Will the Alfa Romeo 4c be a little Speciale?

I think the biggest problem the Alfa Romeo 4c has is nobody seems to believe it can possibly deliver what it promises:  a sub 2000lbs (dry) car with a carbon chassis,  Sub 5 sec 0-60, sub the price of a Cayman.

So will the little Alfa live up to the promise?

All real journalists were in Torino for the 4c launch and, lucky for us, at least one is a real driver as well.

Take it away Chris Harris...

WATCH HOW THE ALFA ROMEO 4C IS BEING BUILT

The built process recalls Pagani or Mclaren, will the driving experience live up to it?

This clip may be  best pitch yet from Alfa Romeo with the enthusiast community.  Construction techniques for the Alfa Romeo 4c  are those you would expect to see from Mclaren or, up the road in Modena, at Pagani yet this will be a sports car within reach of many.

The basic carbon tub is produced by Amber Composites in the UK, a leader in composite materials with expertise in motorsport,  automotive and marine applications.

From there the tub is finished and "baked" at the Maserati factory and the car largely hand assembled by specialized technicians.

It's a long way from the current image of Alfa Romeo, certainly in North America, and while certainly a "halo" product for the FIAT group, it's an exciting preview of  a future of lightweight high performance cars at affordable prices.

If you want to learn more, the full Alfa Romeo press release is after the break.

Alfa Romeo 4C: 895 Kilos Of Italian Carbon Fiber Goodness

Alfa Romeo releases more details of the 4C, the car that will bring the historic marque back to the American market.

895 Kilos, just 1973 pounds,  the Alfa Romeo 4C is probably the one car we are most interested in driving.    It will weigh as much as an Lotus Elise but with a proper interior and a better power to weight ratio.

The cars are being produced at the Maserati factory in Modena,  human hands rather than robots assembling the lightweight Sheet Moulding Compound body panels around its PrePreg carbon fiber tub weighing only 65 kg (143lb).   The carbon chassis is produced with techniques derived from Formula 1 and it's the first time anything like it has been available in a car in the 4C projected price range.

The quest to "add lightness"  extends to the glass,  just 4mm thick for the windshield, the use of PUR-RIM injected polyurethane for bumpers and quarter panels and aluminum, made with a process called Cobapress which gives  advantages of both casting and forging.

Alfa Romeo expects to produce 3500 4C per year,  deliveries in Europe will begin in September while November will see the US introduction at the LA Auto show.

It's a bold move for Alfa Romeo, a very exciting car we hope to drive one one day.

Production Alfa Romeo 4C ready for Geneva

Two years after it was shown at the Swiss show, the Alfa Romeo 4C is ready for prime time with the first official images of the production car (curiously however, clearly renderings not photographs).

Alfa did not release all the specs nor shots of the interior but 4C will retain the original concept's carbon chassis, turbo 4 engine and double clutch shifter. Alfa claims a power to weight ratio close to but better to that of a PDK equipped Cayman S which is around 1hp per 4.2kg.
The focus is more on "adding lightness" than adding power, something any true enthusiast will appreciate. Given most expect the 1750cc direct injection turbo 4 to output 240/250hp that makes it what, a 1000kg car with a negative lift body?  That would be more than awesome more like an aster to a tracktard's prayers.

Dimensions are a very square 2m in width (78") by 4m in length (157"). Compare to a new Cayman's 71x172.

Final interior pictures have not been released, Alfa is saying inspiration comes from the 8C and the classic 33 Stradale but with lots of exposed carbon fiber.

Price in the 50K Euro vicinity so perhaps $70/80K?
(via Alfa Romeo and Quattroporte)

Alfa Romeo 4C, Pocket Supercar

(photo: Alfa Romeo)

Score one for Alfa Romeo: a carbon chassis, under 2000 lbs mid engine 2 seater good for a sub-5 sec spring to 60mph.
More than a Caymen S fighter, the 4C is a lightweight Lotus Exige with a modern gearbox, sexier styling and engine. If it really does make production and is priced correctly (as it's rumored to be), It should be a tracktard's dream.
Check out the full Alfa Romeo press release after the jump.



