Alfa Romeo 4C review (16/10/2013)
The new car has been, we are told, designed, engineered and built as a pure driving machine, and is an uncompromised thoroughbred that marks the return to the world of lightweight sports coupés for the brand.
Alfa is not boasting unduly when it claims the natural beauty of the 4C is defined by function; the need to wrap the engine and chassis in a compact, aerodynamically-efficient shape. Equally, the company is not bragging when it says the 4C is a worthy descendant of one of the most beautiful coupés of all time: the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.
The 4C is a mid-engined machine which employs the latest technologies of Alfa Romeo’s newest models, including a new, all-aluminium turbo petrol engine.
One of the main features of the car is a carbon-fibre one-piece monocoque which exhibits high levels of structural rigidity and exceptionally low weight — just 65kg — and is built using sophisticated Formula 1-derived technologies, evolved especially for Alfa Romeo.
SMC (Sheet Moulding Compound), which is lighter than steel and aluminium, is used for the bodywork while even the glass thickness has been slimmed down by 15% to help reduce the Alfa Romeo 4C’s overall weight.
It is less than 4m in length and has a wheelbase of 2.38m, but with a dry weight of 895kg and a 40:60 front-to-rear weight distribution, is
capable of generating 1.1g of lateral acceleration and in excess of 1.2g of deceleration force.
To optimise handling, its double-wishbone front suspension is
secured directly to the monocoque while the rear uses a performance-tuned MacPherson arrangement. The brakes employ a patented aluminium/cast iron hybrid construction complete with ventilated, cross-drilled 305mm/292mm discs (F/R) clamped by Brembo calipers.
Power comes courtesy of a new four-cylinder turbo engine which, thanks to its aluminium block, is 22kg lighter than that in the Alfa Giulietta Cloverleaf. Turbocharged and with
direct injection, this new unit sets new torque and specific power records for this size of engine, at over 200 Nm- and 137 bhp-per-litre respectively. Its maximum power output is 240 bhp at 6,000 rpm, while its maximum torque output is 350 Nm. Some 80% of its torque is available from just 1800 rpm.
Accelerating from 0-100 kph takes just 4.5 seconds and top speed is 258kph, while emissions fall well within the limits of Euro 6. Its official combined-cycle fuel economy figure is 6.8 l/100km and its CO2 emissions are 157g/km.
The exhaust has been specially tuned and particular attention paid to the seat design so the movement and reactions of the car can be ‘felt’ properly. The unassisted steering is progressive, direct and engineered to convey as much feedback and feel as possible. Brake and throttle response have also been tuned to match the dynamic nature of the Alfa Romeo 4C.
Inside the Alfa Romeo 4C, instead of traditional dials, a multi-function TFT digital display occupies the instrument panel and the steering wheel is a
bespoke, flat-bottomed, two-spoke item with integrated gear-shifter paddles.
The bad news is that while the 4C officially goes on sale in Ireland at the end of 2013, due to exceptionally high demand and limited product availability, buyers are invited to register their interest now for deliveries in late 2014.
No prices have yet been announced, but expect them to be very high.
If Alfa products make your blood flow faster, then you’ll have to find a way of getting one of these cars, as the term ‘instant classic’ is certainly not a misnomer.
