Possible 4C Purchase - Spec Advice Please

[rudester]

So i've decided I need a 4C Coupe in my life. I've test driven a couple that had varying specs, but i've got to say i'm a little lost as to what is worthwhile. What are considered must have options?
Is there an easy way to tell if the car has one of the racing packs fitted as of the 2 cars i've driven I felt one steered much better than the other.
Also there seem to be a lot on the 2nd hand market at the moment. Has anyone been watching the market to see how long these cars have been hanging around? Do you think the prices are likely to drop over the winter months?

[_Superleggera_]

You can see the rear anti roll bar on a racing spec car, I'm pretty sure a non racing suspension car doesn't have one. But I may be wrong.

I've had a coupe and spider. Happy to help you with the purchase if you need some advice.

I've been following the market since they arrived on the scene. I've sold 3 cars for people with no dramas.

Prices are holding firm for well specced cars.

[garreth64]

I have been on and off, don't know why as I am unlikely to get one but they intrigue me. They look amazing, the press seem to hate them, but most owners love them. A bit of aftermarket work seems to cure any issues they may have.

Prices seem all over the place, but on the whole seem to have dropped over the last 6-12 months as there are now cars in the 35-40 range. I've seen 2016 cars recently low 40s the same price as some 2014 cars.

Spec for me would be a good colour, either competizione (sp), or the pearl white (I think there has been two different ones). I don't think it looks right on standard wheels, so must have the 19's either anthracite or silver, alcantara or leather seats depending on preference. Reverse sensors and also cruise as I think they were no cost options but not all cars have them. The more carbon fibre bits the better. If it has the insect lights they would need to be CF.

Not sure about racing suspension/exhaust as not driven one (for fear of wanting it), heard exhaust can be boomy but wouldn't bother me as I have a loud TVR.

I've seen more newer cars with the leather dash, which looks nicer than the plastic one but seems quite rare on older cars. Also the convertibles are in the mid 40s now too. There was a post on here recently from someone who knew a dealer with a new one for around £45k with a decent spec which seemed very good.

It may be good to find one with the alfa works mods already done as well.

I'm sure some owners with more knowledge will be along to reply but if I was seriously looking this would be what I would be looking for. Good luck!

[rudester]

Thanks for the information. I've had a look around a few now I'm set on the competizione red with 19 inch wheels. I'm easy on the interior spec. I agree that the leather dash lifts the interior but it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.
I agree with the comments about the market. Apart from a couple of early low priced cars there doesn't seem to be any different between the 2014 - 16 cars and most seem to have very little miles.
I'm going to have another chat with the dealer today so i'll report back.

[_Superleggera_]

garreth64 said:

I have been on and off, don't know why as I am unlikely to get one but they intrigue me. They look amazing, the press seem to hate them, but most owners love them. A bit of aftermarket work seems to cure any issues they may have.

Prices seem all over the place, but on the whole seem to have dropped over the last 6-12 months as there are now cars in the 35-40 range. I've seen 2016 cars recently low 40s the same price as some 2014 cars.

Spec for me would be a good colour, either competizione (sp), or the pearl white (I think there has been two different ones). I don't think it looks right on standard wheels, so must have the 19's either anthracite or silver, alcantara or leather seats depending on preference. Reverse sensors and also cruise as I think they were no cost options but not all cars have them. The more carbon fibre bits the better. If it has the insect lights they would need to be CF.

Not sure about racing suspension/exhaust as not driven one (for fear of wanting it), heard exhaust can be boomy but wouldn't bother me as I have a loud TVR.

I've seen more newer cars with the leather dash, which looks nicer than the plastic one but seems quite rare on older cars. Also the convertibles are in the mid 40s now too. There was a post on here recently from someone who knew a dealer with a new one for around £45k with a decent spec which seemed very good.

It may be good to find one with the alfa works mods already done as well.

I'm sure some owners with more knowledge will be along to reply but if I was seriously looking this would be what I would be looking for. Good luck!

Leather dash was only an option from 2016 so won't be on early cars. The plastic (non CF) spider style lights look pretty bad in person. Very cheap and you can't just switch them to CF ones.

