2008 ALFA ROMEO 8C COMPETIZIONE, FERRARI, LAMBORGHINI, ASTON MARTIN, ROLLS ROYCE

At the prestigious Paris Auto Salon in 2006, here the production version of the 8C was shown for the first time, ver 1200 customers put their names in the order book selling ALL 500 units in 14 days!!You only have to look at the 8C to understand why it’s worth every penny to those 500 individuals. It’s a stunning shape. We know these things are subjective, ut we're yet to meet anyone who doesn’t go slightly weak-kneed when you mention the 8C. And in the glorious carbon, ith sun glistening down its flanks and rolling across its sweeping bonnet, ny niggling doubts that it treads dangerously close to pastiche are rendered utterly ridiculous. It’s jaw-dropping.

It gets better when you hear the 4.7-litre V8, oo. The way it snaps into life with a stab of revs and settles to a bassy, ense idle is reminiscent of a Vanquish, t actually sounds even fiercer – the tight howl a million miles away from the mellow, asy-going note you associate with other V8s. Own history, id now!