The Alfa Romeo 4C is spectacular, an exotic “baby Ferrari” that has taken me from point A to point B with more than the normal diversions in-between, and with a permanent grin from ear to ear. First astonishing US drivers in rarefied (and, at nearly $70k, more expensive) Launch Edition form, but finally available with a base price starting at $53,900, it’s Alfa’s triumphant – and niche – return stateside. Achingly pretty but as demanding as a thoroughbred, only 1,200 Alfa 4C’s will be imported from Maserati’s Modena plant. Should one be on your driveway?

It’s tough to argue with the design. The 4C’s scoops, slices, and swathes are instantly eye-catching; while Alfa has been making good use of its “Rosso Competizione Tri-Coat finish” – metallic red, in other words – the Basalt Gray metallic of this particular example is equally seductive to my eyes, arguably doing a better job of highlighting the play of shadows and contours.