The £50,000 Alfa Romeo 4C has been conceived as a supercar-beating sports car whose combination of light weight, modest power and agile handling might be expected to see off heavier, more powerful and pricier exotics.
“We could see a situation where a 4C driver might easily be quicker on tight, twisting roads, like a mountain pass, than a supercar like the Bugatti Veyron because of its agility and compact size,” says European sales boss Louis-Carl Vignon.
Last week Alfa lifted the lid on some of the technical highlights that might deliver this giant-killing performance, including the first look at its carbonfibre tub, alloy subframes, running gear, composite panels and lightweight glass.
Although the carbonfibre tub makes up just 10 per cent of the 4C’s kerb weight, it accounts for a quarter of the material volume. Aluminium (subframes, suspension and engine block/transmission casing) accounts for 38 per cent of the kerb weight and steel (engine/gears, suspension, rollover protection) 23 per cent. The composite body is seven per cent.
The main figures are a 65kg carbonfibre tub and an 895kg dry weight, which is expected to nudge towards 1100kg as a final ‘in-service’ figure when liquids and a fuel load are added, together with the legally required 75kg driver with luggage.
Alfa Romeo has targeted a weight-to-power ratio of below 4kg/bhp. At the quoted dry weight, Alfa says it has achieved 3.85kg/bhp, sufficient for 0-62mph in 5.0sec. Top speed is 155mph.
Trying to avoid the obvious comparison with the steel-bodied Porsche Cayman/Boxster, Alfa is proud of the 4C’s performance. “We are faster than other similar cars,” says Vignon. “The performance is quite something. This is a real pure-bred Alfa.”
The engineering spec is a long roster of lightweight materials. The sheet moulding compound (SMC) composite used in the body is a special lightweight formulation. Even the glass has been pared down to keep weight low.
Many aspects of the 4C are simple. The steering is unassisted, saving the weight of hydraulics, and the electrical system is relatively simple, featuring fewer than 10 ECUs. The manual air-con, for example, was chosen partly because it doesn’t need an ECU and keeps the engineering lightweight.
Alfa has confirmed that the first UK cars will arrive in late August, with customers of the first, higher-spec Launch Edition models possibly taking delivery in September.
Engine
Alfa is at pains to point out that the 4C will be powered solely by a four-cylinder engine mated to a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Rumours persist, however, that a V6 will come eventually. ìThe four-cylinder is perfect because it gives us the performance of a six but is much lighter, says European sales boss Louis-Carl Vignon. Emissions are better, and in many European markets that is becoming more important, even for sports cars, for tax reasons.
Join the debate
Suzuki QT
Hmmm ...
Breathtakingly gorgeous!! ... BUT ... Where does the front number plate go?
Apart from Truvelo speed cameras and DVLA checks, there is NO justification for a front number plate on ANY vehicle ...
Smilerforce
Suzuki QT
Ouch! Wherever that plate goes its going to look like a right lemon on the front.
martin_66
Ugly
A. It looks like a squashed up, much uglier version of a Lotus Evora.
B. Like all Alfas it looks wrong at the front end - nice until you put a registration plate on it then it looks all lopsided with the plate on one side.
Note to Alfa Romeo and Suzuki QT (above): British Construction and Use regulations require a front number plate to be fitted to all new cars. Please design your cars accordingly.
Scotital
Lopsided...or just offset?
Historically, many Italian cars have had offset front number plates so it's entirely appropriate that 4C is similarly 'endowed' or 'afflicted' depending on how conservative your outlook on life is.
UK front number plates look as if they have been designed by kids i.e. unnecessarily large. The Truvelo argument is a non argument; after all, grey imports (and foreign registered cars visiting UK) use smaller number plates without creating auto-read problems.
BTW, it's easy to have an Italian size front plate and still be UK legal; just get a 5 or 6 character personalised number and have the plate made the appropriate length. Contrary to popular belief, there is no spec. for the size of a UK plate; just a spec. for reflective background, character style & size, spacing and borders. So fewer characters allows for shorter plate.
Anyway, if the front number plate issue is the one that matters most to you above all other cutting-edge attributes, evidently 4c isn't the car for you. So move on, get something big and heavy and...hmmm...conservative!
martin_66
Scotital wrote: Anyway, if
"
It's a fair point because all Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Lotuses, Porsches, BMWs, Jaguars, etc etc etc, are "big and heavy and....hmmm.....conservative", aren't they!! Doh!!
Just admit it, Alfa Romeo get the front end wrong every time. They all lack symmetry, and just look wrong. I'm all for designers trying something innovative, something different, but not if it just ends up looking wrong.
finecitytom
impressive stuff..... but
If this article outlined the production secrets of the latest Porsche or Honda halo vehicle, let alone another half dozen reliable but less interesting manufacturers, I'm sure we would all agree that its sounds exciting, but Alfa?
Sounds like a lot of bespoke engineering that might not have gone through quite enough testing.
Interesting that the tub is produced by the firm responsible for Maserati CF trim.
I'm sure the trim they produce is excellent but not quite the same is it?
I love the idea of this car and very happy they are actually producing it.
I hope it proves to be a step change in the quality of desirable alfas.
Turismo
The weight does not have to
The weight does not have to legally include driver or luggage.
jason_recliner
Love it!
Perfect size and weight for a sports car, sensual styling that doesn't take itself too seriously, and it just oozes Italian flair. Especially the cheeky offset plate, like a sexy, slightly lopsided grin on a beautiful woman. Alfa is back!
BenS1
Almost everything
To make a really fast car it needs to be light, have good handling and power.
For some reason most manufacturers seem to add lots of power but the cars are too heavy to make them truely fast. I commend the 4C's focus on weight saving but then why ruin it by giving it only 237bhp?
Personally I'm in the market for something thats light AND powerful, not light OR powerful.
Onehp
O my ears!?! Just get a car
O my ears!?! Just get a car that matches yours beloved licence plate!
BenS1, may I recommend the Hennesy Venom GT, would just suit your taste. Now put your money where your mouth is.
Looks like a nice car, an interesting engineering effort with some decent quality control, and probably - as remains to be seen, a proper drive. Let's see if that carbon tub will make people pay...
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