Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is a sports car for the 10 percenters
Have a taste for racing? Enjoy top-down driving with good fuel economy thrown in? Seeking outstanding Italian design for less than six figures—a lot less? The 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is the solution.
Let’s first look at the performance of the 4C Spider. At its most basic level, it’s faster from 0-60 than a Porsche 911 Targa 4S and costs $50,000 less. What’s propelling this convertible forward? A 1.7-liter, turbocharged, inline four-cylinder engine that produces 237 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque.
On the surface, those numbers don’t seem compelling until you do the math. The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is good for 136 horsepower per liter, which strongly plants it in the performance category. Combine that with a svelte 2,487 pound curb weight (thanks to a carbon fiber monocoque chassis) and you have an Italian roadster that scoots to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.
Typically, turning a coupe into a convertible can add significant weight, but that’s not the case with this Alfa. Only 22 pounds has been added thanks to the carbon fiber chassis, the all-aluminum engine, and a carbon fiber windshield frame. That already stiff chassis means no additional weight had to be added to maintain rigidity as one might need with a less-stable coupe frame with its bolstering roof shorn off.
The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is rated at 34 mpg highway and 24 mpg city for a combined 28 mpg.
That stiffness provided incredible handling around the iconic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca track in Salinas, Calif., where Alfa Romeo introduced the 4C Spider to the media. It handled the famous corkscrew effortlessly and hunkered down for some strong performance on the straightaways.
The media introduction was more than just fast track driving. It also included more than 100 miles of tooling along the Pacific Coast Highway south of Monterey. It was a pleasant surprise to learn how civil this roadster was both in heavy traffic and through open stretches. The cabin was relatively quiet with the top removed, and the driving position was comfortable.
This was my first experience driving the 4C in either coupe or convertible form. I had heard its manual rack-and-pinion steering was ponderous but didn’t experience it first- hand. It might be slightly difficult to execute a K turn in the Back Bay, but 99 percent of the time you’re going to find it a non-issue.
One nagging element was an uncomfortable passenger side. At almost 6’1’’, I felt like my legs were cramped. I had difficulty finding a good position, and I don’t have big feet. When you test drive this car, make sure your significant other is along.
The less limber among you (present company included) may find exiting the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider a challenge because of its high side sill. Entering can be difficult with the roof fixed in position, too. You’re not going to want to park in tight spaces with this car unless you spent your 20s working for Cirque du Soleil.
LOOKS GREAT WITH THE TOP DOWN: The all-leather seats of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider are the centerpiece of a stunning interior that is driver oriented.
The Spider 4C’s soft top removes in less than a minute by flicking a few switches and folding it up. It then stows away in the trunk in a provided bag. With the roof off, you can also place a couple of soft overnight bags in the trunk.
There is an available hard top option, but that roof can’t store in the trunk. The best part of the interior is the seven-inch, full-color, driver information display that illustrates info through sharp graphics. It’s clearly presented, which is a nice feature when barreling down the road. It also has a new Alpine premium audio system that replaces the much reviled Parrot system.
All of that talk of turbos and lightweight body materials above has another benefit: good fuel economy. The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is rated at 34 mpg highway and 24 mpg city for a combined 28 mpg. Sure, you don’t buy a car like this for its fuel sipping characteristics, but it is an added bonus.
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Pricing for the 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider begins at $63,900 (plus a $1,595 dealer destination charge). The model I drove had a Giallo Prototipo (prototype yellow) paint job that was a $1,500 option as well as $2,500 18-inch and 19-inch dark gray wheels and $1,000 Xenon headlamps among other options that brought the final cost up to $73,395.
Alfa Romeo has trickled back into the US market in a beautiful way with this 4C Spider, which goes on sale in August. Look for more to come with a midsize sedan expected to compete with BMW being announced soon.
2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider
THE BASICS
Price, base (with destination): $65,495. Fuel economy: 24 city/34 highway/28 combined. Drivetrain: 1.7-liter, turbocharged, inline four cylinder. Body: two-door roadster.
THE SPECIFICS
Horsepower: 237 @ 6,000 rpm. Torque: 258 @ 2,200 rpm. Overall length: 157.0 in. Wheelbase: 93.7 in. Height: 46.7 in. Width: 73.5 in. Curb weight: 2,487 lbs.
THE GOOD
Advanced carbon fiber technology is available at a price below six figures in an exterior package that incorporates Ferrari design elements. It’s an outstanding combination that will turn heads.
THE BAD
The passenger seating feels cramped in the foot well. Also, entering and exiting the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider can be a challenge for the less limber.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider makes high performance and advanced body technology more available. Consider it a sports car for the 10 percenters.
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