Quick information

🏎️ Alfa Romeo RZ
📍 Italy
🛠️ V6 3.0 245NM 210HP
💨 7,8 seconds
🔝 230km/h
💶 No longer on sale

What is it?

Commonly known as the “RZ”, the Zagato Roadster is one of the rarest road Alfa Romeos ever produced. It was born from a collaboration between the “Biscione” brand and Zagato, an Italian company specialized in the production of car bodies. The RZ was produced between 1992 and 1993 in 278 units, which, despite the limited number, Alfa Romeo struggled to sell as the car had not aroused the interest of the public. It shares much of the design and mechanics with its Coupe variant, the SZ (Sprint Zagato), which was previously produced between 1989 and 1991.

Design

The RZ has a particular design, impossible to miss. The shape, as well as the headlights and the grille, takes on sharp lines that join in a particularly high tail. The only color combinations available are red body and white interior, black body and burgundy interior, or yellow body and black interior. Upon request, three examples were also produced with a metallic silver body and burgundy interior. With dimensions of just 4,06 x 1,73 meters, the RZ is of one of the smallest sports cars produced at the time, a bit like the BMW Z1 (3.92 meters in length).

Interior

Inside, all the controls are slightly cracked towards the driver, who enjoys, as well as the passenger, a comfortable seat and embroidered leather finishes that run throughout the dashboard. In addition to the speedometer and tachometer, the dials indicate the oil pressure gauge, ammeter, water thermometer and fuel gauge.

Mechanics

Compared to the Coupe SZ, the Zagato Roadster is 132kg heavier, measuring 1250kg overall. The only engine developed for this car is a 210HP and 245NM V6 3.0 with electronic injection combined with a 5-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel-drive. The soft top mechanism was inherited from the 1995 Alfa Romeo Spider.

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