Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa by Zagato
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Alfa Romeo
1st June, 2010
Long term Alfa Romeo motor sport and road car collaborator
Zagato is celebrating its links with Alfa Romeo during the Italian car maker’s centenary year with the Alfa
Romeo TZ3, a modern interpretation of the of the classic Alfa Romeo TZ and TZ2 racing cars of the 1960s.
Alfa Romeo and Zagato started their winning ways with a long line of Mille Miglia victories in the 1500 6C
and the 1750 GS as well the 8C 2300 Zagato run the Scuderia Ferrari team, before it started making its own
cars. In 1933 an official advert for the Alfa Romeo 8C proclaimed: “The Spider that, with the Alfa Romeo,
Scuderia Ferrari and Carrozzeria Zagato trio, has brought countless victories in the homeland and abroad for
the honour of Italy.”
Such is the closeness of the relationship that Zagato Alfa Romeos of the Alfa Corse team on numerous times
carried the famous Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio Verde logo. Among the most famous moments in the association is
the victory of the Formula 1 championship by Juan Manuel Fangio, aboard his Alfa Romeo 159 bodied by Zagato,
as well as the victorious Alfa Romeo 3000 CM bodied in three versions by Zagato. During the 60s, the list of
victories by the Autodelta Giulia TZ and TZ2 by Zagato seemed never-ending. Some of the most memorable
victories included the 1964 Sebring 12 hour, the Targa Florio, Nurburgring, and the Le Mans 24 hours.
The original Zagato built Alfa Romeo TZ was developed in cooperation with Autodelta and featured a 1,570
cc twin cam engine and other mechanical components shared with the Alfa Romeo Giulia and
despite wearing
a production car chassis number it was a purpose built sports racing car, with a tubular spaceframe chassis,
light all-aluminium bodywork, disc brakes and independent suspension. The result was a light weight coupé of
only 650 kg and top speed of 216 km/h. Alfa's twin-spark cylinder head 120 kW engine, as also used in the GTA,
contributed to the speed of the TZ; the standard Giulia alloy block with wet steel liners was installed at an
angle under the bonnet of the TZ to improve airflow.
The car debuted at the 1963 FISA Monza Cup, where TZs took the first four places in the prototype category.
At the beginning of 1964 the TZ was homologated into the Gran Turismo category and it started to take many
class wins in Europe and North America.
In 1965 the car was updated with new fibreglass bodywork providing lower drag and reduced weight,
bringing it down to 620 kg. Also made by Zagato, the new design was called the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2. The TZ2
was only built as racing version with Autodelta prepared twin plug, dry sump lubrication engine producing
around 130 kW. With this engine the car reached top speed of 245 km/h.
The new car was built to a commission by German Zagato collector Martin Kapp, who owns original TZ and TZ2
cars. Like the original cars, the new car is designed to minimise weight but in line with using the latest
technology, the 1960s aluminium tubular frame of the original cars is replaced by a carbon fibre monocoque
with a carbon fibre frame. Like the original car, the drivetrain comes from the most powerful Alfa Romeo road
car, with the TZ’s four cylinder twin spark engines replaced by the 4.2 litre V8 from the Alfa Romeo 8C
Competizone.
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To honour the original car it uses the same colour of red and carries the same Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio
Verde badging.
The Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa was unveiled at the 2010 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. At the Concorso d'Eleganza at
the nearby Villa Erba, it received the Design Award for the best concept car or prototype picked by public vote.
TZ3 CORSA technical details
General
Curb Weight - 850 kg
Wheelbase - 2,500 mm
Track - Front: 1,622 mm Rear: 1,617 mm
Length - 4,345 mm
Height - 1,200 mm
Width - 1,944 mm
Seating Capacity - Driver + 'Co-driver'
Engine
Configuration - V8, dry sump
Displacement - 4,200 cc
Power - 420 bhp
Drive train
Gearbox - 6 speed sequential “tractive”
Suspension - Ohlins Push rod
Tyres
Front: 245/645 “18 – Slick 640 Rear: 285/645 “18 – Slick 650
Chassis
Layout - Front/Mid Engine - Rear Drive
Frame - Carbon fibre Monoshell + Carbon fibre arms
Body - Hand Made aluminium body
Performance
0 – 100 km/h - sub 3.5 sec
Maximum Speed - over 300 km/h
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