Canada gets peek at Alfa 4C
Rear-wheel drive 2-seater first to be sold in North America since the mid-1990s
This is it: the first Alfa Romeo to be sold in North America since the mid-1990s, the midengine, two-seat, rear-wheeldrive 4C. The head of Alfa’s parent, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, has promised it will arrive in North America before the end of this year. Beforehand, the Porsche Cayman-fighting Alfa will make its debut at next month’s Geneva auto show and go on sale in Europe afterward, where it’s expected to be priced under $80,000. The 4C will be longer than a Lotus Elise, but wider than a Porsche Cayman. No official power figures are available yet, but a 1.7-litre turbo-four is expected to make around 270 hp and mated exclusively to a twin-clutch automatic transmission.
The Alfa Romeo 4C replicates the concept first seen at the Geneva Show in 2011. The acronym 4C draws its inspiration from the brand’s sporting past: the acronyms 8C and 6C in the 1930s and 1940s distinguished cars — both racing and road — fitted with the powerful eight cylinders and the innovative six cylinders. The 4C uses technologies and materials derived from super sports cars (including the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione), such as carbon fibre, aluminum, rearwheel drive, and technologies from current Alfa Romeos such as direct injection and a twin dry clutch transmission with selectable ‘Race’ mode.
The two-seater is just under four metres long, 200 cm wide, 118 cm high and with a wheelbase of less than 2.4 metres.