Alfa works mods make a difference on the 2014 cars but less so on the 2016 cars as the geometry was revised. Spiders fetch a premium being 2016 onwards only and they were a fair bit more than the coupe.

The race exhaust is excellent in my opinion. Really makes a huge difference to the pleasure in driving it. On the coupe its a bit boomy on the motorway cruising, but in the spider its fine due as the sound escapes out of the fabric room. I'm sure the rear glass boot on the coupe plays a part in the noise too.

Edited by _Superleggera_ on Friday 3rd November 14:24

[Stuart J]

Pound is falling against the Euro so new prices can only go up I feel which will support s/hand prices, also more love for the car generally now it’s become common knowledge the track biased handling can be changed to make the car very road compliant .

Re spec , competizone if you can warrant the cost imho is the best colour , the bigger 5 hole style wheels in silver or anthracite , coloured brake callipers I went red but yellow also look good, reversing sensors are an absolute must as rear visibility is useless for parking, cruised is also worth having as it might save your licence . Leather or leather and alcantara seats , std cloth ones are not the best looking and awful to keep clean , cup holder if not now std , ideal for storing sun glasses etc . If buying s/ hand make sure it’s been fully serviced , first service is about a grand and I “gather” a few with low mileage cars just did part services , it needs the full service as torque of many things is checked and bolts loosen over time regardless of mileage .

The spider headlights on the early cars were very poor, even fitting better buibs as I did on my first car don’t give enough light for the cars performance , our Skoda Octavia has better lights . The spider lights on my new one are fantastic . What else , leather dash is nice and may even be std as a lot of new cars seem to have it. Newer cars also come with paint protection film on some panels , it’s not the best fit but it definately will reduce stone chios .

Re coupe or spider it’s very personal , personally I went coupe as I do some European holidays and the roof goes in the boot which is already small so on a trip you have to leave the roof on of sacrifice storage , I also don’t think it warrants the extra cost over the coupe .

I’ve avouded the race pack on the first car as I thought it would be to harsh , the car without race pack handled incredibly well and was comfortable on long trips so I had the same on the new car

Happy to answer any questions , in total I’ve done about 25000 miles in the 2 cars so should be able to give some answers

Edited by Stuart J on Saturday 4th November 11:41

[rudester]

So I've driven any car today and I've got to say I just don't understand the bad press that the 4C has received from some of the motoring press. Sure the steering can wander but the trade off is so much feedback through the steering wheel. I have a history of Porsche's (Cayman R, 997 GTS and Boxster 981S) and was looking for a high days car that would set the pulse racing. Most of the frustration with the Porsche's comes from the overly long gearing so by the time you get to the red line in 3rd you're already well into license loss territory. The 4C is just so much quicker everywhere. There's so much torque it doesn't matter where you are in the rev range you can always get the car on tip toes. You quickly get used the speed in the Porsche's, I think it'll take a lot longer in the 4C. And then there's the noise. OK it's not 6 cylinder but my Porsche's all had the optional sports exhaust fitted and I was always left wanting more. In the 4C the sound is just epic, all of the snorting and farting from the wastegate and the full throttle gear change twarp, twarp. Just WOW!!

So I've gone and put a deposit on one this morning. I'll post pictures and specification once the deal is complete. Thanks to all of you that have contributed on this thread.

[Stuart J]

rudester said:

So I've driven any car today and I've got to say I just don't understand the bad press that the 4C has received from some of the motoring press. Sure the steering can wander but the trade off is so much feedback through the steering wheel. I have a history of Porsche's (Cayman R, 997 GTS and Boxster 981S) and was looking for a high days car that would set the pulse racing. Most of the frustration with the Porsche's comes from the overly long gearing so by the time you get to the red line in 3rd you're already well into license loss territory. The 4C is just so much quicker everywhere. There's so much torque it doesn't matter where you are in the rev range you can always get the car on tip toes. You quickly get used the speed in the Porsche's, I think it'll take a lot longer in the 4C. And then there's the noise. OK it's not 6 cylinder but my Porsche's all had the optional sports exhaust fitted and I was always left wanting more. In the 4C the sound is just epic, all of the snorting and farting from the wastegate and the full throttle gear change twarp, twarp. Just WOW!!

