The gorgeous new Alfa 8C Competizione made its Italian public debut on the occasion of the 31st Bologna Motor Show on Tuesday, the show-stopping sports car at the centre of attention as CEO Antonio Baravalle introduced the brand. Unveiled at the Paris Mondial de l'Automobile just over two months ago, the production Alfa 8C Competizione is a source of personal pride to the enthusiastic Baravalle who reportedly found the cash to finally turn it from being just a concept dream and bring it to the market, from cost-savings squeezed out elsewhere.

Since Paris the Alfa 8C Competizione has embarked on a whirlwind tour of national motor shows, being unveiled in locations as diverse as in Istanbul and Sydney. Once again this week the glass 'box' arrangement used at the French show is in evidence, emphasising the sports car's exclusive and precious nature. With its full production run, assembly is scheduled to take place at the Maserati factory in Modena, having been sold out swiftly after the order book opened in Paris, rumours now suggest that a 500-unit build of the equally-stunning 8C Spider derivative could well be on the cards for 2008. In fact Baravalle said in his speech that more than 1,000 orders had been taken for the 8C Competizione, as well as announcing a race track future beckoned for the car. Dallara are expected to be the development force behind its racing future which will see a racing version competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours, Daytona 24 Hours and Nürburgring 24 Hours.

While the 8C Competizione is the undoubted the top attraction on a spacious stand which makes full use of traditional Alfa red, the rest of the "new breed" model range, all based on the Premium platform, easily catch the eye: the Alfa 159, 159 Sportwagon, Brera and Spider are all presented across the stand, including with automatic and 'Q-tronic' transmission options.
 

A very busy year for Alfa Romeo in their strategically-important home market, with their sales nicely up year-on-year, is being driven by growing market demand for this quartet of models.

The revised versions of the Alfa 147 and GT Coupé in "Q2" format are also making their Italian debuts. Also shown in Paris for the first time in September, they became available for ordering a couple of weeks ago, and despite their limited visual makeovers the two cars revitalise their respective model ranges. Both the 147 Q2 and the GT Q2, fitted with the 'Collezione' and 'Blackline' trim packs here, are being presented in several attention grabbing colours, and with the subtle use of new external chrome trims that identify the 2007-specification models. On the 147 the new chrome grille 'whiskers' serve to recapture the style of the original 147 model, a distinctiveness that was somewhat lost when the facelift version arrived two years ago. The new changes carefully address this issue.

Under the skin both the new 147 and GT get the brand new "Q2" self-locking differential system, designed for the front wheel drive JTD powered cars. "It enhances all the strong points of front wheel drive in terms of active safety, increasing the entertainment and sense of control," say Alfa Romeo, adding: "The innovative system guarantees advantages that are typical of a front-wheel drive, but with a decidedly lower weight and cost."

by Edd Ellison in Bologna