The stunning 8C has...

The stunning 8C has developed a mean streak. Take a look at our exclusive images of the hardest, loudest and fastest Alfa ever ò€“ the 8C GTA, which will help mark the firmò€™s centenary in style next year.

Following in the footsteps of the 1965 Giulia Sprint GTA, itò€™s a model designed to blur the lines between a no-compromise race car and a comfort-oriented road machine. Alfa has cut no corners: the new vehicle is the most extreme to leave the factory gates.

The 8C coupéò€™s svelte lines can still be clearly seen, giving the car real grace and elegance. However, design cues such as the aggressive bonnet vents and ice-white ò€˜mouthò€™ not only make this model stand out from the pack, but give a nod to the firmò€™s illustrious racing history, too.

The body panels are carbon fibre, as is the bodykit, which comprises chunky side sills, a road-scraping chin spoilerand race-style rear diffuser. A stripped-out cabin with bucket seats and the bare minimum of kit, as well as more carbon fibre trim wherever possible, will help slash the kerbweight.

Expect the 8C GTA to tip the scales at 1,450kg ò€“ around 150kg less than the standard coupé and only 100kg heavier than its premier rival, the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. And to give it any chance of competing on level terms with its scorching counterpart, Alfa knows the 450bhp 4.7-litre V8 will need some attention as well. An ECU remap is likely, along with lower-friction components and a higher rev limit to help push power past the 500bhp barrier.

With the GTAò€™s lightweight construction and an extra dose of horsepower, acceleration should be phenomenal. A 0-60mph time in less than four seconds seems feasible, plus a top speed approaching 200mph.

The 8C has never been a car to go about its business quietly. However, a new triple-pipe arrangement apeing the setup on Ferrariò€™s 458 Italia, as well as less sound-deadening, will take the symphony to a new level.

A lower and significantly stiffer suspension set-up will help to keep the 8C flat in corners and in contact with the tarmac more of the time. Carbon ceramic brake discs will be offered as an option, for fade-free stopping even on the track.

And the newcomer could be spending more time on the circuit than you may think! The original Giulia Sprint GTA was conceived as a race car, and the 8C GTA could be the model to take the legendary Alfa badge back into competition. With the Maserati GranTurismo racing in the GT4 class and the Ferrari F430 enjoying success in GT3 and GT2, thereò€™s potentially space for Alfa to compete for honours in GT1.

Only 500 8C coupés and 500 8C spiders are planned to be built, but next to the 8C GTA they will seem commonplace!

A mere 100 examples are likely to go on sale, with a price tag in the region of Ò£200,000.