Two months ago, we presented the world's only Alfa Romeo 4C "speedstera truly modern barchetta inspired by the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2, now comes another four-wheeled dream: the Alfa Romeo USD Barchetta. But unlike the 4C Speedster, which actually exists, this concept by Ugur Sahin Design will unfortunately never see the light of day.
Tribute to the Barchetta of yesteryear
Presented in May 2020 by Dutch design studio Ugur Sahin Design, the USD Barchetta takes up the spirit of the great Alfa Romeo barchettas of the past.
Its name, which literally means "little boat" in Italian, refers to a very specific type of sports car: two seats, open roof, clean lines and a racing spirit. Here, inspiration comes from the 1981 Alfa Romeo TZ1 Spider and Giulietta Barchetta, revisited with a futuristic treatment.
The roofless USD Barchetta features two separate cockpits, a nod to the Lamborghini Concept S of 2006. At the front, a slim grille topped by a V-shaped hood, tapering LED headlights and wide vertical air intakes.
At the rear, a carbon-fiber diffuser incorporates an F1-inspired third brake light, a full-width LED light and a spectacular exhaust with four stacked tailpipes. The wheels proudly bear the Alfa Romeo logo and the brake calipers the Ugur Sahin Design logo.
Ugur Sahin never announced an engine, but speculation was rife. Some imagined the 540 hp 2.9 twin-turbo V6 of the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Others dreamed of the 700hp-plus hybrid powertrain planned for the now-defunct 8C project, which would have made this Barchetta a missile on wheels.
A project that will remain virtual
Like many concepts created by independent studios, USD Barchetta did not receive an official commission fromAlfa Romeo. Five years after its launch, it remains a styling exercise, at a time when the brand is concentrating its efforts on SUVs and electrified models.
For Ugur Sahin, Alfa Romeo has one of the richest aesthetic heritages in the automobile. With the USD Barchetta, he hoped to revive the sensual, organic shapes that have made the brand famous. But barring an improbable twist of fate, this masterpiece will remain confined to computer-generated images... to the delight of the eye.
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Nice, but you have to leave these eccentricities to Ferrari and other supercar and hypercar manufacturers! This will remain yet another concept developed and shelved by a zealous tuner!😁
I hope that all current efforts will be directed towards product definition, so that we can forget the Tavarès years...
It's with 8Cs and other such "eccentricities" - most recently the 33 Stradale - that Alfa Romeo can claim to be more than just a generalist manufacturer, connect with its past and combat the predicted Chinese flood. Of course, the fundamentals still have to be respected, starting with production in Italy.