33 Stradale Is "Probably" Alfa Romeo's Last Combustion Offering

Alfa Romeo has given fans of the brand reason to celebrate with the launch of its exquisite 33 Stradale, but this comes with a bitter pill to swallow: despite overwhelmingly positive responses to the supercar, Alfa Romeo has reaffirmed its commitment to going all-electric by 2027, although it did give us hope that more low-volume cars could arrive with engines and exhausts.

The new Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a low-volume supercar (just 33 will be made) offered with either a V6 engine producing 612 horsepower or an electric powertrain producing 740 hp. The car will help Alfa in its endeavors to create exciting EVs, but we suspect that buyers will encourage more gas cars, too.

Alfa says that the car was already sold out just weeks after showing some initial sketches to VIP customers at last year's Monza Formula 1 Grand Prix, which confirms that there is a strong desire for stunning Alfas.

When we heard this, we hoped that Alfa would follow the path that Lotus is taking. The British automaker has decided to create more combustion cars for enthusiasts, but with the caveat that they won't be road-legal. Alfa could do something similar, keeping the signature V6 powertrain alive. Or it could create a new company ('Tipo' sounds like a good name) to build fuoriserie (custom-built) cars in low volumes.

Such a company would be exempt from many future emissions laws, and it seems Alfa may have already considered the possibility.

When CarBuzz asked if this is the last combustion car, Alfa Romeo's Senior VP in North America, Larry Dominique, said, "The answer is, 'most likely, yes.' I can't say 100% for sure, but given the fact that we have said to everybody, starting in 2024, really with the next vehicle in Europe - that's pure BEV [...] so we would probably stick with that direction."

However, it was noted that fuoriserie cars do not really fall under the same considerations, leaving the door ever so slightly open for other combustion cars. But if these do arrive, you can bet they will be rare and expensive, like the 33 Stradale. When speaking about the 800-volt architecture, we were told, "That is the direction Alfa is going."

Perhaps we will see more old classics reimagined, one of which is rumored to be a modern take on the Sprint Zagato. Will it be a combustion car, a hybrid, or a full EV? Fingers crossed that it's the former.