Within seconds of launching the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider out of pit lane at the company’s Balocco test track near Milan, in northern Italy, I’m grinning like an idiot. And I’m not even driving.

The first reason is the noise: a manic blare and bark from the 4.7-liter V-8. The sheer volume and ferocity of the sound beats even a Ferrari Scuderia’s or a Lamborghini LP560-4’s and makes one wonder how the 8C gets through tough European pass-by noise regulations.

The second is that Domenico Bagnasco, the car’s chief engineer, pitches the 8C Spider sideways into the first corner he approaches. He holds the car in a long, lurid slide, the rear tires wreathed in smoke. By the third corner, I’m convinced he’s totally expletive-deleted insane.

When Bagnasco hands over this $301,600 roadster to me, it takes all of two corners to see that this is one beautifully balanced car, with delightful, talkative steering. For a few bucks more than 300 large, the 8C Spider had better be special, but I’d rather have one of these than a Bugatti Veyron. The 8C Spider is not as fast, but it has soul. The Veyron, by comparison, lacks tactility and passion. Read more »

Unsurprisingly, of the twelve vehicles whose crash test results were released today by Euro NCAP, eight of them were awarded with a maximum of five stars. Euro NCAP’s top scorers for adult occupant protection in this release were the Alfa Romeo Mito, Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 308CC, Volkswagen Golf VI, Renault Megane, Honda Accord, Opel Insignia and the Volvo XC60. Oddly enough, and even though the new Ford Ka shares the same platform and mechanics with the Fiat 500 which has obtained a five-star rating, Ford’s mini was awarded with four stars.

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The countdown has began for the announcement of the European ‘Car of the Year 2009′ winner as the organizers released the shortlist with the seven finalists. The cars that made it to the final round of the 2009 COTY are: Alfa Romeo MiTo, Citroen C5, Ford Fiesta, Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Renault Megane, Skoda Superb and Volkswagen Golf VI. The COTY jury, which is made up of 59 senior motoring journalists from 23 countries around Europe will reveal the winner on November 19.

The COTY’s organizing committee also released a statement in concern of recent news stories that gave the result of a ‘European Car of the Year’. According to the committee, this contest was a national one staged by the Italian Motor Journalists Association and had no connection whatsoever with the ‘Car of the Year’.

COTY PREVIOUS WINNERS

• 2008 — FIAT 500
• 2007– FORD S-MAX
• 2006 — RENAULT CLIO
• 2005 — TOYOTA PRIUS
• 2004 — FIAT PANDA
• 2003 — RENAULT MÉGANE
• 2002 — PEUGEOT 307
• 2001 — ALFA ROMEO 147
• 2000 — TOYOTA YARIS
• 1999 — FORD FOCUS
• 1998 — ALFA ROMEO 156
• 1997 — RENAULT MÉGANE SCENIC
• 1996 — FIAT BRAVO / BRAVA
• 1995 — FIAT PUNTO

The French motor show will see the world debut of the sporty TI version of the Alfa Brera that is due to go on sale in autumn 2008. TI, which stands for Turismo Internazionale, is an acronym used by Alfa on its series models to denote high-end specification trim packages that include mechanical and styling changes. The Brera TI will initially be available with two gasoline engines, the 185HP 2.2-liter JTS and the 260HP 3.2-liter V6. The latter is paired with Alfa’s Q4 permanent four-wheel-drive system.

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Alfa targets mini with 2009 Mito hatchback

SPECS
ON SALE: Now, in Europe
BASE PRICE: $22,000 (est)
DRIVETRAIN: 1.4-liter, 155-hp, 170-lb-ft turbocharged I4; FWD, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 2,524 lb
0-60 MPH: 8.0 sec (mfr)
FUEL ECONOMY (EPA): 36 mpg (est)

The best, Alfa Romeo boss Luca De Meo insists, is yet to come. Those are strong words when you consider the great interior design, swooping body and ultrasecure handling package of the new MiTo, but there is truth in what he says. The big technology is still cooking in Torino, and by the time the MiTo arrives in 2010, it will have both a revolutionary camless engine and a direct-shift gearbox.

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