2007 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

From every possible angle, the 8C Competizione is a steel-and-carbon-fiber supermodel of the highest order. Yet you might be surprised that it wasn’t designed by one of the famous Italian coachbuilders—instead the 8C was designed in-house at Alfa Romeo’s own design center. The 8C also has the beast to back up the beauty, using a version of the 4.3-liter V8 that sees duty in the Maserati Coupe and the Ferrari F430, and is precisely balanced with a 6-speed transaxle mounted just ahead of the rear wheels. Keeping all the weight inside the wheelbase allows the 8C to dance with the finest corner-carvers around, and it can hold its own at a stoplight drag by handily laying down 12.4-second quarter miles. Of course, with those looks, a simple cruise down the boulevard will rack up double-takes without needing to even let the 8C’s 450 horsepower sing its warbling quad-exhaust note.