If asked to name the Italian car brand with the grandest pedigree in motorsports, perhaps your answer would be Ferrari. But the cognoscenti know that Alfa Romeo has a more extensive racing history. The record includes the first grand prix world championship in 1923, the first two Formula One world championships in 1950-51, four wins at Le Mans, 10 victories in the legendary Targa Florio and a further 11 at the Mille Miglia.

So the return of Alfa Romeo as a global performance car brand – foreshadowed in 2007 with the release of the limited edition 8C Competizione and launched in earnest in 2014 with the 4C – is an honest effort, one borne of an authentic legacy. Last year was big for Alfa Romeo around the world and indeed in North America, where the hope is for even more sales. The release of the Giulia and the Stelvio created an impressive one-two punch: these vehicles, built on a shared lightweight platform, placed the accent on handling prowess above all else.