Mid-engine, rear wheel drive. An Automotive Engineers view on perfection. Porsche, lotus and Ferrari have all adopted the MR layout on multiple production cars, and what do they all have in common? Handling.
So when Alfa Romeo announced that their concept 4C would be going into production, with its crosshairs set on the Porsche Cayman S, the automotive industry went wild. The 1.75l turbocharged 236hp Alfa has a limited top speed of 155mph which is in line with its competitors and also is reportedly able to make the jump to light speed (or 62 mph) in 4.5 s which is quicker than the 4.7 second gallop of the Cayman S with its massive 321hp on offer. The reason the Alfa is able to pull this off is its extraordinary lightness. The chassis is a carbon fibre tub (the same as can be found in supercars such as the Mclaren Mp4-12C) which has space cut out for the driver and a passenger to reduce weight. The body is also made of a composite material which is 20% lighter than steel. The end result of using these new materials? A total weight of only 895kg, The Alfa is so light that it should contain a copy of the 5:2 diet in the driver’s handbook. The Alfa is only 20kg heavier than a Lotus Exige and the product of the Exige’s lightness was excellent handling, so the 4C should be no different.
It is all well and good having excellent handling and a powerful engine, but with fossil fuel stores decreasing rapidly governments are cracking down on vehicle emissions and fuel consumption. Alfa have again successfully answered this question. The head of Alfa Romeo Europe, Louis-Carl Vignon, has confirmed that it will return more than 40mpg and emit around 150g/km of CO2. That’s the same as a diesel Citroen DS4! I know which one I’d rather have.
So the 4C shows promise in the handling department, is as clean as a daisy (ok not quite) and also has the power. There must be some weakness here. It must be ugly, maybe the designer of the Fiat Multipla tried to get in on the action and help style the body panels? No you’re wrong It is exquisite.
Lorenzo Ramaciotti, give yourself a big pat on the back, you have created a masterpiece, and dare I say it is a more beautiful design than either a Lamborghini Miura or Ferrari 250 GTO. The front is sculpted to a ‘V’ much like the Mito and of course the 4C’c bigger brother, the 8C. Wide wheels give the car an excellent stance, and there are large intakes on either side on the rear quarter panels which give it an aggressive look.
The ‘Launch’ model of the 4C is only available in 2 different paint jobs; Rosso Red or Carrera White. My preference would be to go for Rosso Red, to stick with Alfa Romeos heritage, but both colours look equally satisfying. The price is estimated to be around £51,600, which is a shade above its main rival the Porsche Cayman S, however the Porsche is much heavier, thirstier and produces much more CO2, however some would rather the Porsche due to Porsches excellent build quality. However since the Mito’s release in 2008 Alfa have become a more reliable brand, the early days of the Alfasud are behind us and you can expect your new 4C to get from the showroom to your driveway without incident.
Overall the Alfa Romeo 4C would be an excellent choice for anybody in the market for a small, fun, and relatively cheap sports car, with supercar performance. The Alfa is in essence a mini supercar, it is a 8C without the super car price tag.
Author: Connor Scott
Revealed: Alfa Romeo 4C
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