Maybe you’ve heard about my love for the Dodge Viper. Just whispers and murmurs, perhaps. Every single generation yielded objectively perfect cars. But the 2010 Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale Zagato? Not so sure I love it!
On paper, when I read about the Dodge Viper with an Alfa Romeo body designed by the famed Zagato, it should have been a no-brainer. I love all three of those things separately. But putting them together is a bit like combining three of my favorite foods. You wouldn’t want a spaghetti-ice-cream-stinky-tofu combo platter, would you?
Anyway, the car came out ten years ago in 2010. The one in the photos is the sixth of nine total examples, Autoblog notes, and it’ll be up for auction soon with RM Sotheby’s.
Mechanically, the thing is a 2010 Dodge Viper ACR, completely with the six-speed manual and 8.4-liter V10 engine with 600 horsepower. Upon closer examination, you can see Viper door handles, Viper gauge fonts and Viper audio equipment.
You can also sort of see the Viper’s profile in the TZ3 Stradale Zagato—the long hood, the short tail, the side-exit exhausts. But then there’s the Alfa nose, notable Zagato double-bubble roof and Breadvan-ish shape to the tail.
I find normal Vipers already so nice to look at. I don’t know why anyone would change it up, Alfa Romeo face or not. I can’t find any coherence in it. There’s so much going on! So many shapes, lines and blacked-out areas. Whoever drew it should have put the pen down way earlier.
The car certainly looks better from the rear than the front, I’ll give it that much. The visual fussiness ends with the face, thankfully. And the interior certainly looks improved. Those chrome wheels need to go, though.
The car will be part of RM Sotheby’s Elkhart collection with the auction happening May 1 and 2. It’s being offered without reserve. There’s no doubt in my mind it’ll sell for a lot of money. Maybe it’s beautiful to someone else.
