Do you remember the frustration on the face of Dustin Hoffman, or Ben as he was in character, in the film The Graduate, when his Alfa Romeo Spider ran out of petrol during his pursuit of the delectable Katherine Ross? The popular 1960s film probably served to put Alfa Romeo's open sports model on the map more than any other marketing ploy - and keep it there for the best part of the next 30 years.
Subtle styling changes, a slight increase in engine size and improvements in economy and exhaust efficiency have been made over the years but, essentially, the Spider went on unchanged.
The powers that be at Fiat, parent company of Alfa Romeo, at last sanctioned a complete revamp and the result is a striking car styled by Pininfarina.
Most notable is the car's side profile, creating an aggressive, wedge-shaped projectile.
The two-litre power unit is a well sorted, but still up-to-date, twin-cam Alfa unit which absolutely thrives on revs. Take it to the limit - easy to take it above - and it will reward you with a delicious howl and performance to spare.
The three-litre version is not available owing to the stringent emission regulations applied in Hong Kong. But the smaller engine is good for 150 bhp at a lovely, screaming 6,200 rpm. Acceleration is quoted as a leisurely 8.4 seconds to 100 km/h but it feels much quicker. Top speed is listed as 210 km/h.
