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The Devil Wears Alfa
Words by Alessandro Marrone
Photo credits: Ilario / The Looking Glass
A little group of cars can wear a red dress and do it as good as being able to turn the head of every single person in town. All (almost) Ferraris and the Alfa Romeo 4C, the small Italian coupe that wants to be the weapon of Alfa’s vengeance, for too long far from the sports cars world. Let me put that straight and simple, because in my humble opinion, the 147 and the 156 GTA has never been up to the task assigned and the now overpriced 8C does not awaken in me any kind of positive emotion. In 2013, after a long gestation and many considerable marketing efforts, the 4C sees the light and something happens. The formula is that so dear to Lotus: little weight and only one goal: the pleasure of driving, that only with naked and raw cars can be lived at 100%. That racing flavor dictated by a lightweight frame, consists of a tub in carbon fiber (a factory has been specially open, just for the production of the soul of the 4C), no filter between the driver and the road, thanks to the absence of power steering, to a sit skimming on the ground and the lack of any form of soundproofing. Being at the wheel of the small devil from Arese, makes you feel like pilots and not simple drivers. They say that in small packages there is the good wine, and never claim was more apt in this case. The 4C Coupe is the supercar at the reach of many, or an expensive sports car? The key to this diametrically opposite assertion should be carefully turned in a gear made up of numbers, noise, but also emotions, and the 4C really offers a lot of them. I spent ten days with it, or should I say her, after having had the opportunity to drive it on other occasions, but always for a too little. Never as in this period, I almost always found myself at the wheel: the desire to hear her scream was louder than anything else, and it was worth it, despite its flaws and limitations, because I found myself in front of the best Alfa Romeo of the last 30 years, without “ifs” or “buts.” Whether you like it or want at all costs to put ham slices on your eyes, we are facing one of the best sports cars out there.
Yep, you don’t have to love Alfa Romeo for appreciating the 4C and that says a lot about the quality and involvement that the small Italian two-seater offers to those who put one in their garage. It will not be the first and only car, since comfort is minimal, dictated by a level of stiffness and noise which is really extreme, but the dual nature this Alfa is able to offer, is among the best episodes that I could reach out and touch during my days of testing. The hard part is just figuring out where to start talking about it: I might start by its line? From the mechanics? Or maybe, as I should do in a case like this, to let the pen run free, telling a deep sensory experiences with a car that never, ever I would have thought to praise so shamelessly? I do not know, it does not matter, it’s not so important how things are told: sometimes, all that matters is that everything is transmitted for what it really is, and even though at times I may seem boring and repetitive, I know that those who know what I am talking about, can only nod in agreement. Collecting it on a rainy December morning, I hardly even have time to adjust the seat, that I enter the motorway. In “Natural” everything is seemingly peaceful, the 6-speed automatic transmission works fine thinking about optimization of consumption, without ever climbing the digital display near the red line while the gas pedal is much less sensitive than in “Dynamic”. But today it rains, there is fog and an annoying traffic that seen from ant-like height, especially while overtaking trucks, certainly does not incite risky maneuvers. Driving at code speeds, on the edge of 130 per hour (just to keep up with the support car that took me to pick up the 4C), seems to travel at 200 kph: hands’ grip on the steering wheel must be strong and determined and the noise that invades the cabin is louder than any other similar vehicle. Not to mention how difficult it is to manage the air vents (yes, taken verbatim from a Fiat 600): there are no half measures, freezing cold or stifling heat, especially when the 4 cylinder engine behind your back begins to heat all around. No matter, it is a rude car and I do not see much sense in criticizing some components taken from economic cars of the group (for that matter, Lotus does not fit their cars with gold lacquered knobs, isn’t it?); one thing I would have preferred is the lack of an analog display, definitely more suitable to a lightweight weapon like this, but perhaps a little ‘to call up the modern choice to poke a robot gearbox, a digital display has been assembled and provides all the necessary information. As we all know, the key point of the 4C is its chassis, a visibly carbon tub coming into play as soon as you open the door (nice touch), in which you sit without excessive contortions. Seats are sporty and offer a very good experience, but during long trips, your back begs for mercy and you will be forced to make some stops, especially during tedious motorway journeys. Not bad, given that the tank is tiny and the apparent high consumption of petrol, is nothing but the result of having the possibility to put a little petrol at each refilling.
