A perfect drive to perfect a fantastic car
Alfa has crafted true masterpieces of mechanical engineering over the years, and the one that sits at the head of the table is the 8C. The 8C isn’t a new car by any means, but it never fails to captivate the attention of bypassers. To ensure this legend lives on, a brand you might not have heard of before, Officine Fioravanti, has set out to right all of the 8C's wrongs to celebrate this utterly beautiful car.
To ensure the modifications meet the demands of the passionate Alfa clients, the road trip of a lifetime was imagined through southern and western Europe, intended to tweak the 8C Competizione M's final setup in real-world environments.
Before we discuss this extraordinary and unorthodox approach to fine-tuning a production car, the new edition of the 8C Competizione M needs to be fleshed out. Yes, the 8C is an old car, and its production run ended in 2008. But to ensure this legend lives on, Officine Fioravanti has taken it upon itself to remove every shortfall in the 8C and improve it in the best possible way.
This is not the first outing for the Officine Fioravanti brand, as it has broad experience bringing youthful appeal to classic Italian supercars and sports cars like the Ferrari 512 TR. This Swiss-born brand now resides in Turin, Italy, and prides itself on not only high performance and in-depth engineering but also elegance and exclusivity.
What exactly was the issue with the 8C? Well, fortunately, Officine Fioravanti has given us a list. The first and biggest problem was the 6-speed sequential robotised gearbox, which wasn't up to expectations. This has been swapped out for the trusty 6-speed manual, which no enthusiast has ever complained about. On top of this gearbox redo, the car will be integrated with a more advanced and modern vehicle management system, a new electronically controlled and adjusted Ohlins suspension, carbon ceramic brakes, and improved driving position and comfort with the help of carbon fibre monocoque seats, which are FIA-approved. It will also have more power using enhanced engine calibration, and lastly, it will shed some weight too.
As you might have noticed, these modifications have changed almost nothing in the looks department, and there is a good reason for this. The 16-year-old 8C is still widely considered one of, if not the best-looking, cars around. Apart from the addition of the M next to the name on the rear bumper, the 8C retains its visual identity.
So you have a car that's modified and ready for testing; what to do next? Well, most manufacturers or tuners would hit the track to refine the areas that require modification. However, the team at Officine Fioravanti holds a different perspective, believing that the return of the 8Cs warrants a more realistic testing environment. So the plan was created: complete a road trip through the winding and utterly stunning mountain roads and cities from Switzerland to Marbella.
This 2000-kilometre journey winds itself along some of the prettiest roads in the world while taking in the beauty of cities like Monte Carlo. Although this might seem like an excuse to drive a fantastic car with all its new bits and pieces on some of the best roads in the world, this trip was designed to be the final test for the 8C Competizione M before it goes into its 500-unit run. Along the way, the team will fine-tune the suspension, engine, and gearbox modifications to ensure the driving experience holds up to the car's iconic looks.
This is the kind of engineering I love to see, where the test takes place under realistic conditions and the car is molded to driving conditions we can all experience. This trip should provide the 8C with the experience it deserves.
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