2012 & 2013 Alfa Romeo Convertible Reviews & Ratings

Alfa Romeo has been known for many different types of vehicles over the years, but its coupes and convertibles are by far the most flashy and eye-catching. The Alfa Romeo line currently features one convertible in its fleet: the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider convertible. A colorful flash and a supple shape may latch onto your eyes first, and a luxurious and roomy cabin may keep you looking, but the Italian convertible's throaty V-8 engine will have you clamoring for an 8C Spider of your own. The sound... (full review continues below)

Alfa Romeo has been known for many different types of vehicles over the years, but its coupes and convertibles are by far the most flashy and eye-catching. The Alfa Romeo line currently features one convertible in its fleet: the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider convertible. A colorful flash and a supple shape may latch onto your eyes first, and a luxurious and roomy cabin may keep you looking, but the Italian convertible's throaty V-8 engine will have you clamoring for an 8C Spider of your own. The sound of this engine is so provocative, it should be banned from family-friendly roads.

Okay, we're exaggerating slightly, but the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider really is quite a looker, and it's powerful too. The Spider is amazingly well-designed for a car that was conceived solely in Competizione coupe form. (This concept was shown in 2003 at the Frankfurt Auto Show; however, the design was re-done for the Spider version, which was presented at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2005). The Spider's production was confirmed in late 2007, and was promised to be built in 500 units, with 35 of these going to the United States. Production actually began in 2009, with Maserati leading the way, and each vehicle was priced at €175,000 (or $241,000), not including taxes. The Spider is claimed to reach up to 180 mph, making it only a little more sluggish than the original coupe version Competizione.

The 2011 8C Spider specifically competes against such vehicles as the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera, the 2011 Chevrolet Corvette, the 2011 Lotus Elise, the 2012 Infiniti G, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SL, SLK, and E-Class, the 2011 Audi TT, the 2011 Jaguar XK, the 2012 Audi A5, the BMW 1-Series and Z4, and the 2012 Volvo C70. The standard Alfa Romeo 8C Spider convertible has a starting MSRP around $250k, and the 2011 Novitec- edition comes at an extra EUR 19,900 or about $25k. This package includes a set of 21- and 22-inch alloy wheels, custom injectors, and several other features. These add up to make this convertible the quickest and most powerful ever edited by the Novitec Rosso tuning company.

Over the years, Alfa Romeo has been known for its beautiful coupe and convertible vehicles, and the Spider is arguably the best of them. One of these is the Series 1 Spider (produced from 1966-1969 and originally labeled the "Duetto"), which was seen in the movie The Graduate, as driven by Dustin Hoffman (character name: Ben). The Series 2 Spider followed in (1970-1982/83) and came with significant exterior changes. In 1974, the rare Spider-Taga was introduced with Porsche style. The Series 3 Alfa Romeo Spider (produced from 1982/83-1989/90) included a new 2.0 liter Bosch electronic fuel injection system, and underwent another significant styling in 1983. The Green Fourleaf Clover (Quadrifoglio Verde) model in 1986 was quite a special vehicle during this time, as was the Graduate model- which was added in tribute to the famous film appearance. The Series 4 Spider (produced in 1990/91-1993) came with a new Motronic electronic fuel injection system with electric fan, and lost two of its spoilers. It gained new lights and automatic transmission. The Spider 1993 and 1994 Commemorative Editions are certainly a site to behold.