World Premiere: the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept

At the 81st Geneva International Motor Show, the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept will make its debut, a compact "supercar" which represents the true essence of a sports car, according to the brand's values: performance, Italian style and technical excellence aimed at maximum driving pleasure in total safety.

The new concept presents the classic formula of the two-seater, rear-wheel drive coupé with its engine at the centre, a length of approximately 4 metres and a wheelbase of less than 2.4 metres: dimensions which serve both to emphasise the compact size of the car and to accentuate its agility. Distinguished by its graceful and clean external lines, the same principles are also applied to the inside, with the Concept's specific on-board design maintaining features and devices which directly reflect the car's sporting spirit.

On the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept technology and materials derived from the 8C Competizione find a home - carbon, aluminium, rear-wheel drive - and technology derived from Alfa Romeo models currently on sale: the 1750 turbo petrol engine with direct injection, the "Alfa TCT" twin dry clutch transmission and the Alfa DNA dynamic control selector.
Quite simply, this vehicle screams Alfa. Its sports car soul creates a unique driving sensation, both on the road and when racing, where its velocity and transverse acceleration become even more demanding.

Born from the experience acquired through the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and 8C Spider models, the new concept car shares its rear-wheel drive with the exclusive supercars as well as its philosophy based on achieving maximum driving pleasure and the proverbial Alfa Romeo road handling. This is an objective which the 8C Competizione and the 8C Spider pursue mainly through their increased power, while the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept follows the route of limited weight, made possible by extensive use of carbon, which also plays a structural role and guarantees exceptional agility with a weight/power ratio which is lower than 4 kg/HP. The chassis supports a body crafted completely from carbon, inside which there is space for the driver and passenger, while the rear frame structure and the crash boxes use aluminium extensively. The final result is a significant reduction in weight, limited to less than 850 kg, as well as the optimisation of the vehicle's centre of gravity, which gives the advantage of increased agility and drivability on the most challenging roads.

The name "4C Concept" is suggestive of the sports driving pleasure which only the spectacular "4 cylinder" 1750 Turbo Petrol engine which offers over 200 HP can bring. Already featured on a number of models in production, for example the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde, the engine boasts cutting-edge technical solutions such as direct injection, dual continuous variable valve timing, turbocharger and the revolutionary scavenging control system which eliminates turbo lag.

Located centrally in the rear of the vehicle, the engine in the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept ensures performance which matches or exceeds that of a 3 litre engine whilst still delivering the moderate fuel consumption which is typical of a compact, 4 cylinder engine. Coupled with the new automatic "Alfa TCT" twin dry clutch transmission, launched only a few months ago on the MiTo and which will soon be available on the Giulietta, the powerful 1750 Turbo petrol engine allows the 4C Concept to reach a top speed of over 250 km/h and to accelerate from 0 to 100km in under 5 seconds. The vehicle integrates its Alfa DNA technology perfectly, a true philosophy which brings together all of the on-board technology, making it enjoyable and customisable for the driver and further accentuating the "competitive" nature of the Concept compared to other vehicles currently on sale.

The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept has an extremely sophisticated suspension layout (high quadrilateral at the front, MacPherson at the rear) to ensure maximum agility and road handling. This solution, along with the rear-wheel drive and the extraordinary weight/power ratio, ensures Alfa Romeo driving pleasure, enhanced even further by the weight distribution (40% on the front axle and 60% on the rear axle). The Concept takes up the Brand's sporting tradition, taking us back to its origins, when agility and the weight/power ratio were the keys to a successful racing vehicle, and combining these aspects with the Alfa Romeos which take to the road every day.
This car is not simply an exercise in style created for the Motor Show; it will be on sale in 2012 and is set to reinforce Alfa Romeo's global growth.


Turin, 1 March 2011

The Alfa Romeo 4c looks amazing

All kinds of rumors about the Alfa Romeo 4c, including that it would never see the light of day but now Auto magazine confirms a prototype will be shown In Geneva, early March with production starting in 2012.

Dallara designed carbon tub chassis mated with the current 1750cc turbo four, would give the 4c performance along the lines of a Cayman S, placing it in a market segment where the Fiat group in not playing in at the moment.

If it looks anything like this rendering and the price point is what is rumored (significantly less expensive than the Cayman), it will be insanely desirable.

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