RE: Alfa Romeo 4C: Review
Discussion
Alfa Romeo 4C sets new Nurburgring lap time record for cars under 247 bhp
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/alfa-ro...
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/alfa-ro...
Craikeybaby said:
That sounds like a very specific record!
Yeah, it does. Quattroruote reported on that 8:04 time a good while ago. It's coming up in the press again as Alfa has now declared it as "official". There's more info and a video here [1]. Looks like they even duct taped it for better aero, had some (road legal) Pirelli Trofeos made for it and god knows what.The driver was Sportauto's Horst von Saurma. In comparison, the same guy got the older 2ZZ engined Exige S round there in 8:25 and a 911 GT3 in 8:03. The new Exige S did a 7:53 with Christian Gebhardt (same magazine) at the wheel.
Even if they've taken care to extract the absolute maximum out of that car, it makes the 4C time pretty impressive me thinks. If one cares for such a benchmark obviously, some might find Ring laptimes not that relevant.
[1] http://www.quattroruote.it/notizie/auto-novita/alf...
Can't comment on a lot here as for the gearbox or drivetrain, but yesterday I was filtering on the bike and in the distance a low car caught my attention.
I only saw the top right of the back but I immediately thought to identify it as a Ferrari California.
When I closed into it I saw that wasn't correct and spotted my first 4C "in the wild". Belgian car registered with the plate "4C" (yes, we can do that, first come first served).
It was some sort of pearlescent satin white and it looked absolutely stonkin. Sitting between a mondeo, 4-series and A4, it looked as out of place as Kate Moss in "You are what you eat".
Driving experience is one thing, but pictures or even car shows don't do this justice. On the street it doesn't look any less expensive or exclusive than a DBS.
The driver (young chap) and his passenger got a big thumbs up from me.
I only saw the top right of the back but I immediately thought to identify it as a Ferrari California.
When I closed into it I saw that wasn't correct and spotted my first 4C "in the wild". Belgian car registered with the plate "4C" (yes, we can do that, first come first served).
It was some sort of pearlescent satin white and it looked absolutely stonkin. Sitting between a mondeo, 4-series and A4, it looked as out of place as Kate Moss in "You are what you eat".
Driving experience is one thing, but pictures or even car shows don't do this justice. On the street it doesn't look any less expensive or exclusive than a DBS.
The driver (young chap) and his passenger got a big thumbs up from me.
Edited by ZesPak on Tuesday 20th May 07:39
If it hasn't been posted before worth a watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYgQRGJluKw&fe...
LongLiveTazio said:
I can't get on with it at all. The initial recipe was good but in the end I think the engine is wrong, the styling overwrought and caught between markets in terms of what it wants to be.
One thing that always bothered me was the quoted weight. Italians always use dry weights, which are a marketing ploy and used to inveigle pages of magazines with headline figures. The best example is the F40's quoted 1100kg weight, which has become an (untrue) legend. I cannot believe that the quoted 'wet' weight of the 4C is only 30kg more than the dry weight. Can someone stick it on a weighbridge, please? Fair play to them if it's less than a ton but I only ever see dry weight as means of deception.
One of the French mags had one on test a week or so agoOne thing that always bothered me was the quoted weight. Italians always use dry weights, which are a marketing ploy and used to inveigle pages of magazines with headline figures. The best example is the F40's quoted 1100kg weight, which has become an (untrue) legend. I cannot believe that the quoted 'wet' weight of the 4C is only 30kg more than the dry weight. Can someone stick it on a weighbridge, please? Fair play to them if it's less than a ton but I only ever see dry weight as means of deception.
And the claimed wet weight was shown as 920kg.
Ready to drive their test 4C weighed 1021kg
The Elise S Cup Racer they tested it with came in at 905 claimed/931 actual
Be good if Autocar ever test one to see what their example weighs
LongLiveTazio said:
I can't get on with it at all. The initial recipe was good but in the end I think the engine is wrong, the styling overwrought and caught between markets in terms of what it wants to be.
One thing that always bothered me was the quoted weight. Italians always use dry weights, which are a marketing ploy and used to inveigle pages of magazines with headline figures. The best example is the F40's quoted 1100kg weight, which has become an (untrue) legend. I cannot believe that the quoted 'wet' weight of the 4C is only 30kg more than the dry weight. Can someone stick it on a weighbridge, please? Fair play to them if it's less than a ton but I only ever see dry weight as means of deception.
One of the French mags had one on test a week or so agoOne thing that always bothered me was the quoted weight. Italians always use dry weights, which are a marketing ploy and used to inveigle pages of magazines with headline figures. The best example is the F40's quoted 1100kg weight, which has become an (untrue) legend. I cannot believe that the quoted 'wet' weight of the 4C is only 30kg more than the dry weight. Can someone stick it on a weighbridge, please? Fair play to them if it's less than a ton but I only ever see dry weight as means of deception.
And the claimed wet weight was shown as 920kg.
Ready to drive their test 4C weighed 1021kg
The Elise S Cup Racer they tested it with came in at 905 claimed/931 actual
Be good if Autocar ever test one to see what their example weighs
s m said:
One of the French mags had one on test a week or so ago
And the claimed wet weight was shown as 920kg.
Ready to drive their test 4C weighed 1021kg
The Elise S Cup Racer they tested it with came in at 905 claimed/931 actual
Be good if Autocar ever test one to see what their example weighs
Hmm when talking about a couple of KG's, "wet" isn't really defined is it? How much fuel is included in "wet weight"?And the claimed wet weight was shown as 920kg.
Ready to drive their test 4C weighed 1021kg
The Elise S Cup Racer they tested it with came in at 905 claimed/931 actual
Be good if Autocar ever test one to see what their example weighs
ZesPak said:
s m said:
One of the French mags had one on test a week or so ago
And the claimed wet weight was shown as 920kg.
Ready to drive their test 4C weighed 1021kg
The Elise S Cup Racer they tested it with came in at 905 claimed/931 actual
Be good if Autocar ever test one to see what their example weighs
Hmm when talking about a couple of KG's, "wet" isn't really defined is it? How much fuel is included in "wet weight"?And the claimed wet weight was shown as 920kg.
Ready to drive their test 4C weighed 1021kg
The Elise S Cup Racer they tested it with came in at 905 claimed/931 actual
Be good if Autocar ever test one to see what their example weighs
So even a full tank should be only around 32/33kg
k-ink said:
Do you guys consider a Lotus Europa to be a good poor mans version of the 4C? I am rather interested in one as my next daily / all rounder / all in one car. Thanks...
Can't really compare the two directly as I've never driven a 4C, but I did own a Europa for a couple of years...Quite stiff but not too much, unassisted steering, light (<1000kgs), turbo 4 pot so sounds a bit gruff. Goes like stink. Sounds like the same kind of proposition...
There are a few Europas around at the moment...
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff