Although the engine is in the rear, the bonnet doesn’t open (to save weight and better package the front end’s components) which means the luggage space is good for an overnight bag at best.
Step inside and the carbonfibre monocoque chassis is the first indication that this car is all about power-to-weight. Weighing just 65kg, it is left raw to be seen and admired, which is a treat really, as most manufacturers go out of their way to hide the underbody while Alfa Romeo sees beauty in transparency.
The dash and everything else inside are all directed to the driver; the passenger seat is even permanently locked into place (to save weight). The best you can do as a passenger is play with the air-con vents as this is a driver’s car and the passenger is just along for the ride.
The seats are supportive, yet surprisingly comfortable, and despite the cramped look of the interior, it easily fits a tall adult thanks to reach and height adjustment for the driver’s seat as well as a telescopic steering wheel.
Turn the key (yes, there’s no push button start system to save weight) and the little 1.75-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine roars to life. With 176kW of power and 350Nm of torque, it’s hard to call it a supercar on paper, but you have to consider that its total dry-weight is just 895kg, which means it’ll go from 0-100km/h in about 4.5 seconds â€" though it feels much faster in-gear.
There’s no power steering so every single thing that happens to the front wheels is delicately communicated to the steering wheel. The feeling is so sublime that you wish more cars had no power steering. It’s a civilised go-kart, built for corners, even if it is challenging at very low speeds.
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