Alfa Romeo 4C officially previewed

Thank you Alfa Romeo.

Italian automotive icon Alfa Romeo has released these teaser images of what will become the hero model of the year, the 4C sportscar. A full reveal of the 4C will take place in a few weeks at the Geneva Motor Show. As such they’ve kept final specifications to themselves, but these pics, that’s it, that’s the real 4C that you will be able to buy.

It looks fantastic.

Actually, in truth there are a few parts of the exterior that aren’t quite right. And yet, that’s just one more piece to what will make this car the darling of the world’s motoring media. Beautiful ugly you could call it, perhaps.

What will make people really stop and take notice is the predicted performance. Let’s start with the basics, the 4C is a mid-engine, rear wheel drive sportscar that is quite squat and quite small (less than 4000mm in length, 2000mm wide and just 1180mm high). At the moment Alfa has kept quiet on the weight of the 4C, but it’s expected to weigh at around 900kg—that’s very light—so it should be very nimble.

Officially all Alfa has said regarding weight is that the car will have a power to weight ratio of less than 4kg per horsepower.

Which brings us to the engine. For now it looks as though talk of a 224kW (300hp) 1.8 litre can be quashed, as the release below confirms the 4C will use a new version of the 1750cc turbocharged motor currently found in the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde. For round numbers, then, let’s suggest the 4C will have 250hp (185kW), that’s an increase of 15hp over the Giulietta and would result in a power to weight ratio of 3.6kg/hp (assuming a kerb weight of 900kg).

Coupled to a twin clutch transmission, a minor negative perhaps, the 4C should race through the gears increasing pace with a feeling that can only result in the broadest of smiles for the driver.

Sounds good to us. We can’t wait to learn more!

World premiere: Alfa Romeo 4C

• The new Alfa Romeo compact mid-engined supercar with rear-wheel drive and two bucket seats makes its début in Geneva.
• The new Alfa Romeo 4C is the result of experience built up with the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione model produced in the Maserati plant in Modena and it will be available for purchase in 2013, marking the return of the Italian brand to the United States.
• Less than 4 metres in length, 200 cm wide, 118 cm high and with a wheelbase of less than 2.4 metres.
• New 4 cylinder 1750 Turbo Petrol all-aluminium engine.
• Alfa TCT twin clutch automatic transmission.
• New Alfa DNA selector with Race mode.
• Chassis made entirely of carbon with load-bearing and structural function.
• Weight to power ratio less than 4 kg/HP.

The final version of the Alfa Romeo 4C makes its début at the 83rd International Motor Show in Geneva. This mid-engined rear-wheel drive coupé with two bucket seats represents the true essence of a sports car at the heart of Alfa Romeo’s DNA: performance, Italian style and technical excellence, offering maximum driving satisfaction in total safety.

Designed by Alfa Romeo engineers and produced in the Maserati plant in Modena, the new compact supercar will be available for purchase in 2013, marking the return of the Italian brand to the United States and inaugurating Alfa Romeo’s global growth plan.

The Alfa Romeo 4C derives directly from the concept which raised many eyebrows in wonder at the Geneva Show in 2011, so much so that it won three prestigious awards: the ‘AutoBild Design Award’ (2011, Germany), the ‘Design Award for Concept Cars & Prototypes’ (2012, Italy) and the ‘Most Exciting Car of 2013’ – ‘What Car?’ (2013, Great Britain).

Acronym 4C

The acronym ‘4C’ draws its inspiration from the brand’s glorious past, projecting the values of technology and emotions into the future. Indeed, it refers to Alfa Romeo’s great sporting tradition: the acronyms 8C and 6C in the 1930s and 1940s distinguished cars – both racing and road – fitted with the powerful ‘eight cylinders’ and the innovative ‘six cylinders’, confirming in its design layout and construction the goal of achieving the power/weight ratio of an authentic supercar, less than 4 kg/HP, yet focusing not merely on the maximum power delivered, but on limiting the weight to guarantee maximum agility and top performance. To this end, the Alfa Romeo 4C uses technologies and materials derived from super sports cars (including the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione) – carbon fibre, aluminium, rear-wheel drive – and technologies from the latest standard models from Alfa Romeo, but updated to enhance the sports appeal of the new car even further. This is demonstrated by the new 1750 Turbo Petrol all-aluminium engine with direct injection, the sophisticated Alfa TCT twin dry clutch transmission and the Alfa DNA selector with the unprecedented Race mode.

Exterior style

Designed by the Alfa Romeo Style Centre, the 4C immediately brings to mind some of the traditional iconic models which have left a significant mark in the history of the Brand. Above all others, in terms of dimensional and layout similarities, one stands out in particular: the 33 Stradale, a car that combined extreme mechanical and functional requirements with an essential style which ‘clothed’ the engine and chassis appropriately with unmistakable Alfa Romeo treatments. The 4C has followed suit, and thus completes a journey which was embarked upon with the 8C Competizione, emphasising some particular concepts of the brand, such as compact size, dynamism and agility.

Interior design

The elemental design and essential materials also distinguish the interior, which is all designed and built for maximum driving satisfaction. Specifically, the carbon fibre in the interior immediately stands out, used to make the central cell, which has been left in full view to enhance the sense of uniqueness, of technology and light weight.

Dimensions and aerodynamics

The compact dimensions make this car with 2 bucket seats truly unique amid its competitors: it is just under 4 metres long, 200 cm wide, 118 cm high and with a wheelbase of less than 2.4 metres. These dimensions serve both to emphasise the compact size of the car and to accentuate its agility. What’s more, owing to the designers’ excellent work, the car achieves maximum aerodynamic efficiency levels, recording a negative Cz (downforce coefficient) which, as in racing cars, contributes towards achieving increased stability at higher speeds.

New 4 cylinder 1750 Turbo Petrol

An evolution of the engine already in use in the Quadrifoglio Verde version of the Giulietta, the new 4 cylinder 1750 Turbo Petrol engine implements an innovative aluminium block and specific intake and exhaust systems which have been optimised to enhance the sports appeal of the car even further. In addition, it boasts cutting-edge technical solutions including direct fuel injection, dual continuous variable valve timing, a turbocharger and a revolutionary scavenging control system that gets rid of any turbo lag.

Alfa TCT automatic transmission

The 1750 Turbo Petrol engine is teamed with the innovative Alfa TCT automatic twin dry clutch transmission, which is a genuine benchmark in its segment due to its low weight and extreme speed of activation. The gears can also be changed in sequential mode using the shift paddles located behind the steering wheel.

The new Alfa DNA selector with Race mode

The Alfa Romeo 4C also sees the début of the new Alfa DNA selector which not only features the three standard settings available until now – Dynamic, Natural and All Weather – but also a fourth mode: Race, designed to enhance the driving experience on a race track even further.

Excellence made in Italy

The very best technical and industrial expertise of the Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands were used to develop the final version of the 4C. Specifically, the teamwork between the two brands was aimed at the integration of the Alfa Romeo design department with the Maserati production plant. In short, this too is a distinguishing trait of Alfa Romeo, a brand with a century of history that continues to be one of the most famous and popular ambassadors of Italian products across the world.