Renowned for both its engine and bodywork design, Alfa Romeo applies the same attention to its web presence.

The website opens directly with a splash page based on Flash technology. The wisdom of using splash pages has become a contentious issue, especially in cases when Flash-based splashes download particularily slowly.

Dial-up users will certainly want to skip Romeo's splash page, unless time is not a concern. Broadband users will be treated to the story as every Alfist wants to see it: you in a tuxedo; Alfa Romeo; you in your tuxedo in the Alfa Romeo.

Behind the splash animation, the site appears to be a well-designed portal. With the navigation menu relegated to the top, the space is divided in three sections: research and support on the left; news in the middle; log-in and promotional banners on the right. The high usability of the site owes much to its clean and logical design.

Overall, the website's functionality is essentially similar to the competitions’. The navigation menu and other search tools direct visitors to features such as models' technical descriptions, club addresses or an online shop (not for cars though). What distinguishes AlfaRomeo.com is the flair and elegance of its graphic design. Much like the brand’s autos, the site is predictable, but predictably “classy elegance” not “gaudy flash.”