Alfa Romeo stunt at Silverstone track announces limited edition MiTo

How do you draw attention to your new limited edition Alfa Romeo? By driving it around a race track on two wheels while a superbike races under it.

In what Alfa Romeo claims is a world-first driving dare, precision driver Paul Swift took the small hatchback into a sweeping bend on the British Formula One circuit before taking the car up onto two wheels while British Superbike rider Chris 'The Stalker' Walker raced underneath the delicately balanced car on a Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja British Superbike.

The stunt is even more spectacular when one considers that despite its place in the annals of motorsport and design legend, for all of its performance and good looks, a reputation for unreliability has plagued Alfa Romeo throughout its illustrious history.

The Alfa in question, the Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde SBK, has been built to reflect the carmaker's longstanding relationship with the FIM World Superbike Championship -- hence the bike-based stunt -- and only 28 examples will be made available for sale in the UK.

Powered by a 1.4-litre Turbo, 170 bhp Quadrifoglio Verde engine, the car comes with a customized body kit, 18' alloy wheels and upgraded Brembo brakes. Finished in 'Solid' black with an Alfa Red roof, the interior features equally red and black Alcantara sports seats, active cruise control, active suspension, rear parking sensors and a Bluetooth hands-free system. The car will retail for £21,595 (about $US 35,000).