Marangoni M430 MiTo

The Alfa Romeo Mito was conceived an executed by a company with balls-- stripping the styling from the six-figure 8C sexpot and slathering on their cheapest and smallest car, the MiTo. It works, and we wish this worthy competitor to the Mini were available in the U.S. That companies modify it is unsurprising; that they are both Italian, and did such a tasteless job, is. 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.

Anyhow, you’ll have spotted the twin air-intake round the front, but fear not, there’s plenty more: a carbon fiber rear diffuser, quad exhausts, red tires (really) 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-liter T-Jet turbo engine to 220 hp, some 65 hp over the stock MiTo and right in the ballpark of the hot ‘GTA’ version Alfa is releasing next year.

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