Soon after its 2005 launch the Bertone-designed Alfa Romeo GT was voted the world's most beautiful coupé by an international jury of designers, artists, engineers and architects.
The intervening years have taken little off the shine and the GT is still a stunning car with great stage presence - no doubt helped by its relative rarity as local sales have been glacial.
Now there's a new trick up the GT's sleeve - a Q2 drive system that's become available exclusively with the 110kW JTD MultiJet turbodiesel engine. Curiously, this traction-enhancing system's not available on the more powerful 3.2 petrol V6 version which could potentially benefit more from it.
Q2 is a fancy name for a limited-slip differential that continuously splits torque between the front drive wheels according to driving conditions and road surface.
In a normal front-wheel drive car the differential feeds the same amount of torque to each wheel even when one starts losing grip. Alfa's system sends more torque to the wheel with better grip.
Q2 is marketed as "an understeer-limiting system with the convenience and safety of front-wheel drive coupled to the enjoyment and control of a rear-wheel drive car".
The theory is sound but in practice the benefit's only felt when the car's driven in extremis, such as doing hot laps around a racetrack as we did at the Q2's recent media launch at Gerotek.
There the system gave improved traction when booted out of a tight bend in search of the best lap time. On a public road, no cigar; the Q2 didn't feel any different to a regular front-wheel drive car when commuting through the suburbs and on the freeways.
Alfa says Q2's additional benefit is improved traction when pulling off on a wet or slippery surfaces but that's what the car's electronic anti-wheelspin system does already, and very effectively. Buyers will have to weigh for themselves whether Q2 is worth the extra R13 000.
Apart from the fancy diff, the Q2 turbodiesel Alfa GT gets 18" wheels, lower suspension, satin-finish grille, front "whiskers", different gearshifter and mirror housings, aluminium pedals, sports leather seats and steering wheel and different instrumentation.
As much as there is to like about the turbodiesel GT, not least the dazzling styling and the whole Italian passion thing, there's lots to dislike, too. Overall, it comes across as a vehicle that's trying to be something it's not.
Worst offender is the harsh ride, and the so-so engine performance doesn't justify the springs being quite so firm. The GT feels comfortable enough on smooth roads but present it with any rough tar or a speed hump and there's very little give. This spine-jarring ride is impractical for daily driving.
Punchy, not exciting
The ride height's also low and the front bumper's lip regularly gets personal with raised driveway entrances.
The engine's punchy without being overly exciting. Alfa claims a top speed of 209km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint in 9.6sec at sea level but, up here in Gauteng, the GT didn't feel quite that fast.
At altitude there's some turbo lag, which if you're not concentrating on keeping the revs up will leave you trailing Citi Golfs from the lights, but above 2000rpm the turbodiesel engine pulls sweetly; the car makes a good cruise missile and overtakes with gusto.
Fuel consumption's good, too; our test car's computer reported 7.7 litres/100km.
The six-speed manual transmission is one of the driver-pleasing highlights and the bucket seats are beautifully styled and grip you like a velvet vice - though the designers were a tad stingy with their width.
Decent boot
The GT doesn't have bad practicality for a two-door coupé. Two adults will fit into the rear seats if they don't mind a bit of snugness, their entry made easier by front seats that slide and tilt forward at the tug of a single lever.
The boot's a decent size, too.
The big C-pillar and high bodyline hinder visibility and, together with the car's notably large turning circle, parking requires some skill.
Price: R304 980.
VERDICT
The Q2 will give some handling benefit if you're planning regular racetrack or mountain-pass excursions otherwise don't was the R13 000 and go for the standard car.
The GT has movie-star looks and that special Italian allure if you're looking for something different but ultimately the car's compromised by its harsh ride.