2009 Alfa Romeo 8C Spider

Alfa Romeo needed little encouragement to build a roadster version of its sensational 8C Competizione coupe, a car that pre-sold its entire production run in a mere 14 days. A scant 84 of the flagship Alfa coupes made it to the US, whetting the appetite for the production Spider’s unveiling at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show.

Like the coupe, only 500 Spiders would be produced, with an allotment of just 35 destined for the US. They too would sell out in short order. Engineered by Alfa Romeo, powered by Ferrari, and assembled by Maserati, the Spider shared the bespoke carbon fiber construction and mechanical traits of its 8C coupe predecessor.

The DOHC V-8 Ferrari-built motor, specially tuned by Alfa engineers, was good for 444 hp at 7,000 rpm. When driven in the Sport mode, exhaust cutouts activate, which give a distinct, sonorous engine note unlike any other, made more glorious in the open-top Spider. For its merits, the 8C Spider was honored as EVO magazine’s “best sounding car” in 2011.

Slightly heavier than the coupe, weight gains were partially offset by a carbon fiber windshield surround, an electronically operated double-layer fabric soft top, and the fitting of Brembo carbon-ceramic brake discs all around. These changes resulted in perfect 50/50 weight distribution with near identical performance figures to the 8C Competizione.

The automotive press was enthusiastic in its appreciation for the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider. Car and Driver wrote: “It’s fast in a straight line and exhibits the purest-handling balance one could wish for: understeer on turn-in, neutrality with the application of power, and yee-haw oversteer with too much right foot. The brakes are sensational, and the gearshifts are superfast in manual mode. … I’d rather have one of these than a Bugatti Veyron.”

The example offered is finished in striking Red Metallic paint (a $6,100 option) with an Alfa Red leather interior, and shows less than 950 miles as of this writing. Now in the hands of its second caretaker, it is complete with its tool kit, charger, emergency kit, owner’s manual, window sticker, central storage compartment, and fitted, leather overnight bag. Other options include GPS, auxiliary floor mats, and “8C” interior stitching, which combined to push this car’s sticker price well above its base cost.

Performance, rarity, and drop-dead gorgeous looks make this 8C Spider one of the most exclusive and desirable cars of the recent past, and a worthy entrant into the pantheon of Alfa Romeo supercars.