Alfa 4C - "Without The Heart We Would Be Mere Machines"

Here's another video of the 4C driving on mountain roads:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiC2CTEuevs

 

Here's another old road test video I haven't seen before:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO05_cXtbME

 

Alfa Romeo 4C Reviews - Alfa Romeo 4C Price, Photos, and Specs - CARandDRIVER

A Ferrari engineer once told me his company obtained a C6 Corvette a few years ago to see what the fuss was about. Assuredly, the foreigners pummeled the poor thing down to a grease spot. The Vette is big, loud, and fast, the engineer concluded, but “a little bit crude, no?” He said the last part with a smirk. My Yankee spine stiffened, and I said that before I’d agree, I’d want to see what a $50,000 Ferrari drives like.

I just found out. Mamma mia and holy mother of Gorgonzola.

Kids, you’d better hide your college funds, because temptation—real, reachable, I-can-do-this-if-I-just-reorganize-a-few-priorities temptation—is about to kick down the front door in high heels and leather. If Dad can resist the thing, pass his phone number to the pope.

 

Dammit Bob, you are not helping!

(This came out a while back... Prompted me to try yet again to spin the wheel on the find the dealer wheel...with no luck of course)

 

New York Auto show is this week. I think there will be a lot of information after it's official introduction.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2O7rZTBs7w]Independence Day - I've Got To Get Me One Of These! - YouTube[/ame]

 

It's about time! I was talking with a friend at Coffee and Rides this morning - he owns a Lotus Elise - and when I brought up the 4C he said lots of people are talking about wanting that car.

All I need is to know where to go to order one. The decision's already been made!

Cheers,

George

 

Aren't we all!

 

I got this email yesterday from Enrico who runs the big Maserati website.

NEWS FROM MODENA

Increase in production of the Alfa 4C is delayed until May

Some vendors in trouble meeting delivery times. For now, the second round of production will not begin, and the 80 workers called to Modena from other Fiat plants will return to their homes. Meanwhile sales start in the USA .

by Diodato Pirone

MODENA - Delayed, probably until May, is the increase in the production of the Alfa Romeo 4C coupe that had been first planned for the end of March.

The second round for the Maserati factory in Modena, where production of the 4C began at the end of last year, has not yet started due to the difficulty of some suppliers to meet delivery times and the amount of some components which has almost doubled. And so from next weekend the 80 employees from other Fiat plants that had been called to work in Modena just for the second round will return home pending new regulations by the management .

The large amount of orders received for the Alfa 4C, much higher than anticipated, and the imminent start of sales of the coupe in the United States has forced producers to speed up the start of the second round in Modena. An operation aimed at nearly doubling the production of the model that should exceed the 3,500 units a year forecast until now to around 5,000. Objectives postponed but not abandoned, waiting for the engineers of some supplier companies to find ways of increasing production of their commissioned parts .

No problem, however, for the main supplier of the Alfa 4C, Adler Airola , in the province of Benevento, which manufactures the lightweight carbon fibre skeleton that provides the coupe made in Italy a weight of less than 900 kg. Adler, thanks to incentives of the Campania Region, took on eighty workers to increase chassis production

 

The CF tub has been the limiter since day one. Most of us wondered how they could do it.

AR could sell 3000 cars in the US alone. It's going to be in short supply for a while because it's not easy to ramp up production.

The spirit of the 246 Dino lives on!

Simple, basic, sporty -- and beautiful.

 

Yes, I'm mentally prepared for a long wait, because I think the demand is going to be more than AR's wildest dreams.

Cheers,

George

 

Dropped my car off for an annual service today, and heard that it looks like FIAT dealerships that are also Maserati dealerships will get the 4C, but not Maserati dealerships that are NOT also FIAT dealerships. this would mean no 4C's for San Antonio as our FIAT and Maserati dealerships are separate.

Still preliminary, of course, but it's the closest thing to an answer I've gotten yet.

Cheers,

George

 

Car looked great in the flesh, easily the most appealing car there, excpet maybe the z06, but that is a different kettle of fish. Interior at least in the versions shown here looks upscale, sorta makes a ferrari redundant, at least untill you start the motor.. Price for launch edition 75K, and about 54k foir base version later, but in reality they said there is no base. 100 Launch cars expected in June, then they will see what comes later. No dealer info.
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Can someone elaborate on the driving experience of a car such as the 4C with no power steering? I know that it's light similar to an Elise, but I can't get the image out of my head of turning a giant wheel 10 times to make a left turn...

