Love at First Drive | Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Review
If I said the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is my favorite car of the year, I wouldn’t be lying. For starters, this Italian beauty is one heckuva feast for the eyes. Yes, I do believe in love at first sight. And don’t worry, I confirmed this feeling once I got behind the wheel.
Welcome back to the U.S., Alfa Romeo!
Image credit: Whitney Ramirez
We missed you! I’m thrilled that Alfa Romeo is back in the U.S. As I drove the 4C around town, it became obvious that Alfa had been M.I.A. for nearly twenty years. Everywhere I went people asked me about the car. “No, it’s not a Lotus,” was my most frequent response.We’d venture to say that the 4C Spider is Alfa Romeo’s best possible reintroduction to the U.S. buyer. This impressively affordable supercar will have you revisiting your books–the exotic’s base model starts at a mere $55,000!
The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider may appear tiny–perhaps making you ponder just how much power it could possibly pack–but this two-seater is more than meets the eye. I had multiple friends join me as my sole passenger in the 4C and they agreed that the 4C is just plain fun. Surprisingly, its turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, putting out 237 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, and a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds will have you craving a visit to the local drag strip.
Like many exotics, the Alfa Romeo 4C is equipped with paddle-shifters for sportier driving with hands comfortably resting on the wheel. If you struggle with remembering which hand shifts up and which shifts down, the car will automatically do it on your behalf. But if I were you, I’d put it in manual mode and shift to your heart’s content. By shifting manually, you can truly appreciate the peppiness of the car and its wonderful exhaust note.
Handling is pretty incredible in the 4C, too. The car weighs less than 2,500 pounds, and yet its weight feels well distributed and grounded. The sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel begs you to test the limits of said incredible handling.
Alfa Romeo keeps the 4C’s interior simple: power windows, stereo and air conditioning are all the track car’s interior offers. The basic interiior is still a lot to offer in terms of comfort, however.
In the mood to let the breeze in? Take off the convertible top! You’ll have to unlatch it yourself, but that’s little to ask for how much cooler you’ll feel in a topless 4C.
You won’t believe the Alfa Romeo 4C’s fuel economy numbers either. With a combined 28 mpg (24 city / 34 highway), you could get away with making this toy your daily driver.
This Alfa Romeo is at the top of my future “Cars to Buy” list. Need more convincing as to why this 4-cylinder is so amazing? Check out this video from Motor Trend:
