"Quite simply, this vehicle screams Alfa."
We're accustomed to automotive hyperbole but we think the Alfa people got it right about the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept that debuted at the Geneva Auto Show today. Alfa has always been, or at least since the 1960's, about "second tier" sports cars, not direct competitors with Ferrari and other heavy hitters, whether in road cars or in competition.
So while Alfa produced the limited production Alfa Romeo 8C, the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept comes directly from Alfa's playbook. The Alfa 4C Concept, debuting today at the Geneva Auto Show, is exotic, based on technology developed with the Alfa 8C, and like the 8C, the Alfa Romeo is a mid-engined two-seater but instead of throwing a V-8 hat into the ring, the 4C goes after performance with light weight and a high-performance small displacement power plant Alfa puts in relatively ordinary Alfa Romeo 159 sedan, or at least ordinary as far as Alfa Romeos go.
The engine for the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept is Alfa's 1750 TBi. Oddly enough, it's referred to as a 1.8-liter but named after a legendary Alfa four-cylinder engine while its actual displacement is 1742cc. It's a torque-tuned turbo engine, reaching max torque of 236 lb-ft at just 1,400rpm with a plateau of 200 horsepower between a relatively low 4750 to 5500 rpm. The engine is paired with Alfa's TCT automatic twin dry clutch six-speed transmission.
While that's a healthy and well-delivered output for an engine of that size, where the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept really gets its performance is a full carbon fiber body with aluminum rear structure and crash boxes. Taht adds up to a curb weight of about 1,870 pounds, rigid and with the mass centered near mid-point of the car. The weight distribution comes in at 40 percent front, 60 percent rear.
Performance? The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept rips zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in under five seconds, according to Alfa, and is sleek enough for a top speed of 155 mph.
Although purportedly only a concept, the Alfa Romeo 4C Concept could reach production. We would even compromise with the amount of carbon fiber, although not too much, just to keep it light. We think the 4C Concept is similar enough to the Lotus Exige to make it possible.
Yeah, we'd scream to see an Alfa Romeo 4C Concept in an Fiat/Alfa Romeo dealer's showroom near us. Who wouldn't?
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