Alfa Romeo 4c who has one?

Remember total production capacity for the 4C (both Coupe and Spider) is only 2,500 cars per year.

So that is just under 20% of production sold in US if the factory ran at capacity, which it doesn't. Figure maybe 8 cars a day for 40 weeks a year. that is 1,600 cars. That puts the US sales now closer to 30% probably closer to the number Alfa would like to hit.

 

Believe the 457 number sourced from Road and Track for 2016 US 4C sales is for coupes and spiders combined.

 

Just did a few upgrades to the 4c. Pogea 200 cell cat, flex pipe and exhaust. It's also running the Pogea ECU tune 1.5
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Nice stuff.

Do you notice a reduction in turbo lag due to the new cat/exhaust ?

 

absolutely. I didn't have much time to drive it last night due to the wet weather here. But that was the first thing I noticed. The lack of turbo lag. I do have a ECU tune as well.

Besides the absence of turbo lag, there is a lot more whooshing and hissing from the engine. You can really hear the flow difference.

It's a pain in the A of an install, but well worth it.

 

USA 2016 total # Alfa Romeo 4C's sold:-

Jan - 67
Feb - 49
Mar - 53
Apr - 60
May - 44
Jun - 36
Jul - 43
Aug - 37
Sep - 34
Oct - 23
Nov - 23
Dec - 23
Total - 492

Possibly R&T's 457# are for the Coupes.

 

Road and Track's wording was "People don't like their new expensive sports cars to have flaws, possibly why Alfa's only sold 457 units so far this year." I think the discrepency in numbers has to do with when the piece was put on line, before all sales numbers for the year were out. 492-457= 35, too small a number to represent the total of all coupe or spider sales in the US in 2016.

Best, Most Underrated Cars of 2016 - 12 Awesome Cars No One Bought

 

The truth is that most people nowadays that want a sports car actually want something that looks like a sports car but has all the conveniences of a nice daily driver. This is especially true of more expensive "sports cars." All they do is cruise to work and to shopping in it and want to look good.

Miatas are relatively cheap so you can get away with a basic car but on a 60-70k car, not so much. It's a shame because in my opinion the 4C is a sports car in every sense of the word, minus the dual clutch transmission

 

The 4c is tough to get in and out of for most people. I think this turns a lot of people off right off the get go.

I don't care. I like mine. They are only for us nutscases. So were so many classic cars when they where made.

The car market has changed. Remember when there were like 8 different 2 seat convertibles you could get in the 60's and 70's? Today Mazda has a tough time selling one.

I swear people today are conditioned against small cars. Everyone has an SUV or minivan. You jump from that into the seat of a 4c and you think you are in a sardine can.

The 4c is not for everyone. Thank goodness!

 

Mayor,

How is the leg room in your 4C as I can't fit in the Miata due my height 6'1+
and long legs which prevents me from having enough room even with the seat all the way back?

 

I have a 6 foot 2 friend who has ridden in my 4c. Once seated things were okay. Getting in required a certain amount of flexibility.


Smaller cars rule. I love driving my red Fiat 500 through car line at my kid's school. It's like playing bumper cars with the black/white and shades of gray SUV's.

 

I'm 6'2 as well, I fit fine. Enough head, leg and shoulder room.

More space than in an Elise/Exige.

 

As far as sales numbers, forum member "mdpsk" on the 4c forum posted this:

"2014 to end of 2016 Alfa 4C sales figures confirm the low production numbers of our cars as reported by Good Car Bad Car. Only 1234 USA and 209 Canadian 4Cs have been sold. Included in these figures are about 400 US and 100 Canadian launch ed. cars. Interesting to find out how many spiders have sold so far-- a minority model.

US. 2014. 91. Canada 2014. 2.
2015 663. 2015. 122.
2016. 480. 2016. 85.
Totals: 1234. 209."

As far as TheMayor's comments, I let a car freak friend of mine take my 4c of a drive. His first comments when the drive was over: "It is hard to get in and out of" and "I can't believe it does not have power steering." Even for professed car guys, it definitely is not for everyone.

 

I think there's plenty of leg room in the 4c. But, I'm only 5'8". I don't have the seat all the way back. I put it all the way back to get in and out.

 

Has that not always been the case in the USA? It is as you would imagine quite different here.

 

"Launch Edition" with 7500 miles just sold for $50k incl commission on BaT:

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition | Bring a Trailer

What are they going for these days, new, out the door?

 

Interesting. I have 6K on my LE and paid 68k 2 years ago. I figure 50k is about right. A lot of dealers have been discounting new ones which brings down the price. But there are few new coupes left at dealers. Almost all are spiders.

 

This one's calling your name Bob:

1980 Fiat X1/9 | Bring a Trailer

 

I am looking at a 4c and going to test drive two next week. I am seeking some advice from those that own or have meaningful time in the cars.

