New car news

28 November 2008 - 15:00

MiToDear

Time was when tuners would give a new car at least a few months respite before they turned their spanners and glue guns to it.

But the gap between unveiling and modification is getting ever smaller, as evidenced by this: the Marangoni M430 MiTo.

Yes, as you might have guessed by untangling that name – and by the ridiculous front clip – it’s an ambitious attempt by Italy’s TRC-Marangoni to turn the just-launched Alfa Mito into a Ferrari F430.

Which, we fear, is a bit like trying to turn Alexa Chung into Steven Seagal.

Anyhow, you’ll have spotted the twin air-intake round the front, but fear not, there’s plenty more: a carbon fibre rear diffuser, quad exhausts, red tyres (nope, no idea) and – but of course – scissor doors. Scissor doors!

The Mito won’t exactly have F430-rivalling performance, but it should be pretty perky nonetheless: Marangoni has tuned up the 1.4-litre T-Jet turbo engine to 220bhp, some 65bhp over the stock Mito and right in the ballpark of next year’s hot ‘GTA’ version.

Tempting as the M430 is, we’ll hang on for that GTA, cheers.