James Martin’s Supercar Sunday, Great Northern Square, Manchester

When I found out about this event in the centre of Manchester and that renowned celebrity chef and all round petrol head James Martin was hosting it, I knew the cars would be awesome and I wasn’t disappointed.

Random Picture- Alfa Romeo T33/6/12

The old saying goes “never bring a knife to a gun fight” well Alfa Romeo we’re hoping to take on Ferrari and Porsche with a rocket launcher. This was a secret project built in 1970 to take the GT crown. However it was a short lived story for this 6 wheeled, 5ltr, V12 monster as it was stolen from its garage at the Sebring circuit where it had been testing. The chassis was found a few weeks later but the engine went down in local folklore as being fitted to a hot rod and dominating all its races a few years later!!!!!
 

*edit 20/02/14- Trust me not to pick up on the dates, April 1^st yeah it’s a Photoshop, still cool looking though

SSZ Stradale

When a car looks like it is right, and by looking at the proportions on this racer come road car, my its so right.

Finding information on this car is fairly scarce, from what i could find out it was built in Wisconsin by a racer for racing, particularly for GT2 racing in the early 1990's. It was built as a "kit car" that was supplied complete in road going spec, powered with either the legendary Alfa Romeo V6 which would do 0-60 in under 6 seconds for $50,000, or a Nissan 300ZX derived turbo V6 in racing guise.

Alfa Romeo RZ

If the SZ wasn’t extreme enough with its bespoke body works and limited run then the drop-top version was defiantly for you back in 1992. Powered by the same 3ltr V6 engine providing 207bhp mixed with those quirky slightly squashed proportions it was version was distinctive and exclusive. With that love it or hate it styling. With only 278 being built and with so many parts specific to this individual car you can imagine there aren’t many still on the road. I will of cause write something up on the SZ, it has quiet a history, but for now just enjoy the roof chopped version.

Alfa Romeo 164 Pro Car

In the mid 80’s there was a race series designed to run alongside Formula 1. The concept was a car using F1 technology mounted in a “silhouette” body of conventional road going cars. Alfa Romeo had a V10 (Alfa’s only one it ever produced) from a failed racing car and went on to build the following Pro Car for the series. By all accounts its was faster and more powerful that the F1 cars its was designed to support. Unfortunately non of the other major manufacturers bought into the series resulting in this being the only car built for a series that never was.





More information on the Pro Car that never was-

http://www.germancarforum.com/alfa-romeo/31140-alfa-romeo-164-pro-car.html

http://jonsibal.com/blog/2008/03/p56/