Corvette and Alfa Mashup: One-of-Four Italian Stallion
Daily Slideshow: Combining Italian styling and American muscle is nothing new. But this Alfa Corvette is one rare ride.
Best of Both Worlds?
History has graced us with a number of cars that attempt to combine American muscle with Italian styling. And it's a sensible idea when you think about it. Italian cars have long been lauded for their beautiful design, while American rides are known for pounding the streets with brute force. But among the many attempts at combining these two very different things, one of the rarest is this - an Alfa Romeo-inspired Corvette we spotted over at Mecum.
Team Effort
The idea for this Alfa Corvette came from neither Alfa nor Chevrolet, however. It was actually the brainchild of SV Motor Company and designed by Cameron Dempsey of Corvid Technologies, in conjunction with Pratt & Miller engineering and ANSA Automotive.
>>Join the conversation about this C6 Alfa-Vette right here in Corvette Forum.
Alfa Inspired
The idea was to take a brand new (at the time) 2009 Corvette and incorporate into it styling elements from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione coupe. That much is clear from the rear, where you'll find single taillights and an outboard-mounted exhaust. If you squint just a little, you'll undoubtedly think this is actually an Alfa, not a Corvette.
>>Join the conversation about this C6 Alfa-Vette right here in Corvette Forum.
Luxurious Threads
The interior of this hybrid vehicle adds a touch of class to your average C6 as well, with acres of Burgundy and Cream leather upholstery. Luxury options like dual-zone air conditioning, custom gauges, and touch-screen navigation make this one very inviting cabin.
>>Join the conversation about this C6 Alfa-Vette right here in Corvette Forum.
Upgraded Insides
The attention to detail throughout is impressive, and so was the price tag - $99,995 is the bare minimum of what it took to get you inside one of these SV9s. But it was an interesting concept in a time when Corvettes were known for having some pretty cheap and uninspiring interiors.
>>Join the conversation about this C6 Alfa-Vette right here in Corvette Forum.
Where's the Beef?
Despite all of these styling and luxury upgrades, the creators of the SV9 didn't bother to change anything under the hood. It's all Corvette underneath, with an LS3 offering up 430 hp. The Italian Corvette did come with an upgraded suspension and brakes, though also a 4-speed automatic transmission in lieu of a manual.
>>Join the conversation about this C6 Alfa-Vette right here in Corvette Forum.
No Regular 'Vette
This special Alfa 'Vette was all about style and class. Thus, you'll find a ton of added carbon fiber bodywork to accompany the other styling upgrades. And of course, lots of SV9 badges to let everyone know you aren't just driving a regular old Corvette.
>>Join the conversation about this C6 Alfa-Vette right here in Corvette Forum.
Very Alfa-Like
The most obvious changes lie up front, however. If you didn't know any better, you might not even see the Corvette lineage here. The whole front end looks very much like an Alfa, including the round fixed headlights and protruding grille.
>>Join the conversation about this C6 Alfa-Vette right here in Corvette Forum.
Solid Reasoning
Even the wheels on the SV9 were designed to look like those from an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione coupe. But you can't blame the builders for working so hard to emulate the look. After all, many consider Alfa vehicles to be among the most beautiful ever built.
>>Join the conversation about this C6 Alfa-Vette right here in Corvette Forum.
Rare Sight
The SV9 debuted at the 2009 SEMA show and looked rather promising at first. SV Motors had grand plans for the car and intended to build 1,000 examples for public consumption. But those dreams died before the SV9 could even hit the ground running as the company dissolved with only four examples being produced. So today, this super clean, 4,458-mile example is a rare sight indeed!
>>Join the conversation about this C6 Alfa-Vette right here in Corvette Forum.
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