In 2010, Alfa Romeo celebrated its centenary by collaborating with Zagato and Dodge on the rare TZ3 Stradale.
Zagato designed the sculpted bodywork, Dodge offered up the Viper’s ACR-X platform and 8.4-liter V-10 engine, and Alfa Romeo… provided the badge.
That’s not quite fair perhaps, as it was Alfa’s 100 years of history that inspired the project—particularly the legendary Tubolare Zagato cars of the 1960s.
Alfa Romeo showed a one-off concept TZ3 Corsa at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Lake Como, where power came from a 4.2-liter dry-sumped V-8. A carbon fiber monocoque was fitted with sophisticated pushrod suspension from Ohlins, but to put it into limited production in Stradale form Alfa Romeo looked across the Atlantic to Detroit.
That meant adopting the ZB II Viper’s tubular steel frame instead, and clothing it in carbon fiber panels penned by Zagato’s Norihiko Harada. The production version was therefore considerably heavier than the original concept, tipping the scales at 3200 lbs compared to the Corsa’s 1870 lbs. To compensate, the Viper’s V-10 upped the ante from 420 hp to 600 horses. A Tremec TR6060 manual transmission sent power to the rear wheels, and disc brakes came from StopTech and Brembo. A-arm suspension with coilovers and stabilizer bars replaced the racy Corsa’s setup.
Only nine examples of the Alfa Romeo TZ3 were made, with buyers paying $1 million apiece, and 15 years it’s not looking like a meme-coin style money maker. Car number five is currently for sale at Scottsdale, Arizona’s Young Motorcars at $675,000.
It’s painted in a bright blue metallic hue, with a tan interior which, bar the Alfa badging, is identical to the Viper’s. The car has lived almost all its life in the desert state and covered just 1863 miles.
The TZ3 is undoubtedly a striking-looking machine and Zagato masked its American underpinnings well. Even the mighty motor lost its Viper branding, but ultimately the lack of a pure Italian pedigree appears to have impacted its value.
I find it more attractive than the Dodge body, with the exception of the quarter-glass area.
Most likely to try and improve visibility. But, I agree it is awkward looking,
Another beautiful car albeit it is a bit heavy. 600hp will cover that but it won’t have the lightness or I suspect handling of the protype
Wow – look at the cost per mile and/or per year to have owned that!
I’d take it. Very cool transplant with the viper powerplant.