Stellantis were pulling rabbit after rabbit out of the hat that was the 2026 Paris Motor Show, but one car really stood out to me: Alfa Romeo’s new Cuorerosso. We all love an Alfa. Since the ’80s they’ve been the irresponsible, impulsive and slightly garish choice, but a fun one nonetheless. By the looks of it, they’ve thrown that reputation out of the window, making one of the most stylish and sophisticated four-seater Alfas I’ve ever seen.

Before we get too excited, it’s not a preview of anything heading to the production line anytime soon. Instead, it’s being described as a “manifesto”, a promise of what the future of Alfa Romeo could look like. Which is great, but you can’t drive a manifesto.

The design began with a solid block, with no wheels, no glass and no details whatsoever, a bit like a Cybertruck. The designers then chipped away the unnecessary until a beautiful 4.7-metre 2+2 coupé revealed itself. Michelangelo did something similar with marble, though I don’t think he then fitted suicide doors to it afterwards.

The philosophy Alfa are prioritising is called “Bellezza Necessaria”, which translates as “Necessary Beauty”. That means removing any ugly components, such as door handles. I’ve never considered door handles unattractive, but Alfa have insisted on a design where all you need to do is tap the roof.

In the most sophisticated and Italian fashion imaginable, the concept also features a removable handbag built into the dash, and even a steering wheel with its own philosophy, “Con-tatto Volante”. Alfa Romeo seemingly has more philosophers than the whole of ancient Greece.

Stylistically, the car’s colour is Liquid Ink Red, the dashboard fabric comes straight from yacht-racing kit, and the centre console glows like magma. It all feels very sophisticated, until you remember they’ve put a volcano in their lovely new concept car.

Under the beautiful bodywork sits a 2.9 V6 full-hybrid powertrain with Q4 all-wheel drive. As I said, this is all just a manifesto, so whether it reaches the showroom is anyone’s guess. But a Quadrifoglio is promised, so we’ll be getting that handbag one way or another.

All images courtesy of Stellantis.

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cars, dan, boland, dan boland, automotive, technology, travel, news, alfa romeo, cuorerosso, concept car, paris motor show, stellantis, quadrifoglio, bellezza necessaria, hybrid, italian cars, coupé