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 »

With Acura’s upcoming 2010 ZDX crossover-coupe-whatever setting the tone for the brand in terms of refinement and technology, its once-techno-trendsetting MDX sibling is looking a bit long in the tooth. Indeed, the second-gen MDX—which placed first out of eight in our last shootout of $50,000 SUVs—has sat relatively unchanged since its 2007 debut, and this fact combined with a number of newly engineered goodies also used in the ZDX makes this year the perfect time for an update.

Six Gears and a Better Ride

Perhaps the most notable upgrade is Acura’s first-ever six-speed automatic transmission in place of the previous five-speed. The transmission will proliferate through the company’s V-6 models, with the ZDX, in which the gearbox was first shown, being the next Acura to market so equipped. The company says the new gearbox also will work with four-cylinder vehicles such as the RDX and base TSX. Unfortunately, many other luxury carmakers already are moving on to seven- and eight-speed units, and the six-speed doesn’t improve fuel economy much in the MDX, which is now estimated at a still-thirsty 16/21 mpg city/highway versus 15/20 in 2009. The transmission shifts quickly and smoothly, and its ability to perform multiple-gear downshifts nicely augments the Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive system during sporty driving. The gearbox’s standard and Sport modes are selected via the console-mounted shifter, and all trim levels get steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters as standard. Read more »

The Soul is a five-door hatch about a half-foot shorter than a Scion xB, one of the youth-market vehicles that likely inspired Kia to enter this little niche (the Honda Element is another, ditto the Nissan Cube; the all-new version of the latter will arrive here next spring as a 2009 model). The Soul began life as a very cool concept car in 2006, but the powerful, big-haunch look and a lot of the trick, appealing aspects have been finessed out in the obligatory production compromise.

Looks are the whole ballgame here, because beneath the radically angled window line and the buff fender bulges and the seat fabric that glows in the dark with the word “soul” is basically a good-sized but unspectacular economy box.

Two Hearts for the Soul

The five-place “urban crossover vehicle” goes on sale here in March. Two engines will be offered: a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine making 122 horsepower and 115 lb-ft of torque, and a 2.0-liter four putting out 142 horses and 137 lb-ft. The smaller engine comes only with a five-speed manual gearbox, while the larger has an optional four-speed automatic. A four-wheel-drive option would have been cool, but no go: it’s front-drive only. Read more »

This is Mazda’s new 2009 MX-5 – and in a world exclusive, CAR has driven the facelifted MX-5 seven months ahead of its UK debut to bring you the first road test of what is still the world’s most popular sports car. The news is all good…

The facelifted Mazda MX-5 looks pretty much the same. What’s new?

Visually, the roadster’s petite styling has been given a small but useful dose of aggression by that new five-point lower air intake, which aligns the MX-5 with Mazda’s recent 2, 6 and current RX-8. Those rakish front foglamp housings and new bumper also beef up the new MX-5’s visage, as do the more prominent side-skirts.

At the rear there’s a new bumper and more prominent taillights. The individual changes may be minor but collectively they effectively update Moray Callum’s original design with an added dash of brio.

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Is Maranello’s latest really an everyday Ferrari?

Are you ready for a Ferrari to drive to the office, the mall, the beach, the slopes—anywhere, everywhere? That’s the concept behind this revival of a name from Ferrari’s storied past—a fast GT that supplies style, brand panache, plenty of performance, and, thanks to its folding hardtop and “2-plus” interior layout, an unusually high level of all-around usefulness.

At the core of this concept is the hope that the California will attract buyers new to the brand, a notion that raises our eyebrows a degree or two since (a) the waiting list for a new Ferrari averages about 16 months, (b) U.S. Ferrari dealers have habitually given precedence to previous owners, (c) this car has no cup holders, and (d) its pricing will start at “about $200,000” in this country, according to the carmaker.

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