In car folklore, the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a name that has stood the test of time, which makes sense as the model, sold from 1967-1969, was one of the world’s first ever supercars. On top of it, it was quite the looker, helped by the fact it was based on the Tipo 33 racecar that took top honours in the 1975 and 1977 FIA World Sportscar Championship. Now, the carmaker has decided to revive the legend and unlike another recent Italian icon which was “revived”, we think Alfa Romeo did a spectacular job, without sullying the myth surrounding the original.
The 60s 33 Stradale was a looker and its modern interpretation is one as well to the point we think its a strong contender for a bedroom wall poster car or, in today’s age, a desktop wallpaper. The low-slung front end, curvaceous fenders and the seamless transition to the sides is a nice throwback to its predecessor. That said, the cool headlights add a dash of modernity.
What’s interesting is the way the 33 Stradale goes from elegant to aggressive starting from the large air intakes on the sides and the muscular haunches that extend towards the rear. The rear view is quite busy with many angular elements. Here’s a fun fact, this is the second Alfa Romeo to have a completely bespoke coachbuilt body, after the gorgeous Giulia SWB Zagato in 2022.
Head inside, and you are met with a fairly minimalist cabin design with a driver-focused dashboard layout. Even the steering wheel is devoid of any buttons. A nice little detail is the driver instrumentation layout which looks beautifully straightforward.
The real party trick is under the hood though as there’s two distinct personalities for the 33 Stradale. One is a 620PS 3.0-litre V6 engine, paired to an eight-speed DCT gearbox. The other is a tri-motor electric setup pushing over 750PS and offering a WLTP-claimed range of around 450km, making this supercar the first all-electric Alfa Romeo. What’s interesting is that both ICE and EV setups can hit 0-100kmph in under three seconds and top out at 333kmph.
Other trickery in the supercar includes it utilising a carbon fibre monocoque and aluminium H-frame, with the suspension tuning assisted by current F1 driver, Valtteri Bottas. So the 33 Stradale continues the tradition of offering motorsport level driving dynamics on the road like its ancestor.
While the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale isn’t as exclusive as its predecessor (Alfa only made 18 of those), it is still a rare offering, as only 33 units will be produced and all of them have been spoken for.
