Alfa Romeo has announced their 8C Competizione “sex-on-wheels” sports car will be dropping its top for the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.

The C8 Spider, which will go on sale here early next year, will shed its fixed roof for a conventional cloth top. Sorry hardtop lovers, no fancy metal folding-roofs will be offered. But don’t fret, the top can be put up or down with the push of a button. In addition, the top will have no degradation on the slippery aerodynamics as well as not affect the near-perfect weight distribution of 51% front, 49% rear.

The 8C Spider will be powered by the same Ferrari F430-based 4.7-liter V8 that powers the Competizione coupe, which produces 450 horses and 347 lb-ft. of torque from under the hood. (This is a front-engine car, were as the Ferrari is mid-engine). Mated to the engine is a six-speed transaxle gearbox.

The Competizione was admired and lusted after when Alfa revealed its gorgeous curves as a concept back in 2003. It was sought after by journalists and car aficionados when it graced the pages of several major automotive magazines late last year. Soon enough, the perfect trifecta will form when the Spider rolls down a street near you. And if you’re lucky enough to own one of the 500 total cars being built (or at least one of 84 being delivered to the United States) at $250,000 a pop, you’ll certainly be the envied by the neighbors. Continue Reading…

I like the Dutch, they seem like really nice people (or at least everyone that I’ve met or worked with so far).

They’re also motorheads, given the right circumstances (think of Arie Luyendyk), and one of the car blogs that I check out regularly is called Autogespot (I have no idea how to say it either).

And look at what they caught roaming the streets of Amsterdam. Why, it’s a brand new Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione!

Bet you haven’t seen one of those in your neighborhood, have you?

Know why?

Because according to Autogespot, it’s the first one ever delivered in the world.

Still looks pretty in the real world, doesn’t it?

There’s some more pictures here, as well as on Autogespot.

For news of the weird comes the little tidbit that Alfa Romeo is planning on opening an assembly plant here in the U. S. of A.

OK, and why not … the dollar is sinking, labor is cheap here, and you’d think there’d be a whole bunch of blue collar types floating around out there looking for work like this.

Why indeed, asks Winding Road.

Discuss it amongst yourselves.