Alfa Romeo green lights Dodge Viper-based TZ3 Zagato?

With the exception of the 8C, Alfa Romeo’s lineup over the last decade or so has hardly focused on high-end performance cars, but that could change soon if new reports out of Europe are to be believed.
A one-off shooting brake designed by design firm Zagato at the request of a wealthy German owner could make production – but not over the Italian running gear one might expect. Instead, according to AutoBild, a production version of the TZ3 might actually use the running gear and platform from the recently-discontinued Dodge Viper, including its 600 horsepower, 8.4-liter V10 engine.
It might sound like blasphemy, but Dodge is hard at work on a next-generation Viper, which is being co-engineered by teams from within Fiat’s portfolio – Maserati, Alfa Romeo and, of course, Ferrari. For Chrysler part-owner Fiat to green light a platform, CEO Sergio Marchionne wants to see global appeal under at least one other marque.
The original TZ3 debuted last year at the Villa d’Este Concours, where it was presented as a descendant of the racing-oriented TZ and TZ2 models from the 1960s.
The TZ3 Stradale, as German media reports it could be called, will be larger and heavier – by as much as 1,200 lbs. – than the current Viper. Reports also suggest that it might forgo the Alfa Romeo badge for a Zagato logo.
According to AutoBild, the TZ3 Stradale will debut in production-ready form later this year at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance before entering very limited production in 2012.