We've been talking about Alfa Romeo's long-awaited supercar for quite a while and yet the Stellantis brand has refused to provide a preview of the hotly anticipated model. Thankfully, we're now being given an early look at what will be a Giulia-based project developed in collaboration with Zagato. Both the automaker and coachbuilder briefly teased the car on social media by revealing the rear light signature and the car's official name.
As the name implies, the Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato will have a short wheelbase. That tells us the coachbuilder will likely remove the rear doors and turn the sports sedan into a coupe. The continuous light is intriguing because it means the LED strip is mounted on the same body panel. It reminds us of the Bugatti La Voiture Noire's curved taillights and we're anxious to see how the rest of the derrière looks.
Even though we only have this sole teaser to go by, it's enough to give us the impression the Giulia-based coupe will be completely redesigned compared to the regular saloon. Knowing Zagato's modus operandi, expect a lot of nods to the past, especially since it has had a fruitful collaboration with Alfa Romeo. The latter's CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato has said some design cues from the T33 Stradale of the 1960s are to be expected.
Alfa had planned to revive the GTV and 8C for two sports coupes, but the projects were ultimately axed. This new model penned by Zagato will likely have a limited production run and serve as the internal combustion engine's swan song. The Giulia Quadrifoglio's twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 was pushed to 540 horsepower and 442 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters) of torque for the GTA/GTAm. It remains to be seen whether the engineers will find a way to boost it furthermore.
Interestingly, some reports state a purely electric version is also planned. Although the Giorgio platform upon which the Giulia rides was not developed with EVs in mind, it has proven to be flexible enough to accommodate an electric drivetrain considering Maserati is coming out with a zero-emission Grecale Folgore.
Alfa Romeo's boss recently said it'll be "very exciting, very selective, and very expensive," adding an official announcement could be made in March 2023. As a refresher, the fabled Italian brand will become electric-only from 2027.
