Sunday 3rd July 2016

AlfaWorks GT4C: Driven

We reckoned the 4C was a decent set of dampers away from brilliance - now it's time to find out

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Is it possible to turn the Alfa Romeo 4C into a full-on supercar? AlfaWorks thinks so, giving it more power, more carbon bodywork and suspension mods. Has this UK-based tuner succeeded in turning the flawed 4C into a Lotus eater?

Let's face it, the press hasn't always been 100 per cent positive about the Alfa Romeo 4C. In this car do we have the answer to all that criticism? I'd venture we have.

Jamie Porter at AlfaWorks (the performance arm of Royston-based Alfa Workshop) thinks he's realised this potential after spending the best part of a year developing his fast road/track junior supercar. It's evolved through numerous stages - which I've been testing over the last few months - and the final package is now ready. Ladies and gentlefolk: here's the AlfaWorks GT4C.

Same but more so
AlfaWorks' aims with the GT4C were not too far off Porsche's with the Cayman GT4: to squeeze the maximum out of fundamentally one of the best mid-engined blank canvases around. The words 'best' and '4C' are not always uttered in the same sentence, particularly when it comes to the steering. But as AlfaWorks proves, it's eminently possible to improve the 4C's steering.

The GT4C package has three main pillars: new lightweight carbon aero bodywork, extra beef in the engine and tweaks to the suspension.

The GT4C certainly looks far more muscular; thanks the cornucopia of carbon kit for that. The changes are pretty obvious as they're mostly picked out in gloss black paint on the demo car; no doubt many owners will prefer naked carbon. There's a new front bumper/splitter that projects forwards to increase downforce. New sills incorporate an air intake to cool the gearbox on the left-hand side and the engine on the other. The rear bumper features a gigantic new diffuser, too, while a carbon fibre bootlid and rear spoiler are in development.

The new panelwork shaves 20kg off the overall weight. It'll also shave a full £8,000 off your wallet if you buy it individually, but it comes as standard on the GT4C.

How fast?
That the GT4C is now Very Quick Indeed is beyond doubt, but at first you don't notice it. My first 'moment' was glancing down at the speedo and thinking 'that can't be right'. I even asked Jamie if it was calibrated correctly. The response came: yes, it's reading right.

Perhaps there should be no surprise at how quick the GT4C is (for the record, around 3.7 seconds to 60mph, or nearly half a second faster than standard). With an extra 40hp on tap (280hp) and 30kg less weight to haul around, the GT4C is knocking on 300hp per tonne. It was always going to be fast. But its speed is just so easy and accessible, partly thanks to torque raised from 258lb ft at 2,200rpm to 310lb ft at 2,700rpm.

The main change is an ECU remap, which also has the benefit of sharpening up the throttle response. The other big difference is a Quicksilver-developed straight-through stainless steel exhaust system that uses two different-diameter pipes. You notice the aural difference straightaway: there's a deep, throaty burble at idle, extending to a grin-inducing growl as the revs rise. Anyone who's driven a 4C with the optional Racing exhaust system knows what a complete pain it is at motorway speeds - literally. AlfaWorks has fitted a Helmholtz resonator that completely eliminates the drone (it's removable if you want to do a track day, by the way). Weighing just 6kg, the system also comes with neat carbon tailpipe tips.

The right steer
Now we're down to the area where the GT4C must deliver: cornering. Every 4C owner is familiar with the way the car can twitch under braking, follow ruts in the roads and move in surprising directions over bumpy surfaces. Some owners even use the language of horror movies to describe the experience.

AlfaWorks has tried out hundreds of suspension system tweaks. What it's found is that very small changes have very big effects. For instance, the most the geometry has ever been altered at the front end is 4mm but the changes in feel are huge.

The GT4C has a full set of Ohlins dampers adjustable for compression, rebound and height; you also get front-end spacers and shims, plus cross-axis bushes at the rear. Also present are OZ Alleggerita HLT wheels (7.5x17 front, 8.5x18 rear) that weigh 10kg a set less than the standard 4C's, while Toyo Proxes R888R rubber is the default choice of fast road/track machinery.

The GT4C immediately feels like a totally different animal to the regular 4C. With relatively soft road settings applied, there's zero twitchiness and fidget in the steering wheel, just a crisply linear turn-in, with far more feel for what the helm is doing. Getting rid of the sense that the steering wheel might kick back at any moment is the single greatest achievement of the GT4C. It gives you the confidence to push hard - very hard, in fact. The solidity and crispness are clear from a lane-switch test: haul hard on the helm at speed and the front end simply obeys, with no hesitation or lurching.

Another big plus: grip levels and high-speed stability are massive. The GT4C is at its best on fast sweeping bends, where it just sticks and sticks up to quite eyebrow-raising speeds. In low-speed corners, it does still understeer but the transition to power oversteer is far more predictable and more comfortable to provoke.

