The car makers we all know only give us a smattering of the models available word wide.
My rental here in Italy is a Citroen C4. It has a diesel engine, five speed manual, all sorts of options and electronics in the dash display. Comfortable seating, covered cargo hatch, and handles and rides well. Filled up today and I was getting 46 mpg. Diesel was $7.80 a gallon.
Hyundai has a few small models, but they have not made the inroads here as in the US. I've only seen one Kia so far.
This morning I drove SR65 from Florence to Bologna. It goes through the Futa Pass and twists and turns all the way. A great trip!
1927 and 1957 it was part of the Mille Miglia race, when vast crowds of enthusiastic spectators would assemble on each of the wide, sweeping corners to cheer the drivers.
The retrospective Mille Miglia still tracks north on the Futa Pass, although these days the field has to mix it with a weekend armada of leisure bikes and sports cars. The time to enjoy the Futa is early in the morning, when you will share the road with a select few; Lamborghini test drivers have been known to set their alarms and so, too, Ducati testers.