Even in Germany with the limited number of Autobahn sections still unrestricted, the traffic volume means that you will really struggle to make any more progress with 500bhp than you would with half that.

Russell Bulgin's excellent article about trying to max a Lotus Carlton on the autobahn sums that situation up perfectly, and that was 28 years ago: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/car-culture/rain-stopped-play-lotus-carlton-vs-the-autobahn-car-archive-january-1991/

Thing is, to my eye,it doesn't even make a statement. It looked like a slightly higher Giulietta.

Our trip on Saturday was to the football at Southampton and our car in white, apart from the quite attractive wheels didn't look anywhere near as imposing or special as any of the numerous SUVs in the players' car park by Land Rover or Porsche.

You would have to be quite the anorak to know the significance of the green cloverleaf badge on the front wing or the Q4 badge on the boot.

Our trip on Saturday was to the football at Southampton and our car in white, apart from the quite attractive wheels didn't look anywhere near as imposing or special as any of the numerous SUVs in the players' car park by Land Rover or Porsche.

This is not neccessarily a bad thing, you use the words 'special' and 'imposing' like it was a good thing where i'd probably use 'vulgar' and 'ugly'. As it is an Alfa, it should look nice, but not in your face. Italy, after all, traditionaly, is the home of style!.

I have a customer who has a top end Range Rover SVR. Personally, I think it is an appalling afront to good taste, both the way it looks, and the noise it makes. It seems IMO, to be aimed at the 'man-child', or people who are desperate to attract attention to themselves.

I'm not really a fan of SUV's, and certainly not a fan of overly powerful cars, but if i had to choose a pointlessly powerful SUV, the Alfa would definitely be higher up the list that ANYTHING from Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche or Range Rover simply because they all look so awful.

There are no rational or objective arguments which can realistically be made to justify a car with 500+ bhp, 0-60 times of sub 5 secs, top speeds above 150mph.

SUV variants add weight, bulk, brick like aerodynamics and 4WD to the rationally pointless.

So the purchase decision is really emotional and self obsessed:

• I like doing track days (in 2+ tons of metal?)
• I have the skill to handle this beast (Red Bull wanted me for the F1 team)
• On my 50 mile drive to work there are no speed limits
• I have superior sexual prowess and dinensions (usually inverse!)
• I've got more dosh than you (and less common sense)
• Climate change isn't happening (what do scientist know)
• I'm more important (daddy runs a merchant bank or sells drugs)
• I'm smarter than you (I stole the money - work is for losers)
• It matches my Rolex (and other obscenely costly branded goods)

Ok I understand that. But...Can you take it to Tesco's leave it in the car park and not be even slightly anxious? Would you be happy filling it with dirty smelly stuff and driving it to the local amenity tip? If so then good luck enjoy it. If not as I suspect that most would not be happy using a sixty grand car for those purposes then for me, it fails the most basic requirements that I need for a car. It doesn't meet my lifestyle and its actually more of a look at me attention getter than a practical vehicle. So sorry it's not for me. But do enjoy it yourself.

Having given it some thought, there are a couple of powerful SUV's i wouldn't mind,

GMC Typhoon (Clint Eastwood owned one, 'nuff said!)

Overfinch 570

Special mention for the silliest by far, but as a car mad teen, this one really fired up my imagination!;

Lamborghini LM002 (the "Rambo Lambo"). Not actually that far off the Alfa's power at 444bhp, but weighs around 50% more(!). And while the Alfa may supp the juice, it won't be a patch on the 7-8mpg average of the (6 weber carb equipped) 5.2 V12 Lambo, ouch!.

On reflection I think my main beef with the car is that it did not seem to be fit for any particular purpose.

As an SUV it was compromised by the harsh ride and not overly generous accommodation.

As a sports car it was compromised by the tall body.

As a £75,000 status symbol it lacked presence.

You wouldn't want to use it on a track day. You wouldn't want to tour the continent in it. It would be a waste to use it for the school run.

I do see the appeal of SUV's as a class, from Kias to Bentleys but to my mind there are so many better things on which to spend that sort of money.

I understand the pleasure of using the well designed which performs with excellence.

Applies not just to expensive cars, but simpler things in life - eg: bone china rather than plastic cup, quality woodworking tools (my interest!), TV and sound, watches etc.

With unlimited moolah one could indulge every need. But most need to prioritise and compromise.

So I could buy a number of cars at the top of their particular market niche - a convertible, a motorway cruiser, an off road 4WD, an uncompromised track day performer, a shopping car, a go to the dump pick-up or van etc.

However I don't want the hassle of owning 6 or more cars. This is a somewhat academic point as I neither have the cash or space anyway.

I would like to buy just one, money no object (?). This means compromise.

My own take on this would be a luxury 4WD - a Range Rover with reliability (???). It won't be the best at everything, but most things it will do pretty well (convertible and track days excepted!)