One of the hottest launches at Geneva today focused on the new Alfa Romeo Spider, the H-segment two-seater soft-top version of the award-winning Brera 2+2 coupé. Today the Spider name returned in style to grace a car that is ever bit as stunning and captivating as the Brera, and judging by the huge crowds who clustered round the car all day, it will be taken to the hearts of style and sporting conscious car buyers, just as it evocative predecessors were.

Alfa Romeo's CEO Antonio Baravalle introduced the Spider and the 159 Sportwagon to the media during a packed midday press conference today which saw two huge round screens raised to reveal the new models. Two Spiders are present on the Alfa Romeo stand, one red and one white, while further examples feature at the show, positioned on Pininfarina's display.

Designed and built by Pininfarina in Turin, the new Spider is a sophisticated touring car continuing Alfa Romeo’s glorious tradition in this market. Its Pininfarina-penned bloodline includes famous models such as the Giulietta Spider and Duetto, as well as the previous Spider model which went out of production last year. Together with this pedigree, the new Spider model incorporates the latest styling, along with the cutting edge technology and engineering expected from the Alfa Romeo brand. The size of the new Spider is generous. Measuring 1,830 mm wide, 4,396 mm long, 1,367 mm high and a wheelbase of 2,525 mm, it aims directly at the Audi TT, Mercedes-Benz SLK and BMW Z4 Roadster. The car’s boot volume of 240 litres measures the same as that of the Brera, even with the soft-top retracted and the presence of two generous roll hoops.

The exterior is almost identical to that of its sister Brera, however a shorter rear overhang reduces the overall length by 17 mm. The general characteristics of the Spider focus on the highly emotional exterior design with quad exhaust pipes at the rear and incorporated boot spoiler, alloy wheels offered as standard throughout the range, a dashboard designed ergonomically around the driver, bi-xenon headlights, sports seats, sporty road holding and a sporty interior finish using genuine aluminium inlays.

Initially, the Spider will be available in two versions offering either the 185 bhp 2.2 JTS engine, or the powerful 260 bhp V6 3.2 JTS. The latter is implemented together with a Q4 4x4 transmission and a higher specification level. A more potent GTA version could follow suite in October 2007, possibly featuring a Maserati-derived V8 engine and 6-speed Selespeed transmission.
 

Each of the current Spider models will come with manual 6-speed gearboxes, with an automatic option - including steering-wheel mounted controls - becoming available for the V6 in March 2007.

The equipment-level offered on the Spider is generous, with the base-model 2.2 JTS already offering 16” inch alloy wheels (on 225/55 R16 tyres), air-conditioning, a start / stop button, electric mirrors, VDC, board computer, radio-CD, knee-bags for both the driver and passenger, and rear parking sensors as standard.

As with the Brera, the Spider’s highly rated Premium platform ensures outstanding dynamic performance due to high double wishbone suspension at the front, and Multilink at the rear. The ride is not only nimble (on the V6, ensured by the Q4 system), but is also comfortable. The sister Alfa 159, from which the Spider is derived, was recently awarded with 5 prestigious Euro NCAP stars, which underlines the attention Alfa Romeo pays towards engineering and safety. This is backed up by state-of-the-art electronic vehicle dynamic control devices offered on the Spider range.

The Spider represents Alfa Romeo’s most emotional model in its new range, and will great aid in the brand’s return to the USA which is currently scheduled for around the second half of 2007.