It's simple to tailor the set-up to suit your individual requirements. I've driven four different set-ups now and I've been really struck by how the tiniest changes make big differences to the handling and steering feel. For example, keeping the profile of the tyres standard makes the steering smooth but a little inert at the dead-ahead; switching to lower-profile tyres really sharpens things up. Setting the Ohlins to 'race' mode stiffens the ride dramatically but makes the steering every bit as immediate and direct as the very best from the classic era of Lotus and Porsche.

Light weight clearly pays dividends - and also means that little change is required in the braking department. Simply fitting Ferodo DS2500 pads and Goodridge Aeroquip hoses makes the braking robust, to say the least.

How much...?
The full GT4C package certainly isn't cheap at £30,000 for the full conversion. If you're effecting it on a brand new 4C, that means it's an £82,500 machine.

If you can live without the carbon body panels, just doing the suspension mods is enough to transform the 4C. For just a few hundred pounds, the handling and steering feel can be elevated utterly; small wonder that Alfa Workshop has now become a Mecca for owners.

The 4C has even more potential. AlfaWorks is planning an even more extreme track/motorsport version with a full roll cage, race seats and carbon-ceramic brakes. There's a lot more to come from the engine, too: it's working on a hybrid turbo that should be good for 335bhp, as well as a 2.0-litre Touring Car-spec engine with up to 400hp, which should be something spectacular. But even as it stands now, the GT4C has the ability to match, and possibly even beat, the very best junior supercars.

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AlfaWorks GT4C
Engine: 1,742cc 4-cyl turbo (remapped)
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch semi-auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@5,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 310@2,700rpm
0-62mph: 3.7sec
Top speed: 170mph (est)
Weight: 865kg (claimed, dry)
MPG: 41.5 (standard car, NEDC)
CO2: 157g/km (standard car)
Price: £82,500

Photos: Chris Teagles

[HokumPokum]

why doesn't Alfa itself do something for the past 2 years? Shirley, they have more skin in the game to make the 4C great.

[IMI A]

Needs a high revving na 6 cylinder engine (like a Honda vtec with 350bhp) and a decent manual short shift. I'd buy one if Alfa does this. In fact I think they'd be a sell out even at £75k

DSG gearbox and turbo engine is a real let down when you have a carbon chassis.

[andy97]

Alfa should definitely do something like this themselves, and indeed build a customer race version for GT4.

[stephen300o]

IMI A said:

Needs a high revving na 6 cylinder engine (like a Honda vtec with 350bhp) and a decent manual short shift. I'd buy one if Alfa does this. In fact I think they'd be a sell out even at £75k

DSG gearbox and turbo engine is a real let down when you have a carbon chassis.

And return 40mpg?
You miss the point of this car.

[ZX10R NIN]

Seems like a nice package it just goes to show modification is not always a bad thing.

[Vee12V]

Very expensive considering you could get an Exige 350 Sport (or even Cup) for a whole lot less.

[IMI A]

stephen300o said:

IMI A said:

Needs a high revving na 6 cylinder engine (like a Honda vtec with 350bhp) and a decent manual short shift. I'd buy one if Alfa does this. In fact I think they'd be a sell out even at £75k

DSG gearbox and turbo engine is a real let down when you have a carbon chassis.

And return 40mpg?
You miss the point of this car.

40 mpg is irrelevant in a track/high days car. Its not an eco car. Its designed to be fun and the engine and gearbox take away from that aspect IMO.

[IMI A]

Vee12V said:

Very expensive considering you could get an Exige 350 Sport (or even Cup) for a whole lot less.

Expensive but styling is mini Ferrari with carbon tub to boot. You can't help but fall in love with the looks.

[AlexHat]

Vee12V said:

Very expensive considering you could get an Exige 350 Sport (or even Cup) for a whole lot less.

But if you just went for the chassis tweaks it would be a lot less money. At least this proves sometimes mods improve a car rather than ruining it.

[stephen300o]

IMI A said:

stephen300o said:

IMI A said:

Needs a high revving na 6 cylinder engine (like a Honda vtec with 350bhp) and a decent manual short shift. I'd buy one if Alfa does this. In fact I think they'd be a sell out even at £75k

DSG gearbox and turbo engine is a real let down when you have a carbon chassis.

And return 40mpg?
You miss the point of this car.

40 mpg is irrelevant in a track/high days car. Its not an eco car. Its designed to be fun and the engine and gearbox take away from that aspect IMO.

It is completely relevant for where we are headed, if anything the engine should be smaller. It's about fun without burning so much oil, without so many of the down sides, easier on tyres, on brakes, on suspension. they should make a twin air one for a little less, I'd get that one. Leave the big brutish monsters for the brainless.

[Fallscrim]

As a Royston local I've seen the development car about a lot, great to see all their hard work has paid dividends.

Could you tell us which roads you used for the images in the article?

