The 500 Abarth Asetto Corse isn't the only limited-edition Fiat Group vehicle that'll be available for order at this year's Mille Miglia. Alfa Romeo will also be taking orders for the 11 Spider Mille Miglia editions it's building to commemorate the 11 times it's won the race. Setting the cars apart from standard editions are Rosso 8C paint, Quadrifoglio shields on the fenders and a red-accented black interior. Translation: it's a super-exclusive paint-and-badging special.
Alfa Romeo Spider Mille MigliaEach car is, of course, individually numbered, and their unique ID plates note a different Alfa Romeo Mille Miglia victory. We can totally envision some eccentric collector ultimately securing all eleven rides one day just to have the complete set. Power comes from the automaker's 3.2L V6 producing 260 horses. Price? We don't know, but we'll bet that it more than covers the costs of the model-specific paint and a few extra badges.
Alfa Romeo undoubtedly offers some of the most beautiful cars available. While we're anxiously awaiting the storied Italian brand's return to the U.S. market, those in Europe get some added reason to place the aging Spider on their shopping lists. The new Limited Edition model comes equipped with heated seats swathed in Italian Frau® leather upholstery and Alfa's Blue&Me™ (no, we're not making these names up) voice recognition hands-free system. Available in four color combo's and equipped with pretty 19-inch alloys, nobody is likely to kick the LE out of their garages. No power increase is present, but considering that at £25,500, all of this added goodness comes at no extra cost, we don't expect to hear too much complaining. Besides, this car is really meant to be seen in, so the zip-to-sixty sprint of just under nine seconds is likely good enough anyway.
We here at Autoblog would like to thank Alfa Romeo for releasing updated versions of the Brera and Spider models. Not because we're that excited about the minimal updates themselves, but because it gave us another excuse to stop by the Alfa booth and gawk at this pair of stunning two-doors, whose beauty in the Alfa Romeo range is rivaled only by the luscious 8C, the roadster version of which Alfa also unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
As we brought you back in late February, the updates to the Brera and its Spider counterpart are modest, limited mostly to removing weight from the rolling stock. Modest improvements, which we'll let interested parties read about in more detail in our preview post and attached press release, but with a vehicle this breathtaking, as you can see from our images in the gallery below, we're glad Alfa kept the changes minimal in addressing some of the vehicle's dynamic shortcomings without tinkering with the styling.
Alfa fans have been a bit disappointed that the Italian automaker reportedly decided to push back the debut of the highly anticipated upcoming Junior model past the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, and Bertone's unveiling of the BAT 11 concept remains up in the air, but just the same, Alfa Romeo will have plenty to show us next week. In addition to debuting the production – and we use that term loosely, considering only 500 will be made – version of the 8C Spider, Alfa will be unveiling updated versions of its unspeakably gorgeous Brera and Spider models.
Thankfully, the Italians know better than to attempt improving on a masterpiece, so Alfa hasn't messed with the award-winning design to any great extent. The wheels, brake calipers and suspension components have been replaced with lighter-weight aluminum versions, which should help address the cars' lamentably underwhelming performance relative to its design by taking a chunk out of its unsprung weight. The subtle changes continue inside, where redesigned seats offer a sportier and more ergonomic driving position, another drawback often reported on the first-generation model. The dashboard has been updated as well to integrate a new dual-zone climate control system and a new sat-nav unit. Meanwhile, underhood, a new 185hp 2.2-liter four joins the 260hp 3.2-liter six and 210hp 2.4-liter JTDM turbodiesel, mater to a variety of six-speed transmissions in various degrees of automation. All in all, Alfa seems to be addressing some of the shortcomings of its most head-turning standard-production models, and has hopefully found a new sweet spot. Check out the press release after the jump for all the details on the 2008 Alfa Romeo Brera and Spider.
