WHAT'S got six eyes, eight legs and 260 horsepower? The Alfa Spider, of course. Actually, the name doesn't have anything to do with arachnids, it is a corruption of the word speeder – open-top sports car of the past.

Alfa's latest sportscar has a reputation for sporty style to uphold, and with this model it's all about looks. Derived from the award-winning Alfa Brera the Spider was created, with a helping hand from Pininfarina, to bring open-top motoring to style-conscious drivers who enjoy well-engineered sportscars with performance and handling to match.

Despite having a 3.2-litre V6 petrol engine with 260 horses on tap this is the more laid back roadster of the bunch. Don't get me wrong, the 0-62mph time of seven seconds is more than adequate and it certainly never struggles for power. What I mean is the spider has inside-out comfort for everyday driving. It's sprightly when you need it but the quicker you go, the less time your audience will have to savour these gorgeous looks.

The new Spider has dropped its sharp angles and gone for a softer line, yet is still wedge-shaped and has lost none of its Alfa charm. The nose sits close to the road and the back end of the car sits pert above the 17-inch alloys.

A beautiful trio of headlights either side of the pointed grille and badge – a signature of the Alfa brand – sets my pulse racing. It's a style statement that has changed little over the years, but has been enhanced to keep up with more modern trends and the competition, which includes these roadsters: Audi TT, BMW Z4, Nissan 350Z and Chrysler Crossfire.

The spacious cabin has to be the biggest in the class. I'm sure with a bit of jiggery pokery Alfa could have fitted in a couple of small seats. However, the Italian designers – putting themselves in the drivers' Guccis – would not want rear passengers to cramp their style.

Instead, two occupants can enjoy lots of room. Six-footers and five-footers alike will find their own driving positions with no trouble at all, thanks to the adjustable seats. There is storage aplenty behind the seats with cubbies and hatches for stowing items out of site. You can lock one of them for extra security.

For ease of access to this area, the seatbacks have a handle to pull it forward, as if you were getting into the back yourself. This is one of the many user-friendly aspects of this car. Another one is the keyfob-operated boot release. The folded roof doesn't impinge on boot space, which managed to swallow up the weekly groceries of the gluttonous Terry family.

Returning to the cabin and I think the centre console, which faces the driver, is a bit of an oddity. It's a big flat panel of brushed aluminium with the dials and other equipment set in. It's lovely to look at on a dull day but if you're driving away from a bright sun, the glare is really bad. Perhaps it is deliberate enforcement into wearing sunglasses!

Other than that small gripe, the instrumentation is well planned, and the quality and texture of buttons and switches are of a high standard - typically Italian.

Operation of the hood is easy. It's fully automatic via a push-button. Once the hood's tucked away behind the seats it beeps to tell you the operation is complete. It takes longer than most – just part of its laid-back persona.

The car looks fantastic with the hood down. Roll-over hoops with an aerodynamic cowling behind in brushed aluminium not only aid safety and lower drag, they look stunning. It's these little nuggets of detail that make the Alfa Spider really stand out from the crowd.

The driving experience is an absolute pleasure. Alfa Romeo has gone for its Q4 four-wheel drive technology, and it's marvellous. It keeps the car firmly gripped to the road while you point and shoot. Following extensive and thorough development of the suspension system, the highest possible levels of handling are achieved. This particular configuration gives you stability and controllability, right up to the wire. No wonder the man in the TV ads gets goosebumps,

ALFA ROMEO JTS

3.2-litre V6 Q4 Six-speed manual

0-62mph: 7.0 secs

Top speed: 149 mph

Max power: 260 bhp @ 6,300 rpm

Max torque: 322 Nm @ 4,500 rpm

Urban economy: 16.7 mpg

Extra urban: 33.6 mpg

Combined: 24.6 mpg

CO2 emissions: 273 g/km

Price: £32,000