Gina Baksa feels the G-Force in the stunning Alfa Romeo 4C Spider.
Some sports cars just ooze sexiness. With her ‘caress me, don’t mess with me’ curves and attitude, Alfa Romeo’s re-designed 4C Spider 1750 TBI 240bhp TCT is a case in point. One look at this stunning 2-seater carbon fibre speedster, and I’m hooked. Her all-aluminium, 4 cylinder, turbo-charged engine wrapped in a mouth-watering Giallo Prototipo (Prototype Yellow).
She looks like a sturdier, sexier Lotus Elise mixed with a Ferrari. Incognito in a 4C Spider? Impossible
The words ‘Slough’ and ‘Alfa Romeo’ are incongruous bedfellows, but upon collection of the 4C at Fiat Chrysler’s HQ, I make a move worthy of David Brent – stepping over the wide sill and sinking down into the thoroughbred’s low-level racing seats with their monogrammed Alfa motif. And take a breath… This is one exciting sports car.
I’m snug in the pared-down cabin that’s been stripped of unnecessaries to achieve a streamlined weight of just 895kg. There’s plenty of legroom for me, but taller drivers might find it cramped. Unassisted steering here, which is novel but turns out not to be an issue.
This is a wide car (6 ft 11) but not too long at 13 feet. There is no GPS (thanks to Google Maps) and no rearview camera, but it does have useful parking sensors.
The pedals are excellently placed, though – once I’d moved the seat forward, and although unused to such a forward and low driving position, it was surprisingly comfortable. I was a little concerned to see open wiring by my right foot – it’s very kit car down there – but that’s the pared-down specialness of the 4C Spider.
The leather steering wheel is adjustable (both rake and reach), with an excellent TFT screen showing journey information, gear position, speed and revs.
The trim was yellow stitching on gorgeous leather racing seats, while handbrake and gear controls were well placed in the central console. AC, demisters and car lock are also easy to reach, and I especially liked the 4C logo in yellow on the floor mats.
Phone charging is done via the cigarette lighter, and there’s a handy cup holder here too. As well as storage in the shape of a saddle bag with a clip. I created more storage (if you can call it that) by having my seat so far forward it provided room for a small bag and my coats. There’s no glovebox.
She’s a beautiful aerodynamic design: all long lines, curves and fabulous elongated front casing for the elegant Bi-Xenon headlamps set into the front bonnet that slopes down to three grilles and the famous Alfa badge: the red cross of Milan (Alfa’s home town) and the snake – the emblem of the Milanese Visconti family.
This single carbon fibre chassis weighs just 73kg. Elsewhere, leather door pulls, aluminium pedals, and a flat-bottom wheel create a sense of occasion to match the flamboyant exterior.
Leather seats, cruise control and floor mats are optional, but air-conditioning is a no-cost option.
A key start and the rear-mounted 4-cylinders burst into life a throaty gargle-grunt that turns into a crackling roar as I squeeze out the revs, and the huge smile on my face reminds me how much pleasure I derive from hearing the roar of supercar petrol engines (electric car silence? Non Grazie).
I growl my way out of Slough (the Spider starts to moan in low revs and feels like a colt at the starting gate) and make my way onto the M4. The 4C can sense the open road ahead and is chomping at the bit.
Her 6 gears are automatic, which makes for more relaxing driving, but the paddles on either side of the steering column can take you into the manual in seconds – an equally engaging drive.
As I move from inside to outside lanes and pick up speed in seconds, the twin exhausts give out a delicious raspy growl as she shifts up and down – with ease and not too much lag into the turbo. So exciting!
Acceleration is a beast in the 4C Spider 1750 TBI, with a G-Force activating 0-62mph in just 4.5 seconds. And when the white van men zoom up behind me in their inconsequential Transits (shocked and awed to see a woman at the wheel), I floor the Spider with glee, leaving a smoky trail in my wake as I roar off down the outside lane. Pure joy!