[Cheapskate]

stephen300o said:

IMI A said:

stephen300o said:

IMI A said:

Needs a high revving na 6 cylinder engine (like a Honda vtec with 350bhp) and a decent manual short shift. I'd buy one if Alfa does this. In fact I think they'd be a sell out even at £75k

DSG gearbox and turbo engine is a real let down when you have a carbon chassis.

And return 40mpg?
You miss the point of this car.

40 mpg is irrelevant in a track/high days car. Its not an eco car. Its designed to be fun and the engine and gearbox take away from that aspect IMO.

It is completely relevant for where we are headed, if anything the engine should be smaller. It's about fun without burning so much oil, without so many of the down sides, easier on tyres, on brakes, on suspension. they should make a twin air one for a little less, I'd get that one. Leave the big brutish monsters for the brainless.

Not sure any of that is true, apart from potentially worse economy. A manual NA wouldn't necessarily be heavier and the rest comes down to driving style.

If the brainless among us can wish for a replacement for the old Boxster S, maybe the truly braindead can dream of the 4C powered by Alfa's 2.9l twin turbo! With these suspension tweaks, of course...

[IMI A]

stephen300o said:

IMI A said:

stephen300o said:

IMI A said:

Needs a high revving na 6 cylinder engine (like a Honda vtec with 350bhp) and a decent manual short shift. I'd buy one if Alfa does this. In fact I think they'd be a sell out even at £75k

DSG gearbox and turbo engine is a real let down when you have a carbon chassis.

And return 40mpg?
You miss the point of this car.

40 mpg is irrelevant in a track/high days car. Its not an eco car. Its designed to be fun and the engine and gearbox take away from that aspect IMO.

It is completely relevant for where we are headed, if anything the engine should be smaller. It's about fun without burning so much oil, without so many of the down sides, easier on tyres, on brakes, on suspension. they should make a twin air one for a little less, I'd get that one. Leave the big brutish monsters for the brainless.

Well why not go the whole hog and make it electric then? You've owned an NSX and come out with a comment like that? You need banning from PH!

[braddo]

Cheapskate said:

Not sure any of that is true, apart from potentially worse economy. A manual NA wouldn't necessarily be heavier and the rest comes down to driving style.

If the brainless among us can wish for a replacement for the old Boxster S, maybe the truly braindead can dream of the 4C powered by Alfa's 2.9l twin turbo! With these suspension tweaks, of course...

It would be like what the V6 exige is to the Elise - take same tub, engineer a new bigger rear subframe for the larger drivetrain and add new bodywork to suit. There is potential for a bonafide super car there...

[kambites]

Great to hear that they've finally managed to get the 4C's chassis to work properly; you've got to wonder how Alfa made such a hash of the standard setup.

[Ozzie Osmond]

£82,000 for one of those is pure comedy. But now Porsche has gone all eco-weenie with 4-pot turbos Alfa might at least sell more of the base 4C.

[smilo996]

Seems there is much more to come from the 4C. How about building a reasonably prices 8C whilst they are at it.

Decent alternative to the Cayman, 718 or whatever it is called.

Saw one a while ago and it is so wide, from some angles it looks square.

[Kolbenkopp]

kambites said:

Great to hear that they've finally managed to get the 4C's chassis to work properly; you've got to wonder how Alfa made such a hash of the standard setup.

Yup. Even more surprising is that they don't seem to show much interest to fix it themselves. More power to AlfaWorks then .

[stephen300o]

IMI A said:

stephen300o said:

IMI A said:

stephen300o said:

IMI A said:

Needs a high revving na 6 cylinder engine (like a Honda vtec with 350bhp) and a decent manual short shift. I'd buy one if Alfa does this. In fact I think they'd be a sell out even at £75k

DSG gearbox and turbo engine is a real let down when you have a carbon chassis.

And return 40mpg?
You miss the point of this car.

40 mpg is irrelevant in a track/high days car. Its not an eco car. Its designed to be fun and the engine and gearbox take away from that aspect IMO.

It is completely relevant for where we are headed, if anything the engine should be smaller. It's about fun without burning so much oil, without so many of the down sides, easier on tyres, on brakes, on suspension. they should make a twin air one for a little less, I'd get that one. Leave the big brutish monsters for the brainless.

Well why not go the whole hog and make it electric then? You've owned an NSX and come out with a comment like that? You need banning from PH!

It's Alfa's exercise in getting more from less, V6 engines and manual gearboxes are ancient ideas not of interest in this design, it's a first step to smaller engines, more efficiency, my ancient thought nsx would not know which way this new tech car went. The modern equivalent of the X1/9, that also happened to be criticised for its ordinary engine, but that is not the point, it is forward thinking flair and fun. If they made it a little more quiet and comfortable, they would sell more..

[CharlieAlphaMike]

How much I don't care how good it is, £82.5K is just crazy