Automakers find all kind of excuses to create special edition versions of their cars, and by special edition we actually mean better equipped models. For Alfa Romeo, the raison d'être of the new MiTo Sprint is "the continued support of UK Athletics (UKA)". Wonder what they'll think of next... Well, in any case, the new UK market MiTo Sprint is available in UKA ‘Union Jack’ inspired colors (red, white or blue), and comes with some £1,500 worth of extras, including cruise control, leather steering wheel and gear stick, remote audio controls on the steering wheel, Blue&Me Bluetooth hands-free system with voice recognition, and media player with a USB port.
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The company alleges that the show's hosts made comments that were "highly defamatory and damaging to the image and reputation of the company, its products and its employees and based on a fabricated comparison."
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According to the company's press release, "the stars" of the Alfa Romeo stand will be the brand-new 140 HP 2.0 JTDM and the 170 HP 1.4 MultiAir turbo petrol with "Alfa TCT" automatic transmission versions of the Giulietta.
To celebrate, the company photographed one of the rare 158s which competed in this historic race alongside the latest Alfa to bear the motorsport inspired Cloverleaf badge, the MiTo QV sport hatch.
All in all, the Italians are planning to produced one-hundred units of the special edition Alfa Romeo MiTo for Maserati's service network.
The cars are fitted with the most powerful engine in the MiTo range, the 1.4-liter turbo petrol that churns out 170 horsepower, and all are finished in a deep blue Maserati Blu Oceano color.
Special treats include the "Limited Edition" plaque on the air conditioning unit, and the kick plate made from specially treated aluminum, bearing the words "Alfa Romeo for Maserati".
Other features include the 18-inch wheels, a sport exterior package and Alfa's Dynamic Suspension that actively varies the set-up to reflect the road conditions and driving style.
And since Maserati's customers are accustomed to luxurious options, the 100 cars also get a series of high-end details such as Pelle Frau upholstery, automatic dual-zone climate control, leather steering wheel complete with radio and telephone controls, a radio navigator covering the whole of Europe, and a hands-free Blue&Me system including USB port and bi-xenon headlights.
The Fiat Group's new MultiAir system directly controls the air and combustion in engines cylinder by cylinder, stroke by stroke, through the intake engine valves without using the throttle.
According to the Italian carmaker, the use of this technology results in a 10% reduction of CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, and a 10% engine power increase as well as a 15% torque improvement over an engine without this system.
We were hoping that Alfa Romeo would introduce the production version of the 240hp MiTo GTA concept at the Frankfurt show but the Italians decided to start off with something a little less spicy in the form the sporty Quadrifoglio Verde model. The "four-leaf clover" MiTo is powered by Alfa's revolutionary new 1.4-liter MultiAir turbo engine that cranks out 170HP or 15 more ponies than the turbo engine of the 1.4L TBi model.
Power is transferred to the front wheels through a newly developed "C635" six-speed gearbox.
Alfa claims a 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of a little over 7 seconds with an extra-urban cycle (that means highway) fuel consumption of just 4.8 lt/100 km (49mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 139 g/km.
To further improve handling Alfa equipped the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde with its Dynamic Suspension system that has been co-developed with Magneti Marelli. The system comprises of four electronically controlled shock absorbers, five accelerometric sensors, a control unit and an interface for the three different settings (Normal, All Weather and Dynamic).
A sporty Alfa wouldn't be complete without the visual upgrades so the Italians fitted the Quadrifoglio Verde with 17-inch alloy wheels finished in satin titanium that is also used for the headlight and tail lamp frames as well as for the wing mirrors.
The hot hatch's interior is further enhanced by the different fabric used to upholster the seats, the dashboard and the white lighting on the instrument panel.
In an attempt to "Lancia-Ypsilon-ize" (...) the MiTo hatch and make it more desirable to female buyers, Alfa Romeo's UK arm joined forces with TV's fashion persona (or so the company claims) Louise Roe, to challenge two promising young fashion designers to create a line of women's jeans, and at the same time, raise money for charity. The result of the work of London-based designers Bjork and McElligott is a one-off series of limited edition skinny-fit jeans.In the extremely rare case that some of you (hopefully, only female readers) are actually interested in the designer jeans that feature Alfa Romeo red stitching and badges embroidered on the rear pockets, you can order them through mitojeans.co.uk. Prices are set at £75 a pair.
If it makes you feel better, the proceeds are expected to raise funds for the girls in the pics Jeans for Genes, a charity that helps children and families affected by genetic disorders.
While Alfa Romeo enthusiasts are awaiting for the Italian company to release a punchier variant of the MiTo in the form of the production version of the 240HP GTA Concept, tuners across Europe are presenting their own proposals for the stylish sport hatch. What Lester lacks in under-the-hood performance upgrades, the Italian tuner tries to compensate with a variety of styling parts that include a front spoiler, a rear diffuser, numerous roof spoilers, beefier side skirts, 8C Competizione-like side air vents and a hood scoop. 
Lester's offerings also include a uniquely styled woofer housing that essentially eliminates the trunk space while the Italian company said that the car pictured here also features 18-inch mulitspoke alloy wheels shod in Yokohama tires (215/40R18), a suspension kit from H&R and a sport exhaust system from Inoxcar.
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