Heaven is a summer day in a supercar convertible – once the roof is down, I cool down and have the most excellent ride.
The most fun I’ve had in a car for ages and a grin that stayed on my face all day. Visibility is excellent out of the wing mirrors, so I was always aware of approaching vehicles. And forward viz is good, too, despite the seat being so low and not height adjustable.
The view out the rear is a little more challenging for parking, as all I could see was the Spider’s engine and her muscly flanks.
Due to a lack of luggage space (just 110 litres behind the engine bay), my larger suitcase is strapped in next time like a square, oversized co-pilot. There’s just room in the trunk for my carry-on case.
Together with the detachable fabric roof which peels off manually and rolls into a handy sausage ( but fiddly to fix back with press studs and lever clips). I tried to open the front end, but unless you have tools, the bonnet is fixed in place. The Spider is clearly not a car to take away on a long road trip with two regular-sized suitcases!
Colour-matched Bembo callipers on the front wheels (with Alfa signature), together with self-ventilating perforated discs, ensure the Alfa Romeo 4C stops from 62mph to 0 in just 36 metres.
The brakes were responsive yet not juddery. In fact, the drive down to Glastonbury is probably the most engaging I’ve had in a long time. Sure, you’ll feel the bumps in the road, but the handling is superb.
The 4C Spider hugs every camber and contour like glue; such is her responsive steering, and I have to stay very alert to stop her from veering off to the side. Top speed is a wind-bashing 160mph – and how I wish I could have taken her to that speed here in the UK.
This beauty is made for track racing, and her 17: front and 18” rear alloys keep the show firmly on the road. A trip to the autobahn would be heaven
As well as a pared-down cabin, the 4C Spider’s safety features are also simple and include driver and passenger airbags, tyre pressure monitoring and stability control. The racing seats are firm and upright and very comfortable, although I would have appreciated more lumbar support. Road and wind noise is noticeable and not dampened by the somewhat inferior Alpine radio.
Little niggles aside, happiness really is driving an Alfa 4C Spider around England’s country lanes and motorways – the UK is the most beautiful country in the world when the sun shines, and I took full advantage of it with trips out to the coast at Bournemouth.
Motorway driving was a dream (I could have driven all day) and the 4C was superb on dual carriageways and performed well on country roads – garnering many an admiring glance from farmers.
Performance-wise, Alfa suggests a combined cycle of 41.5mpg, rising to 56.5mpg on longer runs. I found I was much heavier on the gas – the Spider doesn’t take kindly to low revs – so I managed more of 29/30mpg with a combination of country lane crawling at 20mph to motorway speeds in excess of (ahem).
The generous 40-litre tank meant I didn’t have to fill up once during a road trip of over 300 miles.
My trusty Prototype Yellow 4C Spider stallion is also available in two shades of red – Rosso Alfa and Rosso Competizione, pearl white, white, black and grey. Interior trim options include black fabric with red stitching, red or black leather, or a fabric/leather mix. You can also add black alloy wheels and carbon fibre detailing to the exterior, although it all comes at an extra cost.
The 4C Spider may be short on luggage space and have few bells and whistles, but I can’t remember having so much fun in a car. ‘La Meccanica delle emozioni’ – the mechanics of emotion – is Alfa Romeo’s brand tagline – a phrase that aptly describes my exciting and highly engaging driving experience with this fabulous sports car. I’m smitten.
More information on the Alfa Romeo 4C
Website: www.alfaromeo.co.uk
ALFA ROMEO 4C Spider 1750 TBI 240bhp TCT Stats
- Starting Price: £59,835 OTR
- Top speed: 160mph
- Unladen weight: 895kg
- Gears 6+R
- Max power: 240 @6000
- Max torque: 350 @ 2200-4250
- Acceleration: 0-62mph – 4.5 secs
- Top speed: 160mph
- Gearbox: ALFA TCT dual dry-clutch, paddle controls and Launch Control
- Combined cycle: 41.5mpg
- CO2 emissions: 157