I’ve got to admit that most of the modern super lux sports cars of the last few years haven’t turned my crank. I mean they are great to look at and have super performance numbers, but they are usually made of unobtainium. Even worse, here in North America many of us will never see any of them.

Alfa’s newest offering however may be one of the coolest machines to come out of Italy in decades.

The rest of the story and lots more pics after the break.

Being released to the public in a couple of weeks at the Paris Auto Show, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione has that classic front engine Italian sports car shape that dates back to the race car specials of the Fifties and Sixties. At the risk of causing Enzo to spin in the mausoleum, this thing has classic Ferrari lines. Then again, if you look from the side, there is a bit of Viper and maybe even Tiburon in there. Oh my GOD, I must have lost my mind.

Power comes from a 4.7 liter Maserati V8 putting it’s 450 hp through a six speed manumatic transaxle that offers 5 combinations of you shift vs. computer shifts. The 20 inch rims are wrapped with beefy 245/35’s on the front and 285/30’s on the back. Downtown drivers had best watch out for those street car tracks!

Production will be limited to 500 units and there may be a convertible in the works.