X

Alfa Romeo 4C Concept

If this pretty mini-supercar ever makes it to production, it will give the Lotus Elise a good run around a track.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
alfa-4c_1.jpg
1 of 10 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Half size

If this pretty mini-supercar ever makes it to production, it will give the Lotus Elise a good run around a track.

The compact 4C shows typical Alfa Romeo styling, with beautiful curves rising up from the hood of the car and continuing all the way to the rear. The 4C is Alfa Romeo's attempt at an efficient sports car, the model designation being half that of the 8C Competizione.

alfa-4c_2.jpg
2 of 10 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Featherweight

In concept form, the 4C shows very few body panel gaps, the whole front of the car is seemingly moulded as a single, solid piece. Alfa Romeo constructed the body out of carbon fibre, which helps keep overall weight down to 875kg.

alfa-4c_3.jpg
3 of 10 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Italian Lotus

At a little over 4 metres, the 4C is longer by about 20cm than the Lotus Elise. Both cars employ lightweight materials and use a mid-engine layout. With 60 per cent of its weight over the rear wheels, the 4C should handle well.

alfa-4c_4.jpg
4 of 10 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Light the way

Although a concept, these headlights are not inconceivable for a production car. The main light is a typical xenon bulb, while surrounding LEDs projected through translucent plastics are not far off from current LED running lights.

alfa-4c_5.jpg
5 of 10 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Hideaway

Alfa Romeo hides the door latches in the air intakes, minimising disruption to airflow and aesthetics. The intakes feed air to the engine's turbocharger.

alfa-4c_6.jpg
6 of 10 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Unified

The side mirrors show carbon fibre trim and a strip with the colours of the Italian flag. We presume that the 150 celebrates the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification.

alfa-4c_7.jpg
7 of 10 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Branded

Side indicators on the front fenders feature the words "Centro Stile Alfa Romeo", the name of Alfa Romeo's design studio.

alfa-4c_8.jpg
8 of 10 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Suspended animation

The front of the 4C features a quadrilateral suspension, while the rear uses MacPherson struts.

alfa-4c_9.jpg
9 of 10 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Più veloce!

A turbocharged 1.75-litre direct-injection four-cylinder produces 150kW of power, which is sent to the rear wheels via a dual-clutch transmission. Alfa claims a zero to 100km/h time of under five seconds and a top speed of over 250km/h.

alfa-4c_10.jpg
10 of 10 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Ciao!

Supercar-style, the engine is visible under the rear glass. The engine box does not look well insulated from the cabin, so expect some loud Italian chatter.

Via CNET

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos