Evaluation: Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

Beneath the hood is—drumroll, please—a radiator. Additionally the steering rack and the HVAC system. That is as a result of this can be a mid-engine format, and all the good things is behind the driving force. That features a 1,750cc, four-cylinder engine with a turbocharger. It sends 237 horsepower to the rear wheels, sufficient to propel the automotive to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and a prime velocity of 160. Torque peaks at 258 pound-feet, which is greater than sufficient to be enjoyable in a automotive this small, and 80 p.c of it’s obtainable at simply 1,700 RPM. In the event you’re ever beneath 1,700 RPM, you are doing it mistaken. That is simply remedied, although: The twin-clutch transmission will drop you a gear in 136 milliseconds.

The parents at Alfa say the 4C is impressed by the voluptuous 1967 Tipo 33 Stradale, however the curving class of that traditional has been swapped for a design that appears prefer it was carved with a machete. The engine vents make the rear of the automotive appear to be Pikachu or a robotic panda, relying on the angle. At 13 ft—only a foot longer than its city-loving cousin, the Fiat 500—the 4C is stubby. As a result of it is a mid-engine automotive, the burden distribution is skewed rearward, however the automotive weighs simply 2,487 kilos, so it is hardly an issue.

Leggerezza

“All the pieces on the automotive is for perform, to not look good,” is a standard chorus amongst efficiency automotive designers. Right here, it feels legit, as a result of the 4C has so few frills. The automotive is stubbornly utilitarian. That helps on value, absolutely—it is concerning the value of a base mannequin Corvette—however actually, it is about weight.

The entire thing weighs barely greater than the Fiat 500. Much more spectacular, it is simply 22 kilos heavier than the coupe. That is largely because of the carbon fiber chassis that is not simply gentle, it is sturdy. Meaning the Alfa crew did not have to do issues like add additional bracing (and with it, weight) to regain stiffness misplaced from chopping the roof off.

The flat underside of the automotive is designed to generate sufficient downforce to skip the energetic rear wing, one other mechanical machine that may add weight and price. And the dearth of energy steering? You guessed it: Lower out additional mechanical bits and you narrow weight.

The air scoops simply aft of the doorways feed cool air into the engine, these on the entrance hold the radiator completely satisfied. There’s one other air consumption over the left rear tire that cools the gearbox. You do not want one on the opposite facet, so you aren’t getting it, symmetry be damned.

Inside, there aren’t any creature comforts. No arm rests, although the passenger can grasp onto a leather-based strap. The cup holders are simply deep sufficient for espresso cups. The seats are about two inches thick. There is not any costly, heavy mechanism to to open or shut the roof on the contact of a button: You’re taking it off by hand, roll it up (it is material), and stuff it within the trunk. The warmth and A/C controls appear to be they’re from the early ’90s, in comparison with the contact display controls populating new vehicles.

The trunk measures simply 3.7 cubic ft. A few of that is taken up by the tire patch package (you suppose you may match a spare someplace in right here?), and one other chunk is misplaced if you stow the roof. Pack gentle.

Glory

This isn’t a sensible automotive. It isn’t a day by day driver, and it is not meant to be. Alfa Romeo sees it as a second, third, and even fourth automotive, the one you’re taking out for a day trip, not heading to the workplace or choosing up the children. But Senior Product Supervisor Fabio Migliavacca says he is aware of one driver who coated 25,000 miles in his 4C coupe inside a yr.

Stated driver both: 1) makes use of the automotive to commute and suffers by means of excessive discomfort, making him a maniac; or 2) he is bought all of it discovered, as a result of he spends all his time carving up mountain roads.