It’s been a painful two years of waiting since the 2011 Geneva study but finally, Alfa Romeo has revealed the first images of the 4C sports coupe that will make its world debut in the upcoming Geneva Auto Show on March 5.
The transition from concept to production hasn’t robbed the 4C of its delicious styling, which is all but identical sans some details like the headlamps, tail lights and door mirrors, nor its specifications or dimensions that measure “less than 4 meters” long, 1.18 m high and 2.0 m wide and a wheelbase of “less than 2.4 meters”.
In an era when most auto manufacturers boast about carbon fiber parts in their new sports cars, Alfa Romeo has equipped the 4C with an all-carbon fiber monocoque, with just the front and rear frames being made of aluminum.
Alfa Romeo is still keeping its cards very close to its chest as far as weight or performance numbers are concerned, divulging only that the 4C has a weight-to-power ratio of less than 4 kg/HP.
The 4C uses an evolution of the 1,750cc (1.75-liters) turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde. It features a new aluminum block and specifically-designed intake and exhaust manifolds, as well as direct injection and dual continuous valve timing.
Like in the concept, the production 4C has a mid-engined configuration, with power transferred to the rear wheels via the TCT twin dry clutch transmission. It features an auto as well as a sequential mode, with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.
Having debuted on the MiTo, the DNA selector that changes the throttle, steering and gearbox settings is not exactly a novelty. Its fourth mode that is added to the Dynamic, Natural and All Weather that are standard on other models, though, is: developed specifically for the 4C and aptly named Race it is, according to the company, designed to enhance the handling characteristics on track driving.
The 4C, which will go on sale later this year and mark Alfa Romeo’s return to the U.S. market, will be manufactured (in very limited numbers, if our insider report is correct) at Maserati’s plant.
By Andrew Tsaousis
19 Comments:
I think it looks nice overall but what's with the detailing on the headlights? Can't stop looking at how ugly they are.
Quite nice, but the head lamps look like being "designed" by a four year old girl.
gotta agree. headlights look terrible.
These being renderings and no real photographs I wouldn't worry about details in the headlights, judge them after the real photos appear.
Are you sure these are just renderings? Every media is referring to these pictures as 'the production model'...
I can confirm they are renderings as a CG artist, nothin is lit that way in nature
Yes, please!
There is no way that is a real photo. Looks so fake.
Hating the headlights - the rest looks good.
I love everything about this car except that damn grille, even though it flows nicely with the hood. I've never been a fan of that damn grille.
that's a cruel joke, right???? the headlamps are disgustingly cheap. the concept mirrors we're about lightyears better looking and the rear diffusor with those endless tailpipes??? centro-stile has obviously shut its doors and let fiat take over :( the only positiv change is that they got rid of those plastics in the side air intakes...
alfa, alfa, where have you gone. get walter de silva back or wolfgang egger, please! or feel free to ask me or your customers for advice, but come on!!! you can do better!
the overall design isn't that striking anyways (even if most people would disagree, but it seems you can sell cr@p on a plate nowadays as long as a cherry is on top of it and the mainstream media will tell you how beautiful it is).
i was disappointed the day the first prototype was revealed and even more since today... i actually spend about an hour talking to an alfa representative explaining why, after they called me... once again, i'm tired of those halfbaked-designs... :(
at least they've choosen to return to lightweight and rwd - but it seems, they can either make them pretty and rubbish to drive or the other way around.
then you have never been a fan of alfa, my friend... the scudetto is connected to alfa, like the pope to the vatican (except for ratzinger ;))
i hope you are right. i wondered about the quality as well and can only hope this is an way too early april-fool!
Those headlights... I can understand they wanted to look like spider eyes (even so, spiders have either 8 or 6 eyes, those headlights have 7 "eyes"), but it looks cheap and tacky.
Also, as a long time Alfa owner, I think this car is a mistake.
I just leave this...
Anybody here who can show me a photoshop of the 4c in Alitalia livery?
I had the same hope, but when you look closely at the spy shots of the 4C in the US, you can see the prototypes have the same ugly headlights. If they offer the concept's headlights as part of an upgrade-pack or on the Stradale version, I'd buy that one... as it stands, the headlights ruin it for me (lol, the headlights are so bad I didn't notice the ugly side mirrors until I read the comment above).
Stop whining!
I kinda like it. Looks very outdated, though. I mean, it looks as if it comes straight out of 2007! (Probably does, indeed.)
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