Despite this being a celebration of combustion, you can opt for an all-electric setup.
Putting out 740bhp, it’s able to hit 0-100km/h or 0-62mph in around three seconds with a range of 450km/280 miles.
The suspension setup uses a double wishbone setup at both ends.
To avoid expensive speed bump altercations, adaptive dampers feature a 50mm nose lift at the front of the car.
Also on the chassis front are 20-inch wheels with carbon ceramic brakes beneath.
The car market is doing its utmost to ensure EVs don’t take away from the driving experience, with the first Ferrari EV sounding like a classic Ferrari.
Flashback to Jaguar debuting a car that sounds like an actual jaguar at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.
The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale body
Its looks were inspired by the classic 33 Stradale of the 1960s.
The modern iteration boasts a carbon fibre monocoque with sweeping bodywork.
The bubble-esque cockpit inside is surrounded by expansive glass panels to bring the outside into the two-seater cockpit.
A refreshing commission to the cabin? No big screens.
Instead, aircraft-inspired controls steal focus.
Plus, to make getting in easier, there are butterfly-hinged doors.
Of course, the exact aesthetic is determined by the spec.
The Alfa Corse is furnished with Alcantara and carbon fibre.
Meanwhile, the Tributo has finishes in leather and aluminium – even the butterfly doors are pulled down via leather straps – sexy.
The Aehra electric SUV, meanwhile, has two butterfly doors and two gullwing doors.
While all 33 examples have been snapped up, this musical model is expected to have been enormously expensive.
When it sounds like that, it seems the money was well-spent.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
