AlfaRomeo8c

The caviar and concours-loving world was rocked this past Saturday night when Zagato dropped its Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa bomb. Seriously y'all, this sucker's so stunning that we don't even mind the childish graphics. In fact, our only gripe is that we weren't in attendance at the this weekend's 2010 Villa D'Este Concours so we could check out the tube-framed, almost Kamm-tailed TZ3 ourselves. Meaning we have no real gripes to speak of.

After about three hours at Meadow Brook, team Autoblog was ready to head out and get writing. The only thing that had us scratching our heads was the lack of modern supercars out on the lawn. On our way out the door, though, one of the gentlemen working the show asked us if we'd seen the exotics, which were hidden at the side of Meadow Brook Hall. Thank you sir.

Turns out the Alfa Romeo 8C - or the U.S. verson of it, at least - isn't perfect after all. Due to an incorrect torque setting on the front and rear suspension upper and lower ball joint nuts, Maserati is recalling 7,912 vehicles in the U.S. They include the 8Cs that have made it over here (thought to number 88), as well as GranTurismos and Quattroportes from the 2008 model year.

If unchecked, the ball joint nuts will come loose, and that will cause problems ranging from steering wheel vibration to separation of the steering arm. That, unsurprisingly, "could result in a loss of steering capability," which usually leads to a crash. The recall should begin next month, and you can get in touch with Maserati to find out more at 1-201-816-2600.

Click above for hi-res gallery of the Alfa 8C Spider

Click for hi-res gallery of the Alfa 8C Competizione

It'd be hard to ask for more than what the spectacular Alfa 8C Competizione already offers, but Alfa Romeo intends to do just that. So after announcing the initial run of 500 coupes, Alfa will begin production of 500 roadsters. But in case that weren't enough, reports have been circulating of two new 8Cs to follow. On the one hand we have the 8C's successor, which Alfa's PR people hope will be based on the Ferrari California. On the other we have the more focused GTA version of the current coupe.

Click for hi-res gallery of the Alfa 8C Competizione

When Alfa Romeo announced it was actually building the 8C Competizione, we had but to applaud. The automaker slashed its own marketing budget to finance the car's manufacturing, justifying that the halo supercar would do more for the brand's image than any television ad ever could. (Then they did it again with the Spider version.) Right they were, and we wish more automakers would think that way. The latest reports indicate that Alfa Romeo is following its own example, so while CEO Luca de Meo campaigns within the Fiat hierarchy for an even more hard-core version to wear the vaunted GTA badge, some of his subordinates are thinking a step ahead towards the 8C's successor.

Click to view the Alfa 8C Spider in hi-res

Alfa Romeo has graced us once again, this time with a set of new images showing the achingly gorgeous 8C Spider unveiled in Geneva last month. The sumptuous roadster is out on the street doin' its thang (yeah, we just used the word "thang") and only feeds our fantasies of speeding along some glass-smooth tarmac under a bright blue sky with the top down. Well a boy can dream, can't he? Click on the thumbnails below and you can drift off too, in one way or another.