>>Alfa Romeo 4C

Alfa Romeo 4C

Alfa Romeo 4C

Manufacturer	Alfa Romeo
Production	2011
Class	Concept car Sports car
Body style	2-door Coupe
Layout	Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine	1.75L I4 Turbo
Transmission	6-speed Dual Dry Clutch Transmission FPT C635
Wheelbase	ca. 2.4 m (94.5 in)
Length	ca. 4 m (157.5 in)
Curb weight	under 850 kg (1,874 lb)
Designer	Lorenzo Ramaciotti at Alfa Romeo Centro Stile

The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept debuted at the 81st Geneva International Motor Show in March 2011. The 4C is a small lightweight rear wheel drive sports car; its size is similar or slightly smaller than Alfa Romeo MiTo supermini. It is a two seater coupe, designed by Alfa Romeo Centro Stile (Alfa Romeo Style Centre) and uses a carbon fiber tub, front rear crash box, and hybrid rear frame with composed primarily of aluminium to keep its weight at 850 kilograms (1,874 lb). Weight distribution is 40% on the front axle and 60% on the rear axle. The car was developed independently by Alfa Romeo, however using similar methods as KTM X-Bow and Lotus Elise. The 4C has a high quadrilateral suspension at the front and MacPherson struts in the rear.

According to an article from December 2011, the 4C uses a new all aluminium 1.8L (1800cc) 230 brake horsepower (170 kW) In line 4 cylinder engine. This engine also has the capacity to produce 300bhp. The engine has been designed to keep weight at a minimum, and will probably appear in the 159 replacement, the Giulia. The body will not be made entirely of carbon fiber, with the front and rear frames being aluminium. This increases the weight to around 900 kilograms (2,000 lb). 0-62 miles per hour (100 km/h) should be achieved in 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) due to a power to weight ratio of 4 kg/hp. Alfa Romeo has also confirmed a new 1.8 litre, 300 PS (221 kW) engine, which may or may not appear in the 4C.

The 4C is equipped with six speed Alfa TCT Dual Dry Clutch Transmission, and can be operated via gearshift paddles on steering wheel. It also has an Alfa DNA dynamic control selector which controls the behaviour of engine, brakes, steering, throttle response, suspension and gearbox. The paint colour of the concept car is "lava red" and is a mixture of Alfa Romeo Metallic Red and Metallic Black, producing an effect of black shadows and red shine on the many creases of the car's shape. A second colour, "fluid silver" was also released. The car will probably cost between £35,000 and £40,000 ($55,000-$63,000; €41,000-€47,000). Shortly after the show, many convertible renders appeared on the internet, however no such car has been confirmed by Alfa Romeo.

The 4C is going to production in May 2013 at Maserati's plant in Modena, with an expected production of up to 2,500 units per year, and will be the first mass produced Alfa Romeo car for re-entry into the US market