Less than a ton of weight, which is why there is no need to stow a 6-cylinder in it. Located in the rear center position, the 1750 4-cylinder turbo so dear to the Alfa lovers, is here capable of delivering 240hp and 350Nm of torque, and does that only on the rear wheels. The same engine is in view, under a glazed panel which also includes the small luggage compartment. In this case, in addition to warm the small portion dedicated to your stuff, you first have to lock the tailgate manually, otherwise the access to the rear compartment will require a third arm, that usually no human being has at disposal. Finally, always remaining in the “bottom” area, the dual exhaust, or the musical instrument responsible for of one of the four cylinders best sound around. Let it mutter at low revs or make it scream to the limiter, will make unforgettable even a seemingly innocuous ride to the grocery store, as long as you want to go to the supermarket with the 4C. Yeah, because it does not matter if you are in the center of Milan, in the residential area of Genoa, or cruising in the Principality of Monaco: this little Alfa will turn a thousand heads, undecided whether to state that you are at the wheel of an unknown model of Ferrari, or a car never seen before. It’s true you do not often see some around, but I find it impossible not to distinguish the classic Alpha nose, here more acute but especially apt than ever. The feeling you get at the first approach are those that are experienced when you deal with any supercar: you look at it from all angles moving up and down your head, in a constant sign of approval. You become friend with gas stations, passers-by, strangers who can’t help but notice you and ask you the usual things: – What car is it? What is the max speed? How much does it cost? – You need to have a poker face and never get bored of being in the center of the situation, just like the little Alfa wants, that unlike an Elise or an Exige, however, has everything to prove. That’s why, in those fantastic 10 days, I got it and brought it a little ‘everywhere, in order to really understand if there is substance under such a beautiful dress. I thought that for talking about a special car, it was right to stop and go back in time, not only presenting an elderly relative (the Giulietta SS you see in the pictures), but analyzing that set of emotions that the little red 4C has been able to give, almost as if to convince me that it is a model on its own, which expects that Alfa Romeo will continue on this road, leaving aside for a moment the business needs that require to produce boring cars. I thought it would be best to take the good old pen and paper and let the ink takes back the power to convey how many beautiful moments the 4C gave me. Only after re-reading what I had written, I realized that I had widely overshot the spaces dedicated to me for this review and so I realized two things: there is a lot of substance and I love this car.
4C is a name that has its roots firmly planted in the past of Alfa Romeo […], a legacy that was important to recall in order to attract the attention missing for too long and that the 8C has only partially regained. The 4C should and wants to be the supercar for everyone, with prices starting at around 65,000 € and performance that can satisfy the less experienced drivers, but also the most demanding ones. There’s no power steering and this is joy and pain of a necessary choice for keeping the promises made by the Company, heavy during maneuvering and in the city where you are away from the natural habitat of the Italian coupe, precise and demanding at high speeds and on track. This aspect is what makes a better idea about how you’re dealing with an animal, a living object for which you are the very mind. What do I mean? Throw it in a corner and try its limit with an ignorant violence and you’ll end with a surprising understeer, squeeze it as God commands and it will widen the rear. It’s up to you to choose from the menu. In “Dynamic” mode you have the most ideal setting, while “Alfa Romeo Race” is the one which disables the traction control and keeps you informed of how much G you’re exercising when cornering. It’s the way you wanted and this is what you should use on track, to make the best out of its power/weight ratio that we were told from the days of our grandparents, at least for their Alfa Romeos. The 6-speed gearbox is fast and accurate, and despite the paddles behind the steering wheel are small and ugly to the eye and to the touch, will be among your best friends you once will find yourself in the cockpit. Gentle pressures on ‘em, while you’ll love to crush as a maniac on those pedals at almost 90° angle with respect to the floor (in carbon). The steering, once in motion, it becomes soft and manageable, but accuse each change of the ground, by sending you infamous inputs that could easily end in changing direction in sometimes unwanted manners. It is here that she asks you the respect that many would not give her, and it is here that her detractors have to accept that it’s about business. A 4-cylinder that plays classic heavy metal like Iron Maiden, that if only had a few more horses, would be a lethal weapon for anyone who gets in front of it. Assuming that for you 4.5 seconds for the 0-100 and a top speed of about 258 per hour, are not enough; not enough when sitting on the ground and with the ears and spine closely with every change that takes place below you. I like to feel those little stones bouncing off the bottom of the car and how you can’t help but to drive, aimlessly, with no radio on (the infotainment is really bad), unwilling to return home because the wait back on board, for short as it is, it will always be too long. Without thinking too much about numbers, consumption, average figures and specs, when a car catches your heart, means that it is special; if it manages to capture the heart and the head, help … you need it. This is one of those cases, those rare cases in which I fell in love, where I found a new wallpaper, a new cover image. And I’m not even an Alfa Romeo’s guy. It is true that the most beautiful things happen when and where you least expect it, and the Alfa Romeo 4C, in all respects, is a beautiful thing. Indeed, a wonderful thing.
ALFA ROMEO 4C (2013-)
Layout – Mid-rear engined, rear wheel drive
Engine- 4 cylinder 1750cc – turbo
Transmission – 6-speed automatic gearbox
Power- 240 hp @ 6000 rpm
350 Nm @ 2100-3750 rpm
Weight- 995 kg
Acceleration – 4,5 sec.
Top Speed – 258 kph
Price – from 65.000 €
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