2018 Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe and Spider

Since its foundation in Milan, Italy, in 1910, Alfa Romeo continues to design and craft some of the most stunning and exclusive cars in automotive history, all while building on a racing heritage that includes some of the most talented and storied drivers and victories. The 2018 Alfa Romeo 4C offers driving enthusiasts a mid-engine design inspired by the brand’s legendary racing history and represents the essential sportiness embedded in the brand’s DNA. Handcrafted in Modena, Italy, the Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe and 4C Spider offer seductive Italian styling and a state-of-the-art Formula 1-inspired carbon fiber monocoque chassis that enables an incredible 10.4 power-to-weight ratio. Advanced technologies include the all-aluminum 1750cc turbocharged engine with direct-injection, dual intercoolers, and variable-valve timing, enabling supercar-level performance.

New for 2018

• Front fascia with carbon fiber vents (optional on 4C Coupe and Spider)
• Black leather seats/interior with Yellow accent stitch
• Now available with Black, White and Basalt Gray-painted 4C Coupe and Spider

Highlights

• Weighing less than 2,500 pounds, the ultralight carbon fiber monocoque and aluminum chassis help contribute to an incredible 10.4 power-to-weight ratio
• Race-inspired performance: 0-60 miles per hour (mph) in 4.1 seconds thanks to an all-aluminum 1750cc direct-injection, dual intercooled, turbocharged engine paired to the blistering fast six-speed Alfa TCT (twin-clutch transmission) and Alfa DNA Pro Drive Mode Selector with four adjustable drive modes
• The Akrapovic dual-mode exhaust system is linked directly to the four Alfa DNA Pro selector drive modes, providing maximum Alfa Romeo sound in Dynamic and Race modes, and providing a quieter motoring experience in Natural and All-weather modes.

Carbon Fiber Trim Package further proliferates the 4C’s use of carbon fiber on air vents, instrument cluster surround, instrument panel and shift bezel
4C Coupe features two composite-framed sport seats, with standard leather on Spider, and an exposed carbon fiber monocoque that exemplifies its race-inspired technologies

For 2018, the Alfa Romeo 4C lineup consists of two models:

• 4C Coupe
• 4C Spider

Available Exterior Colors

• Black
• White
• Basalt Gray
• Alfa Rosso
• Giallo Prototipo (Yellow)
• Madreperla White Tri-Coat
• Rosso Competizione Tri-Coat

Available Interior Colors

• Black cloth seats
• Black leather-trimmed bucket seats with Red accent stitching
• Black leather-trimmed bucket seats with Yellow accent stitching
• Red leather-trimmed bucket seats with Black accent stitching
• Black/Tobacco leather-trimmed bucket seats with Tobacco accent stitching
• Racing microfiber/leather-trimmed bucket seats with Red accent stitching
• Racing microfiber/leather-trimmed bucket seats with Yellow accent stitching

Last week, we learned that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was opening up a new facility full of its heritage cars, where it mostly mentioned its Fiat, Lancia and Abarth models. Not in the press materials, however, were what appear to be two Alfa Romeo 4C Quadrifogliocars that we may not have seen before.

Back in 2014, then-CEO of Alfa Romeo Harald Wester teased that there was potential for an Alfa Romeo 4C with more performance, according to Car And Driver at the time. Then we seemingly never really saw that potential materialize into an actual car.

A tip sent to Jalopnik led us to a TonaleForum.com thread discussing the video from YouTuber Masterpilot Emiliano Perucca Orfei,who took a tour of Alfa Romeo parent company FCA’s new Heritage HUB—a new home to hundreds of the conglomerate’s vintage production, prototype and race cars.

It looks like he came across not one, but two possible Alfa Romeo 4C Quadrifoglio prototypes. The