What does a "halo car" say about a brand? These cars, usually high-end, limited-edition models, highlight the ultimate capabilities of an automaker's engineering prowess and reveal its soul. For the 2015 model year, Alfa Romeo marks its return to the United States for the first time since 1995 with the 4C, a small sports coupe built with technologies found in many supercars. We drove the 4C at Sonoma Raceway in Northern California and found that Alfa Romeo is indeed quite capable of building a world class sports car. The question remains, however, if future vehicles in the Alfa Romeo lineup will carry the soul of this pocket supercar. Let's hope so.
Model lineup
The 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C is initially offered as a $68,000 Launch Edition; a $54,000 base trim will follow. The base will come with cloth upholstered sport seats, power windows, air conditioning, a USB port, an AM/FM radio with four-speaker audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, hill start assist, and P205/45R17 front and P235/40R18 rear Pirelli P Zero summer tires on alloy wheels.
The Launch Edition adds carbon fiber interior trim, a carbon fiber rear spoiler, xenon headlights, leather upholstery, extended leather trim on the doors and dash, racing exhaust, track-tuned suspension with stiffer shocks and thicker front and rear sway bars, and P205/40R18 front and P235/35R19 rear Pirelli tires on forged alloy wheels.
An optional Track package includes the 18- and 19-inch wheels and tires, plus the track-tuned suspension; a performance steering wheel wrapped in leather and microfiber; leather or leather and microfiber-upholstered sport seats; carbon fiber exterior mirrors; a rear spoiler; and carbon fiber interior trim.
A Convenience package adds cruise control, an alarm, rear park assist and a premium audio system. A Leather package comes with a leather-wrapped instrument and door panels, leather seats and a leather storage bag. An Exterior package has a rear spoiler, satin titanium mirrors and three wheel choices.
Under the hood
The Alfa Romeo 4C has one powertrain: a turbocharged, intercooled 1.75-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, coupled to a dual-clutch 6-speed automated manual transmission that can shift automatically or manually via steering-wheel paddles.
The all-aluminum engine is located behind the driver and in front of the rear axle — a mid-engine layout. It has several technologies to get the most out of its small size, including direct injection, dual-variable valve timing, and a scavenging technology taken from Formula One engines. This tech creates a flow-through of air from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold, which keeps up turbine revs to help eliminate turbo lag and increase low-speed power. All this comes with fairly frugal fuel economy numbers. The 4C is Environmental Protection Agency-estimated at 24 mpg city/34 mpg highway.
Inner space
The 4C's 2-passenger interior is a place made for performance driving and little else. Getting in requires a step down and over wide sills that help give the car structural rigidity. Most passengers will have enough headroom and legroom (tall folks will feel cramped), but there is precious little shoulder room, and the driver's elbows have no convenient rests because the center console sits too low and there is no armrest on the door. The engine sits behind the occupants and you can hear it clicking, whirring and sucking in air. In base trim, the dash and door panels are made of a hard plastic you'd expect on an economy car. The interior looks much better when these components are wrapped in leather, but that costs a pretty penny.
Alfa Romeo offers no navigation or infotainment system; there is a very basic radio and Bluetooth connectivity. Good luck making a call from the 4C, since engine and road noise will make conversation difficult. The dashboard's center stack is angled toward the driver, making it easy to reach the radio and climate controls.
Seats are fairly comfortable and supportive, but they don't envelope occupants enough to keep them firmly planted during hard cornering. Passengers must contend with a center stack that intrudes on footwell space.
Small items and cargo space are very limited. There are a pair of cupholders on the center console but no bin. The "trunk" sits up front and has just 3.7 cubic feet of cargo space — about a third of the space of a typical sedan trunk. Not much.
source: MSN Autos
Model lineup
The 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C is initially offered as a $68,000 Launch Edition; a $54,000 base trim will follow. The base will come with cloth upholstered sport seats, power windows, air conditioning, a USB port, an AM/FM radio with four-speaker audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, hill start assist, and P205/45R17 front and P235/40R18 rear Pirelli P Zero summer tires on alloy wheels.
The Launch Edition adds carbon fiber interior trim, a carbon fiber rear spoiler, xenon headlights, leather upholstery, extended leather trim on the doors and dash, racing exhaust, track-tuned suspension with stiffer shocks and thicker front and rear sway bars, and P205/40R18 front and P235/35R19 rear Pirelli tires on forged alloy wheels.
An optional Track package includes the 18- and 19-inch wheels and tires, plus the track-tuned suspension; a performance steering wheel wrapped in leather and microfiber; leather or leather and microfiber-upholstered sport seats; carbon fiber exterior mirrors; a rear spoiler; and carbon fiber interior trim.
A Convenience package adds cruise control, an alarm, rear park assist and a premium audio system. A Leather package comes with a leather-wrapped instrument and door panels, leather seats and a leather storage bag. An Exterior package has a rear spoiler, satin titanium mirrors and three wheel choices.
Under the hood
The Alfa Romeo 4C has one powertrain: a turbocharged, intercooled 1.75-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, coupled to a dual-clutch 6-speed automated manual transmission that can shift automatically or manually via steering-wheel paddles.
The all-aluminum engine is located behind the driver and in front of the rear axle — a mid-engine layout. It has several technologies to get the most out of its small size, including direct injection, dual-variable valve timing, and a scavenging technology taken from Formula One engines. This tech creates a flow-through of air from the intake manifold to the exhaust manifold, which keeps up turbine revs to help eliminate turbo lag and increase low-speed power. All this comes with fairly frugal fuel economy numbers. The 4C is Environmental Protection Agency-estimated at 24 mpg city/34 mpg highway.
Inner space
The 4C's 2-passenger interior is a place made for performance driving and little else. Getting in requires a step down and over wide sills that help give the car structural rigidity. Most passengers will have enough headroom and legroom (tall folks will feel cramped), but there is precious little shoulder room, and the driver's elbows have no convenient rests because the center console sits too low and there is no armrest on the door. The engine sits behind the occupants and you can hear it clicking, whirring and sucking in air. In base trim, the dash and door panels are made of a hard plastic you'd expect on an economy car. The interior looks much better when these components are wrapped in leather, but that costs a pretty penny.
Alfa Romeo offers no navigation or infotainment system; there is a very basic radio and Bluetooth connectivity. Good luck making a call from the 4C, since engine and road noise will make conversation difficult. The dashboard's center stack is angled toward the driver, making it easy to reach the radio and climate controls.
Seats are fairly comfortable and supportive, but they don't envelope occupants enough to keep them firmly planted during hard cornering. Passengers must contend with a center stack that intrudes on footwell space.
Small items and cargo space are very limited. There are a pair of cupholders on the center console but no bin. The "trunk" sits up front and has just 3.7 cubic feet of cargo space — about a third of the space of a typical sedan trunk. Not much.
source: MSN Autos
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