The special edition model will be a lighter and more powerful version of the current 8C Competizione, and will be available in both coupe and convertible variants. GTA, which stands for Gran Turismo Alleggerita (Italian for a lighter grand tourer), is the name Alfa Romeo uses for its special edition performance models and is also expected to appear on a lightened version of the new Mi.To hatch.

Once a rumour, now confirmed
At the launch of the new Mi.To hatch earlier this year, Alfa Romeo CEO Luca de Meo revealed details about a new a special edition 8C Competizione being considered to celebrate the carmaker’s centenary. The new car would be a lighter and more powerful version of the current 8C coupe, similar to Lamborghini’s Superleggera version of the Gallardo, he said.

A power hike to the 8C Competizione’s already impressive 336kW is expected to accompany the car’s lightening efforts - possibly a necessary step to significantly improve performance, since the 8C Competizione is already a very light car, with a great deal of carbon fibre in its construction.
 
The 8C GTA is also expected to be a limited edition, will only 100 examples planned for production.

Australian road use highly unlikely
The standard 8C Competizione, itself built in a limited run of just 500 cars, was designed as a left-hand drive only model. No known right-hand drive conversions have been performed, and the company has no intentions of building any in right-hand drive. The same is likely true for the even-more-limited edition 8C GTA, since the car is based on the same platform and despite the extra power and lighter weight, will likely share a majority of components.

Because of Australia’s stringent regulations regarding car certification and import, the new 8C GTA is therefore almost certainly going to be reserved for track-day and private-road use only if imported. A more likely scenario would involve local owners keeping their cars in Europe and driving them when travelling.

Meanwhile, things are getting busy for Alfa as the carmaker ramps up to start production of the 8C Competizione Spyder early next year. While production runs for both the coupe and the convertible have long sold out, Alfa boss Luca de Meo was insistent that the company would not try to cash in on the demand by building additional variants, with the GTA being an obvious, and highly exclusive, exception.

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione gallery 

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