It’s no secret that no matter how much an automotive designer wants to take credit for his or her creation, there’s only so much that can be called genuine creativity. Most of the better shapes we see are inspired by nature, usually by muscular predatory animals, which have clearly defined flanks, perfectly resembling the shape of a feline crouched down, ready to pounce – somewhat of a cliché in the industry.

The idea is: the more extreme the flanks, the more coke bottle-like it all gets, and the more we begin to hear names, most of which are Italian (and one Japanese).

By that definition, a car which is clearly not shy of its cat-inspired design is the sporty-looking Alfa Romeo 4C, which looks especially good in black, wet and on the Balocco track, at dusk (probably) – the video we have linked after the jump more than proves the above.

Still, will its universally-appreciated good looks (bar the kit-car headlights) and turbocharged power be enough for it to have a fighting chance of winning over buyers of well-established rival brands?

Alfa has always been good at styling, but they have not always been good at delivering a complete package. That is exactly what Porsche offers with the similarly-priced Cayman, which may be slower and lack Cross and Serpent badge which looks like a medieval shield, but it is nevertheless a virtually unbeatable package.

If the Alfa works as intended, and isn’t hampered by silly bugs like unresponsive paddle shifters, a fidgety ride or horrible interior practicality, and gets all the sports car aspects right too, then it has a shot – it also needs to impress the US again too.

By Andrei Nedelea

Story References: Alfa Romeo via Autoevolution

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