RE: Chris Harris video: Alfa Romeo 4C
Discussion
yonex said:
OlberJ said:
Wave of torque? 6th gear cruising?
Is this a diesel rep mobile or a sports car?
Too much compromise to win my heart but that might just be a sign of the times to come
Mid engined, sod all room, 2 seater...compromise?Is this a diesel rep mobile or a sports car?
Too much compromise to win my heart but that might just be a sign of the times to come
Feels like they've missed the point.
OlberJ said:
No noise, laggy throttle response, flappy paddles, compromised rear suspension.
Feels like they've missed the point.
I am hearing quite a bit of noise for a 4 pot, small lag point as with nearly 99% of turbo fours, flappy paddles to help with the weight and rear suspension that seemingly has no negative effect on the car (i.e both sharp and playful) and fun for both road and track.Feels like they've missed the point.
What am I missing?
OlberJ said:
compromised rear suspension.
But is it? Proof is in the driving and to me a car only needs the components that it needs. If the 4C works brilliantly with the set-up that it has, why would it need anything differently? (Other than a game of suspension 'top trumps' in the pub)I want that on my drive, a decent lightweight sportscar with stunning looks and an Alfa badge.
If it they hadn't taken so long to get it into production I think I would have gone for it.
Looks like you could throw it around the track all day long with a big smile on your face
Thats whats is about isn't it?
Chris was right about the steering wheel...
If it they hadn't taken so long to get it into production I think I would have gone for it.
Looks like you could throw it around the track all day long with a big smile on your face
Thats whats is about isn't it?Chris was right about the steering wheel...
OlberJ said:
compromised rear suspension.
It didn't look that compromised in the video.I actually like the look of this car, it's a lovely looking thing and I'm not really an Alfa fan, though the headlights are a bit questionable. The engine sounds dull and tbh is dull, I'd have rather seen a 6 cylinder squeezed in there, if it were at all possible, but then it would probably put the price up even more. I think at £45,000, even with a carbon tub it seems expensive because of a boosted up engine from a car less than half the price. If they could have fitted a V6 in there, even adding the additional cost on, I think people would have bought it.
Still, the filter down of sales from the halo model effect will probably be stronger when salesmen start telling people how the dull as dishwater Giulietta has the same engine as the top of the range 4C.
OlberJ said:
yonex said:
OlberJ said:
Wave of torque? 6th gear cruising?
Is this a diesel rep mobile or a sports car?
Too much compromise to win my heart but that might just be a sign of the times to come
Mid engined, sod all room, 2 seater...compromise?Is this a diesel rep mobile or a sports car?
Too much compromise to win my heart but that might just be a sign of the times to come
Feels like they've missed the point.
It seems they have hit it rather dead on to me. They never set out to make a track day coupe or to make a purists car, they tried to make a car that would be economical, fast, light, useable and fun to drive, it seems they have achieved that.
Don't get me wrong I am a fanatical purist , I like my cars light and racey, hard seats,the full S&M package.
Sure I would have liked the 4C to have had screaming 2litre v8 and an open gate manual, entirely carbon fibre, race bred engine, a real race car for the road.
But it would have sold to a few and not really enhanced the brand. Any manufacturer can go to Zagato and get a 700kg race car with numberplates, sell a handful with a million pound price tag and get on the front of mags, but it wont help Alfa regain any of its reputation as a maker of great sports cars people can buy.
They could have made an elise, but that would be suicide given the current sales figures from Lotus. So a small capacity N/A and a 800kgish chassis may have been great for us lot, but would have been overlooked by the masses.
Given it will undoubtedly be given the 'scuderia' treatment by Alfa, with a carbon hood here and a semi slick there, it will get more focused, and MIGHT even Alfa have said (on this site I believe it was mentioned), get a manual version.
V6Alfisti said:
What am I missing?
To me, any soul. It doesn't have the drama that I expect from a mini supercar/sportscar.I'd rather it was manual, na and had that zing factor.
Who cares about a carbon fibre tub if its like driving a hoover. I'm obviously just going off the video but its not lighting my ring!
OlberJ said:
To me, any soul. It doesn't have the drama that I expect from a mini supercar/sportscar.
I'd rather it was manual, na and had that zing factor.
Who cares about a carbon fibre tub if its like driving a hoover. I'm obviously just going off the video but its not lighting my ring!
Soul? from a fI'd rather it was manual, na and had that zing factor.
Who cares about a carbon fibre tub if its like driving a hoover. I'm obviously just going off the video but its not lighting my ring!
king video? I must have missed the direct comparison Harris made to a Dyson, but hey, he has only bloody driven it. You. Are. Mental.
Something still doesn't look right, though it's growing on me. It looks like a badge engineered Elise and the headlights really are terrible, but it does look like great fun in that vid!
Still don't understand the "it's a four pot so sounds rubbish" comments. Sure, it's not going to sound like a NA V6 or V8, but four bangers can sound good in their own right. Particularly old, carbureted British sports cars. Think: Austin-Healey 100/4 or anything with the old Cooper-Climax SOHC 4. I never thought they lacked anything in the sound department.
Still don't understand the "it's a four pot so sounds rubbish" comments. Sure, it's not going to sound like a NA V6 or V8, but four bangers can sound good in their own right. Particularly old, carbureted British sports cars. Think: Austin-Healey 100/4 or anything with the old Cooper-Climax SOHC 4. I never thought they lacked anything in the sound department.
OlberJ said:
To me, any soul. It doesn't have the drama that I expect from a mini supercar/sportscar.
I'd rather it was manual, na and had that zing factor.
Who cares about a carbon fibre tub if its like driving a hoover. I'm obviously just going off the video but its not lighting my ring!
Doesn't sound like it drives that bad Olie I'd rather it was manual, na and had that zing factor.
Who cares about a carbon fibre tub if its like driving a hoover. I'm obviously just going off the video but its not lighting my ring!
Pretty good in fact.Agree about the paddles/na bit but seems to be the way everything is going.
Given I guess they're trying to make it appeal to more than just hardcore petrol heads a bit of extra torque is no bad thing. I love the high revving nature of my Elise when in the mood but it can be a bit of pain sometimes.
I like it more now that I've seen that video - it looks like it'd be a laugh on the road. But there's something wrong... There must be! I read his review and though he was underwhelmed and now, having watched the video, he still seems a little tentative with his praise! This is a 900kg Alfa sports car, and Chris isn't going completely mad for it. He's talking about the seats, the crap steering wheel, something odd about the steering off centre - I can't help but think if this car was the absolute dogs bks he wouldn't have given two sts about any of the flaws. I hope Alfa haven't sold themselves short.
I still can't forgive the use of turbocharging in such a small, light car. The last thing a 900kg car needs it turbodiesel levels of torque. It should have top end power. Alfa should have designed and built one of the all time great n/a 4 cylinders, or better yet, a 2.5l v6. This car with a 250bhp low capacity V6 would blow everything away. The extra weight (which wouldn't make any difference to the feel of the car anyway) would easily be offset by the manual gearbox they should be offering me as well!
Toyburu and Alfa have given it a really good go these last 2 years, but no one's quite got there yet...
ks he wouldn't have given two sts about any of the flaws. I hope Alfa haven't sold themselves short. I still can't forgive the use of turbocharging in such a small, light car. The last thing a 900kg car needs it turbodiesel levels of torque. It should have top end power. Alfa should have designed and built one of the all time great n/a 4 cylinders, or better yet, a 2.5l v6. This car with a 250bhp low capacity V6 would blow everything away. The extra weight (which wouldn't make any difference to the feel of the car anyway) would easily be offset by the manual gearbox they should be offering me as well!
Toyburu and Alfa have given it a really good go these last 2 years, but no one's quite got there yet...
Edited by PunterCam on Monday 23 September 23:38
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