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Autodelta has a long and proud
tradition for creating cars that are individually hand
crafted to the customers’ unique tastes and
requirements. Each car is wrought to the owner’s
specifications, from the maximum dynamic and performance
capability to the exterior and interior finish. The
Autodelta experience involves realising the customer’s
deepest dream – and then exceeding it.
In the last few years all the leading
auto manufacturers have made customisation a priority,
offering reams of options in every area of trim and finish;
however for Autodelta, this is a long-standing tradition,
firmly at the core of our philosophy.
One such customer recently approached us
recently to create the perfect Alfa Spider, his love and
appreciation for the last generation model (Type 916)
leading him to seek a special, individual version, with
maximum performance capability and truly unique styling. The
car of his dreams would combine the thrills of
wind-in-the-hair motoring with flair and style.
The brief was to enhance the performance
in every area, and to create new styling, unique from
anything else we had done before, subtle yet distinct, and
of course embedded with Alfa Romeo and Autodelta DNA.
Cutting Edge Engineering
Under the surface the changes were
inspired by our bespoke V6 Spider version, with the fitting
of the current generation Rotrex supercharger conversion,
which raises power from 240 to 341 bhp. Engine changes
included upgrading of the fuel injectors, engine mapping and
a new free-flow stainless steel exhaust system, which was
developed in conjunction with Ragazzon and finishes in
distinct quad tailpipes. Autodelta’s bespoke Limited Slip
Differential was fitted to allow the additional power to be
smoothly and effectively transferred to the wheels.
Height adjustable coilovers from the
Autodelta Sportline range were fitted to further cope with
the major power increase, while bigger brakes (330 mm
ventilated front discs) and larger 4-pot Brembo calipers
stop the car effectively. Two more of our technical partners
were involved in the project: the car rides on OZ Ultralight
Botticelli wheels fitted with Dunlop Sport SP Maxx tyres,
which have been developed for Autodelta.
Unique Styling
The styling for this particular Spider
required a very personal touch. The car’s owner desired a
very extreme look, which called for an individual custom
styling project. “We thrive on creating a car this
extravagant,” comments Jano Djelalian. The project perfectly
demonstrates Autodelta’s ability to custom-build a car,
tailor-designed to meet a single owner’s own, highly
individual, requirements.
Autodelta’s styling team applied their
talent on every conceivable area of the car. The front, side
and rear received design changes, including the fitment of a
high-quality Autodelta Detachable Hardtop.
This particular project was inspired by
historical show-stopping prototypes such as the open-top
Pininfarina Super Flow of 1956 (pre-study to the legendary
‘Duetto’ Spider model) and the Alfa Romeo Nuvola concept car
of 1996. The form-language of the completely bespoke rear
bumper and splitter, including the styling of rounded
tail-lights, is an area which mostly ties in with the Nuvola.
The rear splitter design also traces other extravagant
models in Alfa Romeo’s illustrious open-top history,
including the sinuous 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS “Flying
Star” by Carrozzeria Touring.
In a tribute to the ground breaking
Pininfarina Super Flow, and the huge impact it had on Alfa
Romeo’s style thinking in the following decades, we have
christened this unique one-off car the “Autodelta Spider
Superflow”; with the ‘Super’ part of the name also being
reminiscent of the traditional denotation for Autodelta’s
supercharged cars.
The front of the Spider introduces a new
splitter which enhances the form of the Alfa Romeo grille.
An inverted “V” section in the centre adds to the dynamic
thrust of the styling direction, providing an extra focal
point at the base of the Alfa shield. This solution enhances
the feeling of speed. Intake sections on either side of the
V-form have been incorporated in the traditional Alfa Romeo
style with a centre-section intelligently forming the
aerodynamic spoiler. New flank sections behind the front
wheelarches include specially designed air vents providing a
more technical appeal to this section of the Spider’s
styling.
The completely bespoke rear bumper also
features dual circular lighting clusters with LED
technology. These are the same units fitted to the awesome
Maserati MC12 racing car. Additional units for the reverse
and fog lights are positioned centrally in the lower section
of the bumper in-between the quad exhaust outlets. The
exhaust outlets themselves are housed within the bumper for
an optimum finish.
In order to enhance the Spider’s rear
stance, the number plate surround has also been
significantly stretched over the entire width. A separate
splitter underneath the bumper provides an interesting
aerodynamic solution and further continues the outline of
the number plate surround. A ducktail rear spoiler adds to
the sportive feel of the rear styling.
New side mouldings have been developed
and present a rising crease which is matched at the rear
bumper. Autodelta’s Styling Centre provided much attention
towards how the individual styling components cosmetically
interact with each other, ensuring a logical cohesive
design.
The Spider is also presented with
Autodelta’s well-known Detachable Hardtop, which was
developed specifically as a factory-quality accessory for
the 916 Spider model. The Hardtop uses a state-of-the-art
sandwich construction for maximum safety and strength, yet
the Hardtop is light enough to handle with ease. The Hardtop
also provides the following benefits to all-season Spider
owners: Highly-effective thermal and noise insulation;
improved chassis rigidity: less scuttle shake; protects
fabric hood from harsh weather; tinted heated rear window
for better visibility; optional protective cover stand for
storage; optional buggy & stand; and colour-coded for
perfect match and finish .
Made by Autodelta Styling Centre, the
Spider Detachable Hardtop is produced to the most exacting
tolerances using a variety of materials. The Hardtop uses
high-quality components such as toughened tinted safety
glass, hardware and Alfa Romeo original equipment rubber
seals. The Hardtop is also colour-coded to match the vehicle
colour.
Pistonheads Performance Car Show
The first edition of the Pistonheads
Performance Car Show gets underway tomorrow (Friday 11th
January) at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
Focusing on performance cars, it is co-located in the NEC
with the long-running Autosport International show. Official
involvement runs from head turning prestige sportscar brands
such as Lamborghini and Lotus, to leading tuners, including
Hamann and Schnitzer, while there will be a number of new
model debuts from specialist carmakers like Aerial and KTM.
Other highlights will be the Live Action Arena and Track Day
Car display; while Mitsubishi will display an example of
each of their potent ‘Evo’ model series, from I to X. For
Italian car enthusiasts’ there will be an array of exciting
cars including Autodelta’s new ‘Model Year 2008’ version of
the potent Brera J5 3.2 C, Ferrari’s race track F430
Challenge, Maserati’s stylish new GranTurismo and
Lamborghini’s lightweight limited-edition Gallardo
Superleggera.
“Autosport International has always been
a fixture in our January diary, but this year taking part in
the Pistonheads Show makes perfect sense,” says Jano. “The
organizers have put a lot of effort and enthusiasm into
creating a focused performance car extravaganza and it looks
to be very promising. We’re delighted to be participating in
the show.”
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