So I've gone and put a deposit on one this morning. I'll post pictures and specification once the deal is complete. Thanks to all of you that have contributed on this thread.

The understanding of what these cars are really about is growing , I know of 3 cars bought recently by people who’ve had many sports cars and all say it’s so so much better than they imagined it would be . You will also find when you get out driving there is so much love for these , at car meets there is genuine interest , you park next to 10 Porsche’s and see which car gets looked at . With Porsche even being a car enthusiast I sometime struggle to identify the variant , there’s 2 4c’s one has a roof one doesent , the handling if you don’t like it alfaworkshop can adjust , they also do a rather nice remap and they also , well it’s a long list , welcome to the exclusive 4C owners club

[garreth64]

rudester said:

So I've driven any car today and I've got to say I just don't understand the bad press that the 4C has received from some of the motoring press. Sure the steering can wander but the trade off is so much feedback through the steering wheel. I have a history of Porsche's (Cayman R, 997 GTS and Boxster 981S) and was looking for a high days car that would set the pulse racing. Most of the frustration with the Porsche's comes from the overly long gearing so by the time you get to the red line in 3rd you're already well into license loss territory. The 4C is just so much quicker everywhere. There's so much torque it doesn't matter where you are in the rev range you can always get the car on tip toes. You quickly get used the speed in the Porsche's, I think it'll take a lot longer in the 4C. And then there's the noise. OK it's not 6 cylinder but my Porsche's all had the optional sports exhaust fitted and I was always left wanting more. In the 4C the sound is just epic, all of the snorting and farting from the wastegate and the full throttle gear change twarp, twarp. Just WOW!!

So I've gone and put a deposit on one this morning. I'll post pictures and specification once the deal is complete. Thanks to all of you that have contributed on this thread.

Congratulations, quick work! Look forward to seeing some pics.

I feel like I should go and drive one at some point to see for myself. It would mean selling my TVR though plus additional funds which would be a hard decision, plus I know it's wide and not sure it would fit in my garage.

Quick question re the racing suspension? Does it include the racing exhaust as well so you can tell from the double pipe?

Just been browsing the used cars, there are a few nice ones about and pricing is odd. You can pretty much get a new Coupe for £45k, yet some 64 plate cars are still asking £40k+

[DeejRC]

The way I describe it is as a handmade carbon fibre tuxedo.

I think the leather dash is mandatory - it brings the interior into standard. It looks horribly cheap inside without it.
As much carbon fibre as possible. It's the USP of the car.

[rudester]

garreth64 said:

Congratulations, quick work! Look forward to seeing some pics.

I feel like I should go and drive one at some point to see for myself. It would mean selling my TVR though plus additional funds which would be a hard decision, plus I know it's wide and not sure it would fit in my garage.

Quick question re the racing suspension? Does it include the racing exhaust as well so you can tell from the double pipe?

Just been browsing the used cars, there are a few nice ones about and pricing is odd. You can pretty much get a new Coupe for £45k, yet some 64 plate cars are still asking £40k+

I'm still not clear about the racing suspension to be honest. I drove 3 examples one which definitely had it, one that did'nt, and one which had the upgraded wheels, exhaust and microfibe steering wheel so may have but the dealer couldn't confirm!! I just went with the one that I felt drove the best, which was also the better spec IMO.
Regarding pricing, not all of the cars are equal so make sure you spend a little time driving a few. One of them was already tatty and had clearly had some paint work despite only being a year old with 4k on the clock. I do feel though that the heavy discounts that the dealer are current offering on new and pre reg cars are ultimately going to put some downwards pressure on the earlier cars. Why would you buy a 2014 car when you can get into 2016 for the same money? The dinner those dealer cars are snapped up the better for values I feel.

[rudester]

DeejRC said:

The way I describe it is as a handmade carbon fibre tuxedo.

I think the leather dash is mandatory - it brings the interior into standard. It looks horribly cheap inside without it.
As much carbon fibre as possible. It's the USP of the car.

I agree that the dash lifts the interior but I decided on a car that drove better and had the exterior spec that I wanted. TBH once I was moving I was so engaged in the driving process I didn't get the chance to take in the interior ambiance.

Edited by rudester on Sunday 5th November 19:34

[Guybrush]

DeejRC said:

The way I describe it is as a handmade carbon fibre tuxedo.

I think the leather dash is mandatory - it brings the interior into standard. It looks horribly cheap inside without it.
As much carbon fibre as possible. It's the USP of the car.

Not sure about the leather dash in a sports car. The non-leather will be harder wearing; in the US some 4Cs had the leather dash 'delaminate' and addressed under warranty, but appreciate that may be down to more extreme heat from the sun.

Incidentally, full marks to Alfa for having the balls for making such a brilliant driver's car. There are so few cars now on the market that aren't sanitised software smothering experiences; the 4C just engages you like no other car other than perhaps something like a Caterham or Lotus Exige.

[_Superleggera_]

rudester said:

So I've driven any car today and I've got to say I just don't understand the bad press that the 4C has received from some of the motoring press. Sure the steering can wander but the trade off is so much feedback through the steering wheel. I have a history of Porsche's (Cayman R, 997 GTS and Boxster 981S) and was looking for a high days car that would set the pulse racing. Most of the frustration with the Porsche's comes from the overly long gearing so by the time you get to the red line in 3rd you're already well into license loss territory. The 4C is just so much quicker everywhere. There's so much torque it doesn't matter where you are in the rev range you can always get the car on tip toes. You quickly get used the speed in the Porsche's, I think it'll take a lot longer in the 4C. And then there's the noise. OK it's not 6 cylinder but my Porsche's all had the optional sports exhaust fitted and I was always left wanting more. In the 4C the sound is just epic, all of the snorting and farting from the wastegate and the full throttle gear change twarp, twarp. Just WOW!!

So I've gone and put a deposit on one this morning. I'll post pictures and specification once the deal is complete. Thanks to all of you that have contributed on this thread.

Excellent great work!

[Justices]

I have the 4C spider in Los Angeles, have put just under 5,000 miles on the clock since 1st of May and the roof has been on a total of 3 times for no longer than an evening (motorway at night with the Mrs). It's the perfect little sportcar, a mini exotic and I couldn't imagine not having one in the garage now. There are some great deals to be had, even over here where the roads are amazing and the weather is virtually perfect all year around. I had 8-9k off the original price with very little bargaining.

My only complaint is (nothing to do with the actual drive) that I'd love a solution to clip my phone on to (a map app is crucial for getting around, especiallly the insane traffic). Used one that sits on the air vent but the phone always overheats if the heater is on.

[Stuart J]

Justices said:

I have the 4C spider in Los Angeles, have put just under 5,000 miles on the clock since 1st of May and the roof has been on a total of 3 times for no longer than an evening (motorway at night with the Mrs). It's the perfect little sportcar, a mini exotic and I couldn't imagine not having one in the garage now. There are some great deals to be had, even over here where the roads are amazing and the weather is virtually perfect all year around. I had 8-9k off the original price with very little bargaining.

My only complaint is (nothing to do with the actual drive) that I'd love a solution to clip my phone on to (a map app is crucial for getting around, especiallly the insane traffic). Used one that sits on the air vent but the phone always overheats if the heater is on.

I use a suction mount onto the windscreen , have same mount in the other cars , works a treat , get a universal one and you can leave the phone in its case if you have a case , , from memory about £5 on Amazon

Something like this , just 2 jaws that will hold anything. http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

Edited by Stuart J on Tuesday 7th November 22:47

[rudester]

Just an update that I should be collecting the 4C at the weekend all being well. Can't wait! Fingers crossed for a dry day

[rudester]

So here's a quick picture of the car at pick up today before the rain came. She's now tucked away until the next fine weather. Which might be a while away up here in Manchester!

[Quickmoose]

Classy wheels sir.
Although the 4C (and this classic Alfa style alloy) is one of the very few that looks good in a dark finish imo.
That though, with lovely timeless silver jobs, looks superb.

[garreth64]

Splendid! Do report back with your thoughts once you've had time to drive it.