- The new Alfa Romeo compact mid-engined supercar with rear-wheel drive and two bucket seats makes its début in Geneva.
- The new Alfa Romeo 4C is the result of experience built up with the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione model produced in the Maserati plant in Modena and it will be available for purchase in 2013, marking the return of the Italian brand to the United States.
- Less than 4 metres in length, 200 cm wide, 118 cm high and with a wheelbase of less than 2.4 metres.
- New 4 cylinder 1750 Turbo Petrol all-aluminium engine.
- Alfa TCT twin clutch automatic transmission.
- New Alfa DNA selector with Race mode.
- Chassis made entirely of carbon with load-bearing and structural function.
- Weight to power ratio less than 4 kg/HP.
The final version of
the Alfa Romeo 4C makes its début at the 83rd International Motor Show in
Geneva. This mid-engined rear-wheel drive coupé with two bucket seats
represents the true essence of a sports car at the heart of Alfa Romeo’s DNA:
performance, Italian style and technical excellence, offering maximum driving
satisfaction in total safety.
Designed by Alfa Romeo
engineers and produced in the Maserati plant in Modena, the new compact
supercar will be available for purchase in 2013, marking the return of the
Italian brand to the United States and inaugurating Alfa Romeo’s global growth
plan.
The Alfa Romeo 4C
derives directly from the concept which raised many eyebrows in wonder at the
Geneva Show in 2011, so much so that it won three prestigious awards: the
‘AutoBild Design Award’ (2011, Germany), the ‘Design Award for Concept Cars
& Prototypes’ (2012, Italy) and the ‘Most Exciting Car of 2013’ - ‘What
Car?’ (2013, Great Britain).
Acronym 4C
The acronym ‘4C’ draws
its inspiration from the brand’s glorious past, projecting the values of
technology and emotions into the future. Indeed, it refers to Alfa Romeo’s
great sporting tradition: the acronyms 8C and 6C in the 1930s and 1940s
distinguished cars – both racing and road – fitted with the powerful ‘eight
cylinders’ and the innovative ‘six cylinders’, confirming in its design layout
and construction the goal of achieving the power/weight ratio of an authentic
supercar, less than 4 kg/HP, yet focusing not merely on the maximum power
delivered, but on limiting the weight to guarantee maximum agility and top
performance. To this end, the Alfa Romeo 4C uses technologies and materials
derived from super sports cars (including the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione) – carbon
fibre, aluminium, rear-wheel drive – and technologies from the latest standard
models from Alfa Romeo, but updated to enhance the sports appeal of the new car
even further. This is demonstrated by the new 1750 Turbo Petrol all-aluminium
engine with direct injection, the sophisticated Alfa TCT twin dry clutch
transmission and the Alfa DNA selector with the unprecedented Race mode.
Exterior style
Designed by the Alfa
Romeo Style Centre, the 4C immediately brings to mind some of the traditional
iconic models which have left a significant mark in the history of the Brand.
Above all others, in terms of dimensional and layout similarities, one stands
out in particular: the 33 Stradale, a car that combined extreme mechanical and
functional requirements with an essential style which ‘clothed’ the engine and
chassis appropriately with unmistakable Alfa Romeo treatments. The 4C has
followed suit, and thus completes a journey which was embarked upon with the 8C
Competizione, emphasising some particular concepts of the brand, such as
compact size, dynamism and agility.
Interior design
The elemental design
and essential materials also distinguish the interior, which is all designed
and built for maximum driving satisfaction. Specifically, the carbon fibre in
the interior immediately stands out, used to make the central cell, which has been
left in full view to enhance the sense of uniqueness, of technology and light
weight.
Dimensions and aerodynamics
The compact dimensions
make this car with 2 bucket seats truly unique amid its competitors: it is just
under 4 metres long, 200 cm wide, 118 cm high and with a wheelbase of less than
2.4 metres. These dimensions serve both to emphasise the compact size of the
car and to accentuate its agility. What’s more, owing to the designers’
excellent work, the car achieves maximum aerodynamic efficiency levels,
recording a negative Cz (downforce coefficient) which, as in racing cars,
contributes towards achieving increased stability at higher speeds.
New 4 cylinder 1750 Turbo Petrol
An evolution of the
engine already in use in the Quadrifoglio Verde version of the Giulietta, the
new 4 cylinder 1750 Turbo Petrol engine implements an innovative aluminium
block and specific intake and exhaust systems which have been optimised to
enhance the sports appeal of the car even further. In addition, it boasts cutting-edge
technical solutions including direct fuel injection, dual continuous variable
valve timing, a turbocharger and a revolutionary scavenging control system that
gets rid of any turbo lag.
Alfa TCT automatic transmission
The 1750 Turbo Petrol
engine is teamed with the innovative Alfa TCT automatic twin dry clutch
transmission, which is a genuine benchmark in its segment due to its low weight
and extreme speed of activation. The gears can also be changed in sequential
mode using the shift paddles located behind the steering wheel.
The new Alfa DNA selector with Race mode
The Alfa Romeo 4C also
sees the début of the new Alfa DNA selector which not only features the three
standard settings available until now – Dynamic, Natural and All Weather – but
also a fourth mode: Race, designed to enhance the driving experience on a race
track even further.
Excellence made in Italy
The very best
technical and industrial expertise of the Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands were
used to develop the final version of the 4C. Specifically, the teamwork between
the two brands was aimed at the integration of the Alfa Romeo design department
with the Maserati production plant. In short, this too is a distinguishing
trait of Alfa Romeo, a brand with a century of history that continues to be one
of the most famous and popular ambassadors of Italian products across the
world.
Source: News Press
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