In 2023, Alfa Romeo announced that it planned to launch a modern interpretation of its classic 33 Stradale. While deliveries of that new model didn’t start until the end of 2024, Alfa wasn’t the only one working on a modern-day Stradale. A company called PPW has also introduced a new version of the car. But this one has a naturally aspirated Italian V8, hand-formed aluminum body, and none of the driver aids or assists that are mandatory in 2025. Heck, it doesn’t even have power brakes.
Alfa’s 1967 33 Stradale was a road-going version of the Tipo 33 sports racing car. Which means it wasn’t far removed from the actual racing car, because it was 1967 and you didn’t have to worry about most of the pesky requirements these days like emissions, bumpers, or crumple zones.
A Design Icon Reborn
The car is admired more for its stunning bodywork than it is for its performance. Which shouldn’t be a surprise for a car that came with a V8, but one that only displaced 2.0 liters. Alfa’s modern version has a similar shape but is completely new. It is powered by a 3.0-liter V6, uses a dual-clutch transmission, and has carbon fiber galore.
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Alfa Romeo has tested the 33 Stradale, including the top speed, at the Nardo Ring. It’s also shown some of the luscious leather available.
PPW’s is also all-new. But instead of a 2.0-liter V8 or a twin-turbo V6, it comes with a 4.2-liter, 376-horsepower V8 taken from Maserati, via Ferrari. This is the engine you would have found in a 2013 Quattroporte GTS or the Ferrari F430 (well, a version of it). It’s Ferrari’s last naturally aspirated V8. The engine sits behind the driver, and it is matched with a six-speed manual transmission. Like we said, there’s as little assist here as possible, with no traction control, no power steering, and no power brakes.
Speaking of brakes, they’re meaty calipers and rotors from Wilwood. The car weighs barely over 2,200 pounds, though, so it shouldn’t need too much in the way of stopping power. The suspension is custom to the car, built by UK custom shock fabricator Gazzmatic International.
Handcrafted Body On Brand New Chassis
The PPW R33 has a body that mimics the original, but it’s made from scratch. There’s no carbon fiber though – this is made of handcrafted aluminum body panels with modern construction techniques. PPW will tailor the car to your specifications, too, which we assume means you can get a bit more room or some slight cosmetic tweaks, should you so desire.
PPW can make those changes because it builds its own chassis. The steel chassis shares the dimensions of the original Alfa but uses modern steel and other developments that no-doubt make it a bit better than the original.
Pistonheads said that the car was originally meant to be a one-off. Owner David Hutchinson had it made, and the process took five years to complete. But something this good needs to be shared, so PPW will build more. But not that many more. In keeping with the 33 name, the company plans to build 33 copies of the car. That’s the same number Alfa is building of its Vatteri Bottas-approved modern one, and significantly more than the 11 it built back in the day.
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The price to commission one of these cars is quite a bit less than we had expected and massively cheaper than a carbon Alfa. It starts from £540,000 ($724,000), well under the $1.8 million Alfa is asking for a 33 Stradale. Practically a bargain, that.
Source: Pistonheads
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