Alfa Romeo's continuous pursuit of German competition saw a strong commitment from the new Alfa Corse department. Parallel to the 158, a 3-liter single-seater was studied to be competitive in the higher class. The engine consisted of two 2958cc 8-cylinder monoblocks, with a total of 440 horsepower at 7500 rpm. The chassis and body were derived from the Type 12C of 1937. The debut was scheduled for the Tripoli GP in 1938, where the car, having recorded the fastest lap in practice, was not used in the race. The debut was then postponed to the Italian GP in September, where Nino Farina took 2nd place and Clemente Biondetti 4th. The car was further developed for 1939 but the outbreak of the war interrupted its career. The built examples of the GP Type 316 were 3.