When Alfa Romeo decides to make a hot hatch based on its stunning 8C Competizione special, there's good reason to get excited.
The MiTo is the first Alfa to be built since the 500-unit limited edition was launched in 2007. The Italian carmaker's sports special was designed to reflect the lines and performance of the sporting Alfa Romeos that took part in Italy's Mille Miglia (1,000 mile) race of the 40s and 50s - and it soon became a new symbol Alfa's style and technology.
Inspired by the 8C, the MiTo is Alfa's attempt at a stylish, mass-market three-door that marries everyday practicality with the marque's racing heritage.
Many of the design features from the two-door fibreglass 8C are evident in the MiTo, from the shape of the unframed side windows to the three-lobed front bumper motif, headlight cluster design and the marque's trademark alloy wheel design.
The name MiTo was chosen as a sign of the marque's past and future, of Milan - the design hub from which the car's style was born - and Torino (Turin), where it is made.
The MiTo is Alfa's most compact three-door at just four metres long, and it comes with three levels of specs. Even in the entry-level model I'm driving - the Progression package (fabric seats, 16-inch alloys, HK$189,800) the MiTo's stylish interior combines a distinctively crafted dashboard, sports seats and an abundance of quality materials and finishes. But an extra HK$10,000 buys you the mid-range Sport version, with a two-tone dash and instrument panel, a central display with Bluetooth connectivity, aluminium pedals and kick plates, rear parking sensors, bi-xenon headlamps, chromed mirrors, exhaust and light frames, red brake calipers, 17-inch alloys and a rear spoiler.