Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale Design 'Fixed' By Legendary McLaren And Ferrari Designer

Frank Stephenson has just released a new YouTube video where he takes the time to dissect what he likes and dislikes about the recently unveiled Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The model has easily been one of the most anticipated of the year, and when you're creating a successor to something as iconic as the original 33, everyone has an opinion. Fortunately, Stephenson doesn't just speak his mind but has actually spent time redesigning parts of the vehicle that may have missed the mark.

If you haven't seen his design videos before, we highly recommend you do, as not many others take the time to so eloquently break down the design language of new vehicles like he did with the Lamborghini Lanzador prototype. Some may find his critiques harsh, but when you've designed gorgeous vehicles like the Maserati MC12 and McLaren P1, you've earned that right.

He first explains that the original 33 influenced his own design language for decades, starting with a model of the car he's had since childhood. "Personally, it shares the top spot on my list of all-time favorite car designs," he explains, which is why he is so thrilled this redesign lives up to many of his expectations. He applauded the courage it must have taken to undertake such a project and congratulated them on designing a vehicle that feels like a natural evolution of the original.

Starting with the front, one of the first things that grabs your attention are the headlights that so perfectly mimic the look of the iconic originals by incorporating a vent and new LEDs into the familiar shape. The small, silver grille is then a perfectly proportioned and situated homage, too, but could have perhaps been even simpler.

What he loves about the original design is the simplicity of the lines as they flow across the body. To him, this one incorporates too many angular features and lacks some subtle finishes that would have taken it up a notch.

Down the side, it's a similar story. The silhouette is nearly spot on, in his opinion, but some small design details, specifically the vent towards the rear, have become overcomplicated. We agree with his opinion that the A-pillar should be thinner and that the window line should have a dip like the original, but our favorite addition of his would have to be the angled wheel wells.

His best critique targets the lower parts of the car, specifically the front splitter, side skirts, and rear diffuser. It seems his main frustration with the car, and with much of the design language in the automotive industry, is when functional lower parts of vehicles clash with the overall beauty of the rest of the design.

"The contrast of these two design languages really disturbs me," he says. "There's no reason why technically engineered features can't have the beauty and the refinement of a designer's touch. In a car this expensive and this limited, that is the successor of such an acclaimed masterpiece of automotive design history, there can be no design compromises."

Finally, he appears to like the rear of the car the best of all, looking at most of it as a design home run but wishing it could have been angled down a tad more like its forefather. His redesign incorporates many elements a bit better, especially the rear reflectors and license plate location, to give us something cohesive and very attractive.

Overall, it's incredible to see someone of this caliber try their hand at redesigning your vehicle. He certainly seems to admire the work the engineers and designers put into the vehicle, and it would be interesting to see some of his suggestions implemented.