Alfa 164 PROCAR - Wildest sedan in history?
This is what happens when you take a Formula 1 chassis and engine, and place a nearly stock-looking body right over it. The result? I'd say you can't get more "sleeper" than this monster!
In the back was a 3.5L V-10, producing 620hp in a car weighing less than 1,700 pounds. The fact that this car could achieve 211 mph with essentially a stock body shape (made in carbon fiber, of course!) is a real testament to the aerodynamic work Pininfarina did on the production 164.
The underlying idea was to gain more marketing exposure for Alfa, to ensure a greater ROI on their F1 engine program, while fully utilizing all of the Brabham F1 facilities they also owned to construct the cars for a one-make series that would support Grand Prix racing events. Previously in 1979-80, BMW had been the single-make for the PROCAR series with the M1.
Sadly even the consumate wheeler-dealer Bernie Ecclestone -who was boss at Brabham at the time- couldn't sell the idea all the way up to the top Alfa brass and this unusual project was shelved.
Watch it in action! Additional video is HERE. I couldn't embed it, unfortunately.
Reader Comments (3)
HAHAHA...that video cracks me the fuck up!! what an insane piece of machinery.
You know they had this Procar at the Chicago Auto Show back in 1992. Did you see it? It looks just like my old red 164L.
Tom Tanner/Ferrari Expo 2012-Chicago March 2012
try embedding the following?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQigN057dMw