First look: Alfa 8C gets arachnophobia

ALFA Romeo has lifted the lid on its luscious 8C Spider, but don't expect to see the exclusive new open-topped Italian flagship outside your local cafe any time soon.

It was only a matter of time before the production super-convertible emerged, as it has here ahead of its world debut at next month's Geneva motor show, following its surprise appearance in prototype guise at the 2005 Pebble Beach Classic Car concours.

However, with only 500 due to be built, the Spider is likely to be an even rarer sight here than the left-hand drive 8C Coupe on which it's based, and which sold out within days of being launched in 2006.

Deliveries of five examples of the 8C Coupe bought by Australians and New Zealanders, for use abroad or on the racetrack, began in late 2007 and Alfa Romeo says it's possible one of them may be seen here and in NZ later this year.

Its most radical and formidable model in decades, Alfa says the 8C represents a return to its unbridled performance and styling roots.

Designed by Centro Stile Alfa Romeo, the Spider is distinguished by an electro-hydraulically operated (via a button on the dashboard), twin-layer soft-top that is "perfected aesthetically, aerodynamically and for acoustic comfort".

Inside reside the same composite-material dash and trim panels, and the twin 'anatomical' carbon-fibre buckets seats, upholstered in Frau flower leather - "an exclusive and innovative treatment of the weave, in which the leather is bound to a natural fibre, creating a look of great visual impact".

There's also the 8C Coupe's new 335kW 4.7-litre 90-degree V8 and automated six-speed manual transaxle with paddle-shift, and the carbon-ceramic Brembo (CCM) brake discs measuring 380mm up front and 360mm at the rear.

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