2018 USA Alfa Romeo 4C sales:- January - 12 February - 20 March - 22 April - 22 May - 19 June - 39 July - 18 August - 12 Total: 164
2018 European Alfa Romeo 4C Sales:- January - 32 February - 23 March - 45 April - 21 May - 39 June - 47 July - 39 Total: 246
Anemic sales in Europe as well as the US. Hard to see the 4c surviving into 2019 or 2020. We can still hope for a v6 version but I am doubtful. I still really admire Alfa for producing the 4c as a halo car reintroducing the brand. I am sure they lost money on everyone they sold.
sigh...same ol' same ol' Folks on places like this site want small, light(er), agile, simpl(er) cars... But...sales suck... We are lucky that manufacturers even try any more. Sorta like the gated ferrari's. They designed, certified and built them...but less than 1 in 5 buyers wanted one.
Actually the sales have been pretty flat for about 2 years. This car was never meant for everyone. That's what makes it unique. In a world of boring blandness for the 98th percentile, its perfect for the remaining 2%
I just put a deposit down on a new, unsold 2016 Spider that was nearly perfect (it had silver wheels, I prefer the dark), only to be called back 15 minutes later and be told that someone else put a deposit on the car last night... Argh. Back to the search, I suppose...
I would've edited my post to add this, but I wasn't sure how to do that. Anyway, does anyone know the differences between the 2015 and 2016 Spiders? They look identical from what I can tell, right down to the Alpine stereo, which I thought was only 2016 and up.
I went to Bob's Big Boy in Burbank last night with mine, there were 3 other 4 C's there in the lot. What are the odds?
I've been traveling for a while but got back last week. Since then, been driving it around a bit. I'm constantly reminded why I like this car so much. As a commuter car in heavy traffic, it might be the worst. On bad, potholled roads its close to terrible. But in normal traffic on city streets its so much fun. The steering is so precise and responsive. I love how the steering effort loads up in the turns. You can feel the wheels fighting back. A Prius stops next to you and you see you are looking UP into it because the car is so low. The gearbox reminds me of the F430. The turbo pop off valve explodes behind your head. And the brakes are rock hard yet completely modulated. If you like cars of the 60's and 70's, you'll appreciate the simplicity. It is not perfect. Yes, I do wish it had a bit more power. There is some turbo lag at times. The engine exhaust isn't as melodious as Ferrari. The storage and the iphone jack are pretty much a joke along with the postcard sized sun visors. And the interior is pretty much devoid of anything you would consider "luxury". But when you're just having fun darting in and out of traffic, it's marvelous. It makes you understand just how bland driving has become today. Some like the blandness. If you do, this car is not for you. If you like something unique with a lot of personality, this is what you've been waiting for.
You write well Bob. And I agree with all of this. In some environments the car is pretty terrible but in others it constantly delights. I still find mine an event to drive and a great contrast to my DD.
I took my 4C to Crescent Classic this year. Normally I take the Ferrari as it is a Ferrari event, but my wife was not joining me this year and I wanted to explore the 4C some more with spirited driving with other cars on some great back roads in central MO. My experience around town is similar to TheMayor's, but a little more favorable. I don't do a lot of commuting, so when in town I just put it in normal mode and auto and it's pretty pleasant. I have hit the mountain back roads a bit such as going to our lake house and the 4C really shines there. So I was pretty excited to take the 4C this year. Luggage space is short. Fortunately I could put one bag in the back and on in the front passenger's seat. (Long weekend trip for 2 is probably out of the question.) Had to leave a little space in the boot for the top. For this event we did 3 days of serious, spirited driving with about 35 other cars - mostly newer Ferraris. The 4C may not have been the fastest car of the bunch, but it more than held its own. It was a joy to take on the rally. Never felt beat up and always looked forward to the next day of driving. The car handles so well, you just don't slow down. I would say it probably handles curves as well, if not better than a lot of the other cars. The ride is pretty nice for what the car is. I had the event photographer riding with me one day and he was surprised at how well the car rode and accelerated. Lots of folks were asking how I liked the car - I think a lot of folks don't quite get it. Has to be the best bang-for -the-buck sports car option out there. Ended up putting 1500 miles on the car and loved every minute.
Nice! I think they are wonderful cars. Right up my alley for sure. I went to the dealership here this weekend and they didn't have any at all. Oh well.
2018 USA Alfa Romeo 4C sales:- January - 12 February - 20 March - 22 April - 22 May - 19 June - 39 July - 18 August - 12 September - 19 Total: 183
I bought a new 4C spider as a weekend and canyon toy, but it’s such a fun little car that I’ve been daily driving it. The best thing it does is it can be fun when driving even 30-50mph and 90mph can feel fast. It’s a hoot to drive. A handful at the limit, but very communicative all the way. It has pretty good looks, makes decent noises, with bushings the handling is good, wind in tour hair, and it offers that Goldilocks level of performance that’s enough but not too much so you can have a lot of fun with the car on the streets/canyons without risking a ride to jail. Just a fun package. Acceleration is great to around 80-100mph and then it fades compared to larger motors. I had a 991.2 911 turbo before this one and the Alfa is almost the opposite car. The 911 was quite fast and objectively great at nearly everything including family duties. A great daily driver “dad car.” But it lacked soul, and the weight and performance envelope were so high it just wasn’t much fun to drive on the street at legal speeds. The Alfa is mediocre to rubbish at anything practical but I just don’t care because of how often I find myself grinning ear to ear or even laughing out loud.
I am close to getting one for my lady. she drove one finally for the first time last week. she loved it so much! it will be her daily. cannot decide on coupe or targa but it is a gem of a car I must say. I cannot fit in the passenger seat (6'-4") but am fine in the drivers seat. wish I could find a seating solution but it will be her car and I guess I can drive when we are traveling together.
Yes they can take out some spacers under the seat. But you have to unbolt it. My understanding is the dealers did this for free if its under warranty.
It is pretty straight forward to do yourself as well. Disconnect the battery (avoids possible codes due to disconnected connectors). 4 bolts to disconnect the rails from the chassis. Disconnect the 2 electrical connectors before removing the seat, then adjust the seat height by removing the 6 bolts holding the seat to the rails. Many (including me) prefer tilting the seat backward (front at highest setting, rear at lowest). I have the torque settings, etc. if you are interested. You wouldn't want to strip the bolts connecting the seat to the chassis...
I have had the seats out in my car. There are three bolt holes along each side of the seat which control the height. I wanted to raise the front of the seat (which has the effect of reclining the back somewhat too) and by placing the rearmost bolts in the lowest setting and the front in A higher setting I could achieve the desired position.
2018 European Alfa Romeo 4C Sales:- January - 32 February - 23 March - 45 April - 21 May - 39 June - 47 July - 39 August - 67 Total: 313
I don't think it will have much effect. They have been selling mainly spiders for 2 years now. There isn't a big demand for coupes over spiders. IMO, the coupe is much prettier than the spider. But I have one so there is that.... In the end I think this car will probably stabilize like 360's have for years. Probably at about 30-40K with beaters and high mileage cars coming in lower. Its advantage is it's pure Italian, it was built in small numbers, its pretty much hand made by today's standards (chassis, body, interior, and final assembly), the CF tub is unique even today (and beautiful I might add), it's sexy, its fun to drive, and it's not expensive to maintain. Ironically, it seems to be pretty reliable as well. It's downside is it's difficult to get in and out of, creature comfort is at a minimum, its small inside, and dealer service isn't around the corner for most people.