 

my elise is very easy to steer. no problem parking or any low speed movements. once at speed, its fantastic, best there is.

its nothing like a 348 manual steering that required wrestling match to park. lotus is very low weight and has small front tires.

no one knows what the alfa will weigh in usa but I doubt it will be near elise 2000 lbs. I bet over 2300

 

They said the 4c would weigh "acouplke of hundred pounds more than the Eurospec.
Wet weight probably around 2400lbs.

 

Dry weight for the US-spec 4C is 2315 lbs. Curb weight 2465 lbs.

 

Does that mean its 316lbs heavier than a Euro version?

 

I don't have the exact figures, but prior to intro, Alfa said the US version would be 100kg than the European version. I'm guessing the Euro version is not sub-2000lbs.


Mark

 

Seriously? 100 cars coming in June, with no specifics on a dealer network? That is astounding to me.

 

I stopped by the local newly built FIAT-Maserati-A... dealership today. They opened yesterday and are still getting furniture, cars etc., but I put my name down for the 4C and they will contact me when they have specifics on the cars.

 

Outstanding!

I'll probably hav to go from San Antonio to Houston to get mine, so I'm awaiting more solid info yet.

Cheers,

George

 

Noticed your in SoCal, where was the dealership?


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My guess is that the Euro version that is sub 2000 lbs is a base base car with no Ac etc.
The USA version has AC and leather so those two things probably add 60 or so lbs. Plus there is the seat rails for the passenger seat, which Alfa thinks the US market demands and I highly doubt is a requirement for a 2 seater car.

We know they had to add metal to the front and rear for our crash and bumper rules, plus also more airbags.

Probably we would want to see a road test of a USA version to really understand the differences. If the power is up or can be easily incresed and the brakes up to the job, then from a track experience its not fatal, unless of course most of that weight is sitting on the poles ie the very front and rear.

Have to say though, the Alfa was very appealing, but to me the star of the show for sheer awesomeness was the z06. But then I have a lotus alredy for the small car thing, and will wait a few years for the cooking version of the alfa.

Still imo if you get an alfa over say a used 360 you are not going to be sorry in any way, and its probably more fun to drive(if abit slower in a straight line) than a 458 which is a bit bland. The 4c is definitly one of those cars that when you look at it and the interior space its awesomeness speaks to you and one gets the excitement to really want to just hop in and try it out. As one gets older and has experience with a number of cars, there are very few that elicit that feeling, and the alfa is definitly one of the few, and attainable for less than uber money.

I can see this car being produced for a decade, becomming a cult classic with ever more accomplished versions, and as ferraris get quicker on paper, Alfa will be free to stretch the boundaries of the possible.

By way of contrast, as accomplished as a cayman is on paper, I personaly feel no strong desire to try one out, its really pretty ho hum.

A bit off topic, but at BMW I would first want the keys to the new BMW M2 over the new M4 for a day, it looked short and compact, something really fun in the M3 of old school(e36) even though I am sure on paper the M4 is more acomplished.

There is some nice stuff comming down the pipeline these days, and in a few years we will also see some really cooking mustangs, pity(to my eyes) about the bulky and confused front end.

For want of a better term, every decade or so(except the mid 70's to early 90s), there are some great modern classics, or future classics being offered, and the alfa 4c is one of them.

Over at porche IMO there is nothing I would term a modern classic or keeper, at ferrari maybe the 458 and that is more for styling more than anything.

 

Good observations... I think Alfa's always look better in real life. For Ferrari the 458 does seem to be the best car in it's current lineup for looks, although the latest update is trying to mess that up.

The problem with Porsche's are after you have seen one you have seen them all. Nothing really stands out about them even on their supercars. They look fast but the styling is re cooked old Porsche.

By the way, I like the last Corvette body better than the new one. The new race TUSC Lemans version is really cool but the new street Z06 looks to long to my eye. The greenhouse side and rear window make it look strange. Almost a little TVRish

 

To me the problem with the porches is not so mmuch the looks, because that does not change its what they are, but dynamicaly the product has lost its USP, ie tactility and engagement, plus become heavy and large, worst of all losing durability.

the last corvette may be more organic and therefore appealing, but its build was never 100k car territory and the new one is much improved here. Plus in the flesh the z06 has a raw agression, like a lambo which is appealing, but yeah the regualr c7 looks a little long.

I looked closely at the shutlines on the Alfa, they were gemran excellent, in that regard the vette can still learn from the Italians.