The 4c is just the kind of stripped-back driving machine Alfa fans have been waiting for. And, says expert car reviewer Andrew Frankel, the result is edge-of-the-bucket-seat stuff
ALFA ROMEO 4C
This model from £45,000
Alfa fans have been waiting decades for it to deliver a driver’s car worthy of the once-stellar expectations of the brand. And how Alfa has delivered! The 4C has not just one of the most gorgeous shapes of any road car, but those looks write a cheque the car beneath can cash in full. Unlike any production car costing remotely similar money, the 4C comes with a full carbon-fibre monocoque – just like an F1 – making it not just incredibly stiff and strong but powder-puff light too: it weighs less than the lightest Fiat Panda.
Power comes from a highly turbocharged 1.7-litre, four-cylinder engine that endows the 4C with supercar-slaying performance while gear changes are whipcrack-quick courtesy of a paddleshift transmission. But the real joy is the chassis, which can summon not only stupendous grip but also fabulous feel thanks to an unassisted steering rack. Just avoid the raucous sports exhaust, unless you don’t mind being hated by your neighbours.
Performance
- Engine: 1742cc, 240bhp
- Transmission: 6-speed manual
- Top speed: 160mph
- 0-60mph acceleration: 4.5sec
Costs
- Claimed economy: 41.5mpg
