There's No Excuse Not To Spend Six Minutes Watching Chris Harris Hoon A Custom Alfa

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Seriously, it’s Friday afternoon. You’ve got nothing better to do than watch Top Gear’s short, but epic video of friend-of-the-site Chris Harris hooning a custom-built Alfa Romeo made by well-known British Alfa parts supplier/tuner Alfaholics. It’s six minutes of bliss.

Called the Alfaholics GTA-R 290, this little red monster is based on a 1967 Alfa Romeo 1300 GT Junior, and maintains a lot of originality in the looks department. From a mechanical standpoint, though, it’s highly modified, with a fully seam-welded body, carbon fiber closures, limited slip rear diff, 240-horsepower 2.3 liter Alfa Romeo Twin Spark Engine, an updated suspension (shocks, springs, arms), roll cage, big front and rear disc brakes, and a whole lot more.

It’s called the GTA-R 290 because it makes 290 horsepower per metric ton. And since this vehicle makes less than 290 horsepower, yes, that means it weighs less than a metric ton. In fact, it weighs in at an astonishing 1,829 pounds.

It’s no wonder Chris says things like “This is driving at its most basic, and its most intense” and “Everyone that’s designing a modern sports car should have to drive one of these to remember what it was like.”

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Yes, this custom Alfa costs nearly 200,000 pounds, but Chris Harris—who’s driven one or two excellent cars in his day—says “this is one of the most enjoyable cars I’ve ever driven. Offer me this or the current crop of 200,000 pound supercars, and I wouldn’t hesitate in taking the Alfaholics machine.”

That’s high praise for a small shop out of Clevedon, England.