2011: Bertone Alfa Romeo Pandio

However  our colleague Paul Esienstein might not agree, car shows serve a few pretty great purposes. Besides reuniting with old colleagues, pressing manufacturers' flesh and geeking out over (certain) booth babes, it's the wild and well done concept cars that get our juices flowing the fastest. Take the Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept from all-star design house Bertone. It rocks.
When we first saw the Panidon images we were less than impressed. Yeah, the shape was good, as Stile Bertone kept this far out show car classically proportioned (low, long hood, short deck, big wheels). But something didn't quite click. Then we walked past the Pandion during the press conference and did a big double take. Whoa. You know what didn't click? The doors, as they were closed in the press pictures.

First of all, reverse-hinged scissor doors are the coolest Bertone show car feature since they debuted the Lamborghini Countach's front-hinged scissor doors at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show. Not only are the rear-hinged doors cool, they're massive, sticking about ten-feet straight up in the air. In case you've read this far and haven't looked at the above photo (fat chance, we know) the doors include part of the front fender. Very, very cool says us.
Also spectacular is the rear end of this sucker. It looks as if someone tossed a softball through a stained glass window and hit pause. Hundreds of tiny shards of shattered... stuff (carbon fiber, magnesium – you tell us) appear to be frozen in mid-explosion. It's something TVR might have come up with if a second generation Sagaris had come to fruition. The rear end is different, fabulously so, and to reiterate the title of this here post, it's why we love covering these manic car shows so dang much. Be sure to check out the albino HR Giger-skeleton interior and the flippin' wheels, which replicate the smashing rear end. As they say here in certain parts of Switzerland, tres magnifique! Or, in Alfa Romeo's native tongue, countach!

The Alfa 147 GTA is a compact saloon with an unmistakable personality and dynamic, muscular styling. A concentration of handling, high-technology and tremendous performance. The 147 GTA’s great sporting temperament simply dominates the road, combining clean, essential styling with the very latest in motoring technology to give exciting performance and put the pleasure back into driving.

Performance:
Shocking. 0-60 in 6.3 seconds and it feels like it. And sounds like it. You can overtake anything, anywhere. Enormous

quantities of torque are available just when you need them.

Engine & Transmission:
The gearchange is just right, the clutch is perfectly weighted and the engine. Oh the engine. It is glorious, my only

criticism being that the rev limiter seems to cut in way too early, but I'm sure it's there for good reason.

Ride & Handling:
It is obvious there's been a huge amount of development work to improve the 147's suspension, and it has paid off. It

is capable, communicative and reassuring. Torque steer is present, but forgivable.

Fuel Economy:
Not bad considering the size of the engine and the absolute caning it had over the week. We averaged a little over 18

mpg.

Tactility:
This car is absolutely right. It could have been made for me. I can't think of one thing that feels awkward or out of

place. Apart from the 0 - 70 range on the speedo perhaps...

Appearance:
Drop dead gorgeous. If it were a girl I'd marry it.

Interior:
Body-hugging Momo seats are superb, dash is fine, steering wheel and pedals lovely. A few plasticky bits here and

there, but nothing offensive.

Safety:
Loads of airbags and all the acronyms. What more could you want?

Equipment & Value for Money:
My only real gripe is the lack of satnav, something which having become used to in my own car I find indispensable

now. Apart from that it is extremely well specced, although the rear windows don't open.

Mi.To the car is just one faction of original flavor: rich curve of the centre console modeling, a large number of circular elements, for Mi.To create a dynamic atmosphere full of the car while dressed in three metal steering wheel, short Capable of gear-and-sewn red lines of the bucket seats, but also provide strong performance means that the parade drive interface.