Alfa Romeo 4C is no more

[Esceptico]

I saw this:

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/alfa-r...

and was surprised that I had assumed they had stopped making it already.

Never did get to try one and to be honest I can’t remember the last time I saw one on the road.

Pity as I remember the buzz before they were launched

[SidewaysSi]

The 4C was crap but they could have fixed it relatively easily with an 'Evo' update.

Real shame as I think Alfa can do some great stuff - the money's in SUVs but dropping sports cars seems hugely short sighted.

[PeterGadsby]

Have you driven one? It's not crap. The only problem they had was the wayward steering & that's cured with an Alfaworks kit.

[tobinen]

I still haven't seen one out in the wild

[cerb4.5lee]

SidewaysSi said:

The 4C was crap but they could have fixed it relatively easily with an 'Evo' update.

It is not very often that the motoring press are universally negative about a car, but I also can't remember reading one positive review of the 4C.

I think that expectations were really high for the 4C, and sadly it didn't get anywhere close to meeting them.

[abzmike]

That’s a pity, but sales in the low hundreds for a mass market manufacturer are never going to be sustainable.

[Johnnytheboy]

Very pretty but a missed opportunity in many ways IMHO.

[rodericb]

cerb4.5lee said:

SidewaysSi said:

The 4C was crap but they could have fixed it relatively easily with an 'Evo' update.

It is not very often that the motoring press are universally negative about a car, but I also can't remember reading one positive review of the 4C.

I think that expectations were really high for the 4C, and sadly it didn't get anywhere close to meeting them.

Alfas mistake was that they didn't just buy a bunch of Porsche Caymans and slap Alfa badges on them. Even then if they did the same old Italian car/Alfa tropes would get ladled out by the first acerbic motor noter to write about it and all others would soon fall into line with the zeitgeist.

[s m]

rodericb said:

cerb4.5lee said:

SidewaysSi said:

The 4C was crap but they could have fixed it relatively easily with an 'Evo' update.

It is not very often that the motoring press are universally negative about a car, but I also can't remember reading one positive review of the 4C.

I think that expectations were really high for the 4C, and sadly it didn't get anywhere close to meeting them.

Alfas mistake was that they didn't just buy a bunch of Porsche Caymans and slap Alfa badges on them. Even then if they did the same old Italian car/Alfa tropes would get ladled out by the first acerbic motor noter to write about it and all others would soon fall into line with the zeitgeist.

Renault seem to have got the formula right with the Alpine going forward
Same sort of ingredients but better handling magic sprinkled over

[SidewaysSi]

Exactly, Alpine have nailed it which is joyous to see. Alfa didn't but instead a bunch of guys in a small workshop had to fix it which isn't great.

I don't think there is any bias - credit is given where it is due. And Porsche, Alpine and Lotus tend to deliver on a consistent basis. Alfa don't unfortunately - you never quite know what you will get from them.

[thelostboy]

if anything I would say Alfa gets positive bias, given Top Gear used to go on about not being an enthusiast until you had one!

For me, it seems like all the money went into the carbon tub and that compromised the rest of it.

[rallycross]

I thought these had long since stopped being made, never driven one but one of my neighbours has one and its an awkward looking car and is another of these cars that makes silly fake farting popping noises at low speed.

[T-195]

Only one I ever saw was at a dealers in Guildford.

Nice looking cars but that was about it.

[rider73]

post merger streamlining i think Alfa will be gone (or sold off) - certainly there are rumours the sponsorhsip in F1 will end very soon.

[ocrx8]

rallycross said:

I thought these had long since stopped being made, never driven one but one of my neighbours has one and its an awkward looking car and is another of these cars that makes silly fake farting popping noises at low speed.

Awkward? IMO it’s one of the most stunning looking cars of the past few years. Although I’ll agree about the popping noises

[blueg33]

PeterGadsby said:

Have you driven one? It's not crap. The only problem they had was the wayward steering & that's cured with an Alfaworks kit.

But thats the point - as it comes out of the factory it has bump steer from hell. The buyer of a new car then has to pay extra to get it fixed.

And yes, I have driven more than one

[Hitch]

A couple of owners on here love them and there's a chap near us with a black one which looks and sounds wonderful. Does seem a shame they didn't bring out a revised model to address the ride and handling.

[RemyMartin81D]

PeterGadsby said:

Have you driven one? It's not crap. The only problem they had was the wayward steering & that's cured with an Alfaworks kit.

If it needs a separately developed aftermarket kit to be 'good' then it's fair to say it's probably 'crap'.

[untakenname]

Only ever seen one of these on the roads, the holes in the front headlights make my teeth itch.

[Mushroom12]

I've spent a month in a 4C Spyder or so. It's a beautiful looking car, absolutely stunning. The interior is terrible, but I can understand that in an 'Elise' style car.
What I could not forgive was the lack of a clutch pedal, and gear stick, and the low redline. If you're going to make a car for enthusiasts, then make it for enthusiasts; if you want to make it for casual sports drivers, then make it for them. As far as I'm concerned, they put an interior in which can be overlooked by enthusiasts, but a transmission for casual sports car drivers, meaning that no-one was happy.

It did sound filthy in the morning though, and can set off car alarms