Carlo Chiti Stradale 90: an Alfa Romeo V8 hybrid engine and Maserati MC12 looks!

Monte-Carlo Automobiles is a Monegasque brand founded by the Italian Fulvio Ballabio in the early 80s, and which made a name for itself in 1990 with the " Centenary "with carbon monocoque. A few years later, the small, confidential manufacturer is back with another atypical model. In the family of rare and atypical supercars, the Carlo Chiti Stradale 90 just sits there. It is the result of a number of developments.

First, a four-fuel, four-tank concept!

The result of a partnership with the FIA and the Automobile Club of Italy to develop non-fossil fuels, Monte Carlo Automobiles presented the "ALA 50" concept in 2008, named after Prince Albert's 50th birthday ("ALA 50"). ALbert Aniversary 50" ). Made entirely of carbon fiber, with Group C-inspired aerodynamics, the car is powered by an Alfa Romeo-derived 650 hp V8 engine, which features QuadriFlex fuel injection, i.e. powered either by LPG, methane, ethanol or traditional gasoline.

It is equipped with a fueling system for four different types of fuel (hydromethane, LPG, bioethanol and petrol) and contains four tanks, allowing fuel type selection directly from the cockpit. The fuel systems, although designed for racing, are identical to those of production cars intended for everyday use.

Then, a racing Alfa Romeo with a Maserati look

In 2010, this concept gave rise to a concrete racing car, the "Quadrifuel", but with less radical lines and a 300hp 3.0L Busso Alfa Romeo V6 under the hood, also adapted to alternative fuels. The car has a false air of the Maserati MC12, but there are many references to Alfa Romeo, including "powered by Alfa Romeo", the small Alfa Romeo Scudetto on the front spoiler and, on the side, the Quadrifoglio logo on a white triangular background.

Then, on the occasion of Autodelta's 50th anniversary, in 2013, Montecarlo Automobile presents a new evolution called Carlo Chiti MonzaCodeLunga GT. A key figure at Ferrari, where he introduced the rear engine on the 156F1, Carlo Chiti founded ATS after his clash with the Commendatore and then Autodelta (which became Alfa Romeo's racing department). With the Biscione, Carlo Chiti was responsible for the development of the Giulia GTA, the various versions of the Alfa 33 and Alfa Romeo's return to F1 in the late 70s. Chiti was also a key player in the founding of Monte Carlo Automobile and worked on the Centenaire's engine design.

Finally, the road version for Carlo Chiti's 90th birthday.

This "Codalunga" finally gave birth to the Carlo Chiti Stradale 90 "road" variant, unveiled in 2014 at a historic car show in Pistoia, to mark the 90th anniversary of the birth of the famous engineer Carlo Chiti. The V6 3.0L Busso is replaced by an Alfa Romeo 8C engine (derived from the Maserati Granturismo, itself derived from Ferrari), coupled to an electric motor on the front axle developed by BAR Engineering. The carbon-fiber body is manufactured by Bellasi, an Italian composites pioneer who even created his own Formula 1 in the early 70s.

Inside, you'll find a carbon interior, Sparco seats, sequential gearbox and elegant Plexiglas windows. The design is similar to that of the ALA50 and CodaLunga, with its highly aerodynamic profile (already seen on the centenarian) and pseudo MC12 raised front end. On the other hand, while the QV logo is still visible on the fenders, the little Scudetto has disappeared from the front air intake. Inside, it's still very spartan. It's closer to a race car cockpit than a luxurious GT. The high, large gearshift lever is reminiscent of a race car, and the carbon-fibre trim of the cockpit and dashboard is quite crude. The Carlo Chiti lettering and the big Alfa Romeo logo at the top of the console are particularly striking!

The production plan was for a limited series of 20 units at around 150,000 euros each, in GT and Spyder versions. While this car shone at the 2015 Top Marques Monaco show, it's unlikely that many examples were made, as with the brand's previous creations.