Our man in Italy, Akis Temperidis, drives hard the new Alfa Romeo 4C on the road and in the Autodromo di Modena, the new racetrack of the Italian motor-town. As he writes this report, he still feels some pain in his neck, thanks to the G forces he experienced while traveling sideways…
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Words: Akis Temperidis
Photos: Angelo Corradini
That was a lucky bet. We were supposed to test the 4C sooner or later but not so soon. Last Tuesday I was at the Maserati HQ talking with Franco Bay, the Press Office chief of the Modena factory. He told me he had just tested the new Alfa 4C the same day and he was amazed by the tiny Italian supercar.
I asked if it would be possible to test the car as long as it was in Modena. Franco, as a real friend, called Davide Kluzer directly, the PR Manager at Alfa Romeo. The response was immediate and positive:
– Akis can drive the 4C for one day only, on Thursday, because the car must return to Milano the day next!
One day with the Alfa Romeo 4C? Not bad! But how could we make the most of this day? I make a call to Luca Mantovani, the marketing manager at the new Modena circuit (www.autodromodimodena.it) with whom I have been in touch:
– Is it possible to use the track for an hour or so on Thursday?
After a check on the track schedule, I get the green light: we can enter during lunchtime on Thursday and do our job with Angelo Corradini, one of the two official Maserati photographers. Yeay!
Early in the morning the deep red Alfa 4C waits for me at the entrance of the Maserati HQ at Via Divisione Aqui 7 in Modena, 50 meters from its production line. The tiny, carbon-fiber built, 2-seater and mid engined Alfa Romeo is actually assembled in the dream Maserati factory next to the Granturismo and GranCabrio. This happened ever since the production of the new Quattroporte was transferred to Grugliasco. The car is handmade in a very similar way the Enzo was – and probably the new LaFerrari is – built in the Maranello factory.
Engine, Transmission and other specs
Alfa Romeo 4C follows the same minimalistic approach Colin Chapman introduced in his Lotus Seven and is still valid to Lotus Elise: simplicity and weight reduction. In the same way, the new super-Alfa should be as light as possible in order to provide supercar performance with a small 4 cylinder engine and cost much less than usual, multi cylinder supercars.
As a result, the technical specs of the 4C are unique not only among the other Alfa Romeo but in comparison to any other sports car today.
This is the only car under 4 meters built on a carbon fibre monocoque chassis with aluminium subframes and suspension and dressed in a lightweight Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC) body, practically comprising of hardened, well finished fiberglass. As for the carbon monocoque, it weighs only 65 kg!
Suspension is a double wishbone scheme up front and an evolved Mc Pherson on the rear axle. Brakes are Brembo discs and calipers all around. The engine is a new 4 cylinder 1742cc turbo capable of 240 hp @ 6000 rpm and 350 Nm at a wide ranging 2200 to 4250 rpm. You might think this is the same unit of Giulietta QV but it isn’t. The engine built for 4C features an aluminium block that saves 22 kg and direct injection with 7-hole injectors.
The powerful 4 cylinder engine is mid mounted right behind the seats and uses the brand new Alfa Romeo TCT, twin, dry clutch, 6-speed gearbox that features a Ferrari-like launch control mode and fast changes at 130 ms. Gearbox, engine and electronics are controlled by the popular DNA switch that features a fourth “Race” mode, where traction and stability control is completely disconnected.
Manufacturer performance data are impressive: top speed is at 258 kmh, 0-100km/h at 4.5s, 1.1 lateral g force (on the corner) and 1.25 longitudinal g force (braking), thanks to the semi racing Pirelli PZero that were specially developed for the 4C.
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