Alfa 4C - the reality?????

[errek72]

Beemer-5 said:

Nice video there, again, telling us what we all really know.
The Cayman S isn't overly powerful, but is the best real world road sports car ever made, taken as a whole package.
No tuned 1.7 inline 4 from Alfa will ever change that.
Nice try Alfa, but get a better engine in there, some smaller wheels and sort the rear suspension and you can come and have another go.
:-)

Yeah, good idea. Like put a V12 with a hybrid system in it and pitch it against McLaren. Redesign exterior and call it a Ferrari LaFerrari.
Oh, wait...

[Oilchange]

I reckon they could have gone further and put a 3 pot in with a supercharger. Would have sounded groovy


Alfa 3C anyone?

[anonymous-user]

Sounds like someone just regurgitated Harris' words.

[Alfahorn]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yep.

[Stuart J]

Interesting read through the thread

Several thoughts

Overall its pretty good, not perfect but what is, its what you perceive as perfect, one chap loves a lady with pert little boobs, to another Jugs the size of Glastobury Tor are perfection, its what you see & how it feels to you that counts.

Understeer, most cars are set up that way so Mr average looses the front first, loose the back first & real talent is needed & few have that ability on the width of a normal road. A geo tweek will be able to address that to some extent if it really worries you.

Potential tuning possibilities are good, just a remap & its a bit more of a weapon

Uk get 200 cars in a year & I believe around 2000 are on Alfas list of "I wants" they will all be sold & shouldn't shed money toooo quickly

You have the option of sports pack for serious hard core drivers or track day lovers, personally with the state of our roads & the councils intentions to only patch & pray the stock set up will be better for a road car

Best Colour is Rosso red Competizone but Im biased

Edited by Stuart J on Friday 7th March 11:11

[errek72]

Stuart J said:

its what you perceive as perfect, one chap loves a lady with pert little boobs, to another Jugs the size of Glastobury Tor are perfection, its what you see & how it feels to you that counts.

Of all comments so far, that one makes most sense.

[ewolg]

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...

[cheddar]

ewolg said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...

"Harris hinted at some issues with our 4C test car"

That example must be a pre-production model, have poor geo or been ragged to death by the Top Gear brigade - sports suspension or not customer cars surely can't drive that badly?

[ewolg]

Some more news https://twitter.com/bbc_topgear/status/44669277022...

[cheddar]

And more.

Exige S vs Cayman vs Alfa 4C

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/alfa-romeo-4c-por...

Similar conclusion to PH's on the 4C.

Damn you Alfa!

[thegreenhell]

I wish Alfa would just give everyone a UK production-spec car to test with the smaller standard wheels and normal suspension. As far as I can see, every test so far has had the optional big wheel package and 'race' suspension. I doubt it would silence every critic, but it would surely work a lot better on the UK's crappy roads.

[ewolg]

Just had a chat with a good friend who works for lots of manufacturers and has just driven the car on the IOM.
He loved it and says the caster needs looking at but will also do a test for Alfa when the RHD car arrives with normal suspension and the 17 / 18" wheel combination. Reckons that will make it far better. Did say the chassis is as stiff as a very stiff thing!

[errek72]

I looked at the goodwood video again, then I looked at the top gear episode again, then I read the European test reports again.
Sorry, no issue with chassis or steering. Funny that.

[Alfahorn]

errek72 said:

I looked at the goodwood video again, then I looked at the top gear episode again, then I read the European test reports again.
Sorry, no issue with chassis or steering. Funny that.

Well your wrong, it's just a tarted up Giulietta, in fact no, it's a tarted up Bravo in different frock. It should have a kerb weight of 2 tonnes and have a V6 in it. You clearly don't know what you're talking about!

[jimmy156]

errek72 said:

I looked at the goodwood video again, then I looked at the top gear episode again, then I read the European test reports again.
Sorry, no issue with chassis or steering. Funny that.

you can't just believe what you want to believe, ignore everything else and assume that makes it a fact!

I've said before and I'll say it again, I love the 4c (although I am in no position to buy one) but you have got to take in a balance of opinions when making an overall judgement, unless you have driven yourself so you can make up your own mind?

[errek72]

jimmy156 said:

you can't just believe what you want to believe, ignore everything else and assume that makes it a fact!

I've said before and I'll say it again, I love the 4c (although I am in no position to buy one) but you have got to take in a balance of opinions when making an overall judgement, unless you have driven yourself so you can make up your own mind?

That is exactly my point. There is only a minority of reports out there that criticise. Even that minority that now criticizes, has previously cheered it. So the balance is in favour of the 4C not having any major defects.
you can't just believe what you want to believe, ignore everything else and assume that makes it a fact!

[errek72]

Alfahorn said:

errek72 said:

I looked at the goodwood video again, then I looked at the top gear episode again, then I read the European test reports again.
Sorry, no issue with chassis or steering. Funny that.

Well your wrong, it's just a tarted up Giulietta, in fact no, it's a tarted up Bravo in different frock. It should have a kerb weight of 2 tonnes and have a V6 in it. You clearly don't know what you're talking about!

Yes, quite so. It would seem that the modern sportscar enthusiast is not in tune with Alfa values. Or is it just the badge that needs stamping on? It seems very fashionable these days.

[jimmy156]

errek72 said:

That is exactly my point. There is only a minority of reports out there that criticise. Even that minority that now criticizes, has previously cheered it. So the balance is in favour of the 4C not having any major defects.
you can't just believe what you want to believe, ignore everything else and assume that makes it a fact!

Touché

I just wish it was perfect, which it would appear that it is not.

ETA: What do you think the 'motive' for the british motoring press quite universally disliking the 4c's steering is? Once they got the car back in the UK that is.

Edited by jimmy156 on Monday 24th March 08:24

[errek72]

jimmy156 said:

Touché

I just wish it was perfect, which it would appear that it is not.

ETA: What do you think the 'motive' for the british motoring press quite universally disliking the 4c's steering is? Once they got the car back in the UK that is.

Edited by jimmy156 on Monday 24th March 08:24

No real idea. The leitmotiv seems to be that somehow Italians have no idea what they are doing, and it takes a journalist (not trained or accridited in chassis dynamics, zero competition wins) to point out how wrong the manufacturer is. Worth noting that a lot of negative comments do not come from tests on British roads. The autocar one was on a track, the EVO slaughtering exercise was in France, the auto express one also on a track.

Possibly it sells more copies to be negative than positive?

[velocemitch]

Or is it simply that British Roads are cambered like no other Road in the World and some Cars just don't like that amount of camber.