Alfa Romeo 4c
Road tested for Devonshire magazine by Chris Lilly
Devonshire magazine test this pocket rocket from the famous Italian marque Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo 4c
Road tested for Devonshire magazine by Chris Lilly
F
or anyone with even a passing interest in driving, one of the most exciting cars on the road at the moment is the sporty Alfa Romeo 4c. Small, lightweight and fantastically designed, the 4C is promises much. But the question is, can the Alfa match the expectations?
Taking a look at all the different aspects of the car, buyers will be delighted to see a carbon fibre chassis underpinning the 4C. This keeps the weight down to just 895kg which is fantastically light, and also makes the whole car incredibly stiff. The other key component in the 4C s arsenal is a small but powerful engine. The Alfa Romeo is propelled by a 1.75 litre turbocharged petrol unit producing 240hp and 258 lb ft of torque. Crucially, and aided by the low weight, the economy figures are equally if not more impressive. The 4C will return 41.5mpg and emits 157g/km CO2 which are excellent
figures for such a focused sports car. But these are just numbers and give you only a guide as to what the Alfa is like to drive.
noise for a little four-pot and raising question marks as to whether Alfa forgot to fit a silencer while on the production line.
What has to be done is to climb over the wide, exposed carbon fibre sill, slot yourself in behind the wheel and take it for a spin.
When you pull away though, all questions and other thoughts are banished as you are instantly immersed in the act of driving it.
The Alfa's a truly practical supercar, 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and 41.5mpg The driving position is excellent straight from the off with all of the switch-gear orientated towards the driver. You immediately get the impression that you are sitting in a racing car with a few added creature comforts. Start the engine and that impression is reinforced. The engine rumbles and pops, generating a fantastic
A rarity for cars these days, the Alfa feels remarkably unaided ‒ leaving you as a crucial component of the act of driving, not merely a passenger. The most obvious piece of driving technology is the Alfa Romeo DNA system which tweaks the settings of the throttle and electronic
differential for various conditions. The normal DNA system found in other models has dynamic , normal and all-weather modes while Alfa has added a race set-up on the 4C s unit. Put in normal or all-weather and the 4C shows off one of its best party pieces. Relying on the considerable torque available from the engine, you can potter about in the Alfa all day long. Leave it in almost any gear and the 4C will pull you along and let you trickle through traffic easily. It was quite a surprise to find this out as I thought that the small petrol unit would have to be thrashed to get the best from it. You really don t have to though and the front visibility is brilliant too with the Alfa s compact dimensions helping with parking and the day to day act of driving. The haunches are right over the wheels and you know that there is virtually no overhang in front of that, making the 4C easy to pilot about town.
Switch the DNA system to dynamic or race though and it quickly becomes apparent that the 4C s natural habitat is out on a sweeping, twisty road.
impression as it pulls smoothly and hard in almost any gear and at almost any point on the speedometer.
forward towards the first corner. Apply the strong brakes and turn into the bend and you will have a huge smile across your face guaranteed. The amount of feedback from the 4C lets you feel completely dialled in to the Alfa, enabling you to put the car wherever you want to in the corner. The precise steering is highly responsive while the sharp brakes can be feathered nicely to scrub off speed mid-corner should you need to with the car remaining unbothered. There is no hint of the Alfa being petulant as it lets you flick the car into a corner or gradually load it up beforehand, whichever your
The Alfa is designed for driving and being driven properly ‒ everything pulls together and creates one superb machine. The engine uses its torque low down and the turbo higher up the rev range to pull you along at a serious rate of knots when you put your right foot down.
It is on the open road that you forgive the 4C its sins; the somewhat ungainly ingress to the cabin, the lack of decent rearward visibility and load space and the slightly stiff ride. None of these matter when you are on your favourite road in the lithe Italian sports car.
The 0-62mph sprint is despatched in 4.5 seconds but it is the in-gear acceleration that creates a bigger
The benefits of the stiff and lightweight chassis come into their own as the acceleration pushes you
preference ‒ or how playful a mood you are in. It is one of the finest driver s cars around. Compare the 4C against the likes of Porsche s Cayman and the Alfa doesn t buckle under the pressure. I m not sure which would be better but I know which I would choose. The Italian machine has a far greater sense of ceremony when driven and would be my pick. At £45,000 it isn t ridiculously priced, especially when compared to rivals, the driving experience is flexible and pin sharp and it looks absolutely fantastic. I m glad to say that Alfa Romeo is back. - Chris Lilly