There are three dimensions of interest to me. Suspension / wheel package (track pack or not), exhaust choice and coupe versus spider. My questions are:

Suspension
- how is the ride quality on poor quality roads (endemic in the Midwest) for a car equipped with the track package?
- how is the balance of the car with a track package versus non track package equipped car?

One of Chris Harris's videos suggested the non-track package equipped car was "better" as it was both more compliant (light car) and better balanced (less prone to under steer). I am sure alignment / ARB can improve the latter if needed.

Exhaust
Like most of us, I enjoy the sound from intake and exhaust. The V10 in my Gallardo makes a truly wonderful noise. That said, there are few things worse than a loud car when you don't want it to be loud, one that drones on the highway and one that "shouts" when arriving at the in-laws. The sport pack has no muffler and I am curious if people find it loud enough to cause embarrassment. I am sure it is loud enough when you want it to be loud!

Spider versus coupe.
The primary question here is level of wind noise within the car when at speed. For the spider, this would be with the top on and top off. I had a Noble. Windows would be sucked away from the interior at speed which meant the wind noise within the cabin at 100+ was severe. Most modern cars have a"window sealing" secondary closure servo to remedy this concern.

Any guidance appreciated.

Philip.

 

This from the 4c Forums citing a review by the Daily Telegraph, a UK broadsheet newspaper.

"The steering is also affected by which of the two basic setups you choose. For the coupe, most customers have gone for “Race”, which teams stiffer suspension with anti-roll bars front and rear and wheels that measure 18 inches at the front and 19 at the rear. The result is a firm-riding but ultimately well controlled car, plus Alfa Romeo does claim to have made numerous adjustments to calm the coupé’s wayward front-end, which followed cambers with the tenacity of a heat-seeking missile. To an extent it appears to have worked, but a Race-spec 4C Spider still requires an alert mind and two hands gripped firmly on the wheel at all times.

Better, by far, to choose the standard comfort suspension setup, which has been tuned on UK roads. Along with 17-inch wheels front and 18s at the rear (plus the removal of the rear anti-roll bar), the result is a more compliant and thus enjoyable car, with a slightly lighter and more linear helm and more predictable turn-in. That’s more like it."

People here agree? How many went with the standard suspension set up?

 

I have the race package being a LE.

In LA, the suspension is pretty tough. In Vegas its acceptable. But if you ride on a lot of bumpy roads it going to get to you. On the clean freeway it's a magic carpet. On LA's torn up freeways it's not for everyone.

I found the car did waver a bit on the freeway at first but after a while, the tires worn in and it was a lot less. Or, maybe I just got used to it. Tire pressures DO affect the handling quite a bit.

The guys in the 4c forum have a lot more experience with changing the suspension settings. I never have.

I also believe the British are overly negative about any car that doesn't track like a railroad car going straight and hang the tail out 90 degrees with every corner. So, I take their reviews with a grain of salt.

Exhaust. I have the race exhaust obviously. Yes, the engine makes constant noise on the freeway. SO DID MY 246 DINO! In the puzzyfication of cars we want them to be a library at 60 mph. Well, its not like that. One of the things I like about it is the exhaust as it sounds like a group B racer from the 80's. It's not a Ferrari or Lambo exhaust note. But, its 100% honest.

Over time and with the spider, I'm sure they took away some of the LE's edge.

Good luck in finding one. IMO the coupes look better than the spiders but that's a personal opinion of course. There are fewer and fewer coupes available new. In fact, think this is the last year.

 

TheMayor, thanks for the comments.
Philip

 

I have had a 4c spider for a couple of months. This is what I have found.

With the spider you can actually see a lot more when backing up. So, If you got a coupe , I would definitely get the rear parking sensors. You really can't see much on the coupe. Some people say that the soft top of the spider helps with noise reduction but I don't know if that's true. It is possible to carry on a conversation at highway speed in the spider. The coupe does look great and the engine is exposed with a glass cover. I think you can now get a center exhaust for 2017 which looks great. You also have a carbon fiber top on the coupe as a option. The dealer here told me that spiders aren't available for 2017 so I went ahead and found one I wanted and got it.

Exhaust
I do have the race exhaust and personally think it sounds great. It's not to loud were I would consider it embarrassing. I have heard both and I would get the race exhaust.

My car doesn't have the track package but it still feels stiff and handles great. Unless I just wanted to track it , its just right for me. With this set up neither me or my wife feel its to harsh. Getting in and out can be challenging but it worth it. All in all its a great car. It's a blast to drive and I don't think I will ever get rid of. Hope this helps some. Good luck with your search.

 

Thank you Chris

 

The car is absolutely stellar on the track. I have close to 6000 track miles on my car. It makes driving the streets feel like your in a go kart, all the time. As Mayor mentioned, the ride does at times on LA's horrid streets. But I drive mine almost daily and I smile every time.

The drone is a little annoying, I solved that by replacing my cat and entire exhaust system with a Pogea Racing stainless set up as well as an ECU tune.

I have a coupe and it's relatively quiet for a carbon fiber tubed car.