Wednesday 2nd February 2011

Alfa Aims To Wow Geneva With Rear-Drive Coupe

850kg mid-engined 4C GTA will go after Porsche Cayman in 2012

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Alfa Romeo is hoping to unveil an all-new coupe concept at the Geneva show in March that should please the Alfisti no end - because it's going to be rear-wheel drive.

The concept is set to prefigure a Cayman-rivalling mid-engined coupe and, according to motor industry publication, Automotive News, will go on sale as the 4C GTA for 40,000 euros (about £35k in the Queen's Sterling).

The mid-engined rear-drive coupe will be the first affordable rear-drive Alfa (only the mildly insane would call the 8C Competizione affordable) since the original Alfa Spider died in 1993.

According to AN, Alfa plans to build between 4000 and 5000 4Cs per year.

Motive power for the 4C will come from a massaged version of the 1.8-litre turbocharged direct-injection engine currently found in the top-end versions of the Giulietta hatch, with a power figure 'in excess of 250bhp' expected.

That should make the new Alfa a pretty quick motor car, since the company is targeting a kerb weight of just 850kg, courtesy of a clever carbon-fibre and aluminium 'honeycomb' construction.

The technology for the chassis development comes from race car constructor Dallara and is a development of the KTm X-Bow - which was itself developed by Dallara.

But while Dallara will be responsible for the underpinnings, the styling for the Geneva show car (provided it's ready - there have apparently been delays with the concept car's build process) is the work of Alfa Romeo's own Centro Stile.

[Squabbler]

Wow. Finally a return to the credentials? I just hope that the styling will not be based on 8c, like Giulia

[Greenwich Ross]

About fking time!

[Daaaveee]

Oh lord, I'm feeling faint. Can't wait to see the design!

[dinkel]

Alfa 33 Stradale comes to mind. Stunning mid-engined little car:

2 litre 250 brake screamer.

Racing version:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogHfuIBP9qE
Elford leads the way . . .

Back to topic: we're talking S1 Elise here! Great.

[kambites]

An Alfa Elise? Sounds interesting.

A chassis containing CF doesn't sound "affordable", though. We shall see.

[Killer2005]

If it looks anything like the Alfa concept of last year it will be brilliant

[pilchardthecat]

This is encouraging.

I hope more manufacturers start to head back into this territory. The Koreans perhaps?

[RobM77]

The turbocharger will put me off placing a deposit without driving one first, but I am extremely interested in this! As others have said, Alfa have made nose heavy FWD cars for too long now, and this would be a fantastic return to form.

Let's hope it happens!

[patmahe]

This could be very interesting. Hopefully it'll be a good quality product, are modern Alfas more reliable/durable than the older ones? Haven't been in a modern one.

[otolith]

I'd love to see Alfa make a success of this, if only to shut up the people who insist it isn't possible to sell a lightweight driver's car for a profit.

[glm1977]

Killer2005 said:

If it looks anything like the Alfa concept of last year it will be brilliant

[43034]

Oh yes! Can't wait to see it!

[RobM77]

patmahe said:

This could be very interesting. Hopefully it'll be a good quality product, are modern Alfas more reliable/durable than the older ones? Haven't been in a modern one.

Yes; enough to make you not worry at least.

[sunsurfer]

Lovely! This is exactly what we are looking for. A car like this if it handles and performs with handsome Alfa styling will act as an icon model casting a glow over the whole brand.

Now let's see... if I don't eat lunch (I'm getting fat anyway) and put the money saved away every week could I buy one in 2013?

[Greenwich Ross]

RobM77 said:

The turbocharger will put me off placing a deposit without driving one first, but I am extremely interested in this! As others have said, Alfa have made nose heavy FWD cars for too long now, and this would be a fantastic return to form.

Let's hope it happens!

Don't think like that. As far as see it if they chuck a turbo charger on a small perky engine then that's no different from the old days where they'd chuck some big carbs on a small perky engine. It's just the modern way of dealing with the issue whilst keeping the emissions police happy.

[PlainSpain]

I have been saving spare cash for a very long time for this.

[kambites]

Greenwich Ross said:

Don't think like that. As far as see it if they chuck a turbo charger on a small perky engine then that's no different from the old days where they'd chuck some big carbs on a small perky engine. It's just the modern way of dealing with the issue whilst keeping the emissions police happy.

It may have the same aim, but the effect is rather different. Using a turbo to generate that kind of specific output doesn't usually bode well for the character of an engine, especially in a lightweight car which tend to suit linear, high revving engines.

I really hope they get it right, but if the engine ends up being a laggy torque-monster, it could end up ruining the car. We shall see.

[ashleyp91]

sounds like it could be a good car, except im not a fan of alfa styling. being owned by fiat though i guess it could be worse, looking forward to the pictures.

[r11co]

Just as Lotus desert their customer base in a (vain) attempt to woo supercar buyers, Alfa steps into the breach.

Irony!

[briSk]

too dear*.
that aside nice idea.

'*it's a posh MGF innit.