After a successful first year’s edition, the PistonHeads Performance Car Show was back in the NEC late last week, running once again alongside Autosport International; and the heady mix of exclusive high performance road cars complimented the brightly sponsored racing cars perfectly. Here, Italian cars also took centre stage and enthusiasts were faced with several outrageous showcars, including a Ferrari 360 Modena dubiously stretched into a ‘limo’, and an eye-catching project from tyre maker Marangoni, based on the Alfa MiTo.

Marangoni has been first out of the blocks in the race to reinterpret the Alfa MiTo, and its finished product made its debut at the Essen Motor Show last month, following in a tradition: just over a year ago the firm presented an outrageously styled Fiat 500 showcar. With its MiTo project though Marangoni wanted to showcase its ‘Mythos’ tyres that come in a range of bright colours thanks to a pigment that is added to the compound during the manufacturing process, and, fitted to jet-black 8x18 Oxign wheels, the red tyres of this showcar are certainly distinctive. Massive Tarox callipers and 330 mm discs (at the front) lurk beneath the big wheels.

To realise this showcar Marangoni brought in a range of specialist firms to work within their respective areas of expertise, which does result in a mish-mash of ideas. However the aim of the project was to create a highly distinctive showcar and this has certainly been achieved, even if most Italian car enthusiasts would find the result of very questionable taste. Dubbed the 'MiTo F430', its front spoiler has been styled unashamedly on Ferrari’s F430, with two wide oval-shaped air intakes mimicking the Maranello sports car’s front spoiler treatment.

Along the flanks new skirts are prominent, while at the rear the lower bumper section gives way to a supercar-style carbon fibre splitter arrangement made by MB, while new vertical vents feed air to the front wheels. Further use of carbon fibre can be found in the slim light unit surrounds and the roof spoiler. The car’s muscular stance is enhanced by the use of KW designed struts that serve to lower the ride height. External changes are completed by fitting gullwing doors, replacing the Alfa Romeo badges with the Marangoni logo, and a distinctive red-and-white two-tone paint finish.

Inside, the cabin materials have been comprehensively reworked by Luna, with new fabrics for the seats, carpets and roof lining that are emblazoned with the red-white-and-green colours of the tricolour to create an Italianesque feel. The pedals, handbrake lever and gearknob are made by Isotta and are embedded with glistening Swarovski crystals.

Under the bonnet Marangoni claims that the 1.4-litre T-Jet has been boosted to 220 bhp, an increase of 65 bhp, thanks to a new bearing-mounted rotary turbine, a revised air intake including carbon-fibre airbox, a new exhaust downpipe and special catalytic convertor, and a stainless steel quad-outlet exhaust tailbox. The tuning work has been carried out by Florence-based TRC. Marangoni also say the car has been driven on the roads.