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Is it a Bugatti? A Ferrari? What is that thing? The Alfa Rome 4C confounds. It boasts the curves of a $300,000 supercar, enough precision steering to slosh your organs, and a turbo dump with enough swoosh to make Nike sue for infringement. The 4C marks Alfa Romeo’s resurrection into the American market, but with a sparse interior and cramped quarters, America may not quite understand this Italian rear-wheel-drive mid-engine coupe. And with a price tag of $53,900 comes a polarizing question: is the 4C a massive waste of money, or the deal of the century?
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Alfa Romeo was a fairly popular brand during the mid-to-late 20th century, offering models like the Spider (the car Dustin Hoffman drove in The Graduate) and the GTV6. But the 164 ended their US presence in 1995. Rumors of their return came in 2007 by way of the $250,000+ 8C Competizione but only 90 of the 500 produced made it to America by 2008. Thankfully, in 2013, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne announced that the mass-produced 4C would mark Alfa Romeo’s return that year; but it was pushed to 2014, and then to 2015. Better late than never.
The 4C boasts the curves of a $300,000 super car, enough precision steering to slosh your organs, and a turbo dump with enough swoosh to make Nike sue for infringement.
At first glance the 4C has a Lotus Esprit/Tesla Roadster shape to it, but the lines are sexier and more dramatic than that. The converging hood lines create a sort-of beak on the car and the protruding lights add to the animal-like appearance. The 4C’s silhouette reveals a Batmobile-like cockpit and the integration of the side scoop into the rear arches and the tail. Our basalt-gray metallic model came with special wheels (18-inch front/19-inch rear) which completed the package. Based on the constant questions and paparazzi-level stalking this car brought while driving around town, it’s clear everyone liked the way it looked.
The interior, however, is where people will take issue with the $54,000 price tag. Getting into the car is like entering a stripped-down track car. There’s an extremely light door, a large doorframe, which displays the carbon fiber monocoque chassis, and very tight seating. At six-foot-one, I had to slide the seat back fully to get in, then squeeze in one leg at a time. There should have been an option for detaching the steering wheel for easier ingress and egress.