RE: Alfa Romeo 4C: Review

[British Beef]

otolith said:

Audi RS5 - 33% more expensive
BMW M3 Coupe - 22% more expensive
Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe - 27% more expensive
Lotus Evora - 17% more expensive
Corvette Z06 - 47% more expensive
Audi TT RS+ - 9% more expensive

Porsche Cayman R - no longer made

So the TT is the only car close on price, and it's nowhere close to the Alfa in desirability IMO.

The Lotus Exige is the closest to this car in Price point, design ethos and driver involvement I would say.

[danp]

kambites said:

Which makes the 4C's figures look very conservative, given that the Elise's sales were extremely geographically limited.

and only 1000 to europe..I assume they will bother with rhd!

[retro_racer]

8 bearing crank????? how?

[TA14]

retro_racer said:

8 bearing crank????? how?

I'd guess one bearing on each side of each big end.

[only1ian]

john_r said:

Sounds good. But also incomplete if that makes sense? Too expensive imho... however, they'll be worth £3.50 in 4-5 years and be an absolute used bargain!

(for people with really wide garages)

Disagree 8c values haven't slumped!

[Gorbyrev]

Great review. Find myself very excited about this little car. Alfa have seriously cracked the nut of lightness with a 2013 spec car. For that alone they deserve great credit. Strikes me this is a half house between an Elise/Exige and more mainstream sportscars. There has to be a market for that. As for 2nd hand values, the reluctance of limited supply sportscars like the last 1 Series M should ensure slow depreciation. I like the headlights but the first company to make 8C clone lamps will make a profit.

[underphil]

retro_racer said:

8 bearing crank????? how?

seems like they must have a more powerful version in their plans, as the there have been no issues with the crank reported on any of the more well tuned 1750TBi that I know of

[bobo]

Disastrous said:

I suppose it would come down to which brand you most identify with and aspire to owning.

I don't find Porsche aspirational at all but am excited about a new (non-super) car for the first time in as long as I can remember with the launch of this as the idea of owning a mid-engine Italian exotic appeals hugely. A Cayman doesn't at all sadly.


I doubt Porsche are going out of business any time soon so it's probably just as well that people like different things.

good post.

[modeller]

Dan Trent said:

You forgot the M135i in that list...

Dan

Nah .. the M135i doesn't have a LSD .. ahh hang-on

[DeltaEvo2]

Sexy!

[Roma101]

otolith said:

Audi RS5 - 33% more expensive
BMW M3 Coupe - 22% more expensive
Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe - 27% more expensive
Lotus Evora - 17% more expensive
Corvette Z06 - 47% more expensive
Audi TT RS+ - 9% more expensive

Porsche Cayman R - no longer made

So the TT is the only car close on price, and it's nowhere close to the Alfa in desirability IMO.

M3 is no longer made. New M4 will be even more expensive. I wouldn't classify RS5 and C63 as sports cars. Questions over TT's status too.

As mentioned previously, I think the Elise/Exige is the best comparison. Time will tell if there is a market in between the Elise/Exige and the Boxster/Cayman.

[JohnT993]

Can't wait to see this on the road, not particularly interested in what it competes with, more pure excitement that it exists!
If my Exige needs replacing in a few years it would be between a new-style Cayman S and this I think!
All great cars, thank god we have some more choice!

[TheBALDpuma]

I like it.

I'd also like to add that it really was a very good review. Thumbs up to the journo.

[chelme]

TheBALDpuma said:

I like it.

I'd also like to add that it really was a very good review. Thumbs up to the journo.

+1, Very informative and balanced review by CH.

If the 4C didn't have its little niggles, it would not be an Alfa, and hey, who cares about its city pottering low speed irritations, when it is so impressive to properly drive it on the open road?

This is definitely on top of my shopping list.

[johnbfontaine]

All the 4C needs are :

- Better seats

- A better steering wheels, and most importantly,

- Curing its Weird Headlights Syndrome

[underphil]

johnbfontaine said:

All the 4C needs are :

- Better seats

- A better steering wheels, and most importantly,

- Curing its Weird Headlights Syndrome

Good thing is, decent solutions to all of these should be available through aftermarket sources

[GTRene]

underphil said:

johnbfontaine said:

All the 4C needs are :

- Better seats

- A better steering wheels, and most importantly,

- Curing its Weird Headlights Syndrome

Good thing is, decent solutions to all of these should be available through aftermarket sources

+ for some, a powerful NA or SC V6

[kambites]

GTRene said:

+ for some, a powerful NA or SC V6

And a manual gearbox please while we're at it.

[ewenm]

kambites said:

GTRene said:

+ for some, a powerful NA or SC V6

And a manual gearbox please while we're at it.

Special deals on Moon-on-a-stick available too!

[carinaman]

Thanks for another review that has facts and opinions, It's like the F-Type video. It's stuff like this that is eating the market for magazines from under them.