Tuesday 12th February 2013

Alfa Romeo 4C - first official pictures

We get a first glimpse of the production 4C - and a power-to-weight figure, too

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There’s been an awful lot of talk on the PH Forums about the Alfa 4C. What form will it really take when it hits the road? The answer, it seems, is anyone’s guess.

There've been a few tweaks to the rear

However, we’ve now been given our first look at the new car in its production form. Until now, we’ve had to content ourselves with the concept version; thankfully, it seems that the standard car will look much the same.

Gone is a little of the trinketry – much as you’d expect – but the 4C’s voluptuous shape remains largely – and thankfully – the same. In fact, in some places, the detail changes have improved things slightly – smaller taillights, for example, give the production 4C’s rump a slightly less boggle-eyed look than the concept’s.

Along with our first glimpse of the 4C, Alfa’s released a power-to-weight figure: 4kg/hp, which equates to 250hp/tonne. If rumblings in the press are correct, the 4C should weigh somewhere around the 950kg mark, which would give it a power figure of 237hp. However, if other rumblings are correct, the 4C’s price has inflated to a Cayman-rivalling £50,000 or so.

4C even looks good from above

That’s a rumour given weight by the timing of this reveal. As we write, the international launch of the new Cayman is going on – more of which, of course, we’ll bring you when we can. Of course, to release information about a new rival on the same day and thus distract attention away from the launch event would be a very media-savvy thing to do. Not that that’s what Alfa’s done, of course. It could all just be a happy coincidence. Right?

Either way, the 4C will make its debut at Geneva, which is when we'll finally get the full scoop. Watch this space!

[tinkertaylor]

Good grief, that is beautiful.

One of the few cars that looks a lot better than the concept too...