Sheathed in a heavenly ‘Mother of Pearl’ hue, the new Alfa MiTo is taking centre stage on the dramatic red and black Alfa Romeo stand at the 2008 Johannesburg International Motor Show as it makes its South African debut.

Alfa Romeo’s all-new MiTo, ‘the sportiest mini’ to emerge from a premium manufacturer. Its utterly exotic sibling, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, provided the ultimate technical and stylistic template for the privileged newcomer. The result is vehicular poetry in motion. Its sculpted and finely modelled surfaces provide the ideal attire for the engineering and mechanical excellence that lies beneath. The fact that all this sensuality and agility is packed into just 4 metres, is all the more remarkable.

Sheathed in a heavenly ‘Mother of Pearl’ hue, the MiTo takes centre stage on the dramatic red and black Alfa Romeo stand at the 2008 Johannesburg International Motor Show.

The unveiling of a sexy car needs to be preceded by a sexy show and the routine which preceded the Alfa Romeo MiTo certainly fitted the bill. There were dancers, drama, and with a flourish there it was - a car which will see Alfa back in the sporty compact sector. Alfa Romeo say it mixes sportiness, style and emotion, and it’ll give local dealers a much-needed fillip when it goes on sale in the second quarter of 2009.

Local importers and manufacturers of cars, commercial vehicles as well as bikes and quads are gearing up to make the Johannesburg International Motor Show an extravaganza not to be missed. And this includes sourcing an array of concept vehicles and future product to ensure a steady stream of visitors to their stand. The MiTo will be at the forefront of the brand’s future model offensive. It’ll be coming to SA early in 2009 and this latter-day Junior will be the most affordable Alfa on the market.

The Johannesburg International Motor Show is taking place at the National Exhibition Centre in Nasrec, Johannesburg, South Africa and will be open to the public from this morning (Saturday 1 November), running through to Sunday 9 November 2008.