IN THE case of Alfa Romeo’s latest Spider, the company’s styling department has given birth to yet another design masterpiece dripping with Latino sex appeal. This we cannot deny. So why is it then, like many Alfas, that the Spider’s driving experience is such a bitter disappointment, even in range-topping $95,990 3.2 V6 Q4 all-wheel drive form? There's no doubt the new Spider is a quantum leap over its predecessor in terms of dynamics, but it seems Alfa's engineers need to drive this Italian beauty back-to-back with its array of formidable competitors much, much more.
Alfa Spider V6
Released: June 2001
Ended: January 2005
Family Tree: SpiderUNVEILED at the 1995 Geneva motor show, the ‘new’ Spider and its GTV coupe sibling led Alfa Romeo’s 1998 return to Australia and were a design collaboration between Alfa and the famous Pininfarina styling house. As the first-born children of the Alfa/Fiat Group marriage, they were the cars that rebirthed the Alfa Romeo brand worldwide. While the 2.0-litre four-cylinder Spider was locally launched in June 1998, enthusiasts had to wait until June 2001 for the range-topping 162kW/270Nm 3.0-litre V6. In October 2003, this engine was replaced by a more powerful 176kW/289Nm 3.2, while a six-speed manual was the sole transmission available.
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