Introduced on Wednesday, April 16: 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C sport coupe.
What exactly is it? A little sport coupe which is about everything keeps the flickering flame lit for Alfa Romeo these days.
Would it be real? Alfa’s return to America, which it left nearly two decades ago as a result of poor sales, has beenon / off, on again, off, etc.
What they said: “The all-new Alfa Romeo 4C delivers supercar-level performance in its most elemental form,” said Harald Wester, Alfa Romeo’s chief executive. “With its ultralightweight materials and technological solutions derived straight from motorsports, a midengine proportion for maximum agility and purposeful styling cues to enhance performance, the all-new 4C coupe marks Alfa Romeo’s go back to sports cars and the brand’s return to America.”
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What they didn’t say: In The United States, the Alfa Romeo 4C, despite having been discounted in Europe and ready to choose the American market, is truly a car without having company behind it -and no real dealer network or service operation in place (the opposite from the situation at Tesla, as an example, which from time to time had the organization but little product to offer). For a while, like couch surfers, some willing Fiat and Maserati dealers will let the 4C crash – er, spend time – at their places. With the ink barely dry on the tiny American management team’s business cards, it will likely be a challenging introduction.
Why is it tick: A 237-horsepower 1.8-liter (no, which is not a misprint) direct-injection turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, paired with a twin-clutch transmission, that turns this carbon-fiber two-seater into a rocket because the whole thing, in European trim anyway, weighs barely 1,000 kilos, or about 2,200 pounds.
Exactly how much, how soon? A limited Launch Edition model, with a track pack of performance and handling tweaks, will be available by June. Total creation of this version will be 500 units and become priced at $70,000, Mr. Wester said. After those are sold, subsequent base models will start at $54,000. The business expects to market about 850 in the first year in America, which will represent about 1 percent of Alfa’s total worldwide sales. A convertible version could come next year.
How’s it look? Beguiling, but long overdue. The concept version was first shown in Europe over 36 months ago, therefore the styling is not cutting edge. However it is probably the closest thing into a supercar you might own for less than $55,000.