Undisputed queen of the Alfa Romeo stand in Geneva next week will be the fascinating, new Alfa Spider which will be receiving its 'world preview' at the Swiss show. Through a complex, refined game of allusions, it recalls Alfa Romeo’s glorious tradition in this sector (from the Giulietta Spider of the 1950s to the Duetto and this model launched in the 1990s); it proposes cutting-edge solutions, inheriting the excellence of the mechanicals and engineering from the Alfa Brera, as well as its elegant, sporty styling. The public will be able to admire two versions of the Alfa Spider in Geneva: a 2.2 JTS delivering 185 bhp and a 3.2 V6 Q4 delivering 260 bhp, both in the top-of-the-range outfit that includes 7 airbags, VDC, ASR, automatic dual-zone climate control, Wind-stop, Blue Tobacco natural leather upholstery and 18” alloys.

The Spider or convertible has an important place in Alfa Romeo tradition (starting with the Giulietta Spider in the 1960s and going on to the Duetto and the Spider launched in the 1990s), because it has always embodied the ‘free emotive’ expression of the car. And the new model reiterates the same theme, a natural evolution of the convertibles created by Alfa Romeo in its long history, cars that have always produced strong emotions, guaranteeing extremely entertaining driving and combining superb styling with the performance of powerful, elastic engines. And the new Alfa Spider is no exception: it has the same ‘essential simple’ character of a true sports car, combined with the technological superiority of the ‘new Alfa breed’.

Derived from the fascinating Alfa Brera coupé, the new Spider is an elegant 2-seater with generous dimensions – 1,830 mm wide, 4,396 mm long and 1,367 mm high – and a modern, captivating front, like that of the coupé it derives from. The Alfa shield is in pride of place, set at the centre, the starting point of the lines that run along the bonnet and frame the headlights, ‘suspended’ on an air inlet.
 

This is a stylistic and functional device that Alfa Romeo reserves for its ‘absolute sports cars’, which makes the front look even wider and more imposing, because the shoulder of the wing and the front pillar are stronger and thicker. From the side, the combination of a short wheelbase, long bonnet and compact, rear-mounted cabin enhances the car’s sporty, dynamic looks. This impression of great temperament is underlined by the elongated rear lights and four exhaust terminals. But the styling of the new Spider also includes some ‘romantic’ elements, in the best Alfa Romeo tradition, such as the fold-away, light hood, and the design of the rear shoulder muscle that is borrowed directly from the famous Giulietta Spider.

Inside, the passenger compartment of the Alfa Spider is welcoming and highly sophisticated, thanks to the use of luxury materials and other outstanding features (which are standard depending on the version): from dual-zone automatic climate control to steering-wheel-mounted radio controls, VDC and Cruise control.

The car is offered in a choice of two outfits, and the customer can also choose between two JTS petrol engines (2.2 delivering 185 bhp and 3.2 delivering 260 bhp), combined with two gearboxes (mechanical 6-speed units on both engines, and automatic for the 260 bhp 3.2 which will be available after the launch). The new car guarantees the temperament of an Alfa and excellent dynamic performance thanks to high double wishbone suspension at the front and a Multilink system at the rear. The Alfa Spider combines superb comfort with a sporty trim and an evolved ‘Alfa Q4’ four-wheel drive system (on the 260 bhp 3.2 version). And in the safety field, the new Alfa Romeo Spider is fitted with the most sophisticated electronic devices to control the car’s dynamic behaviour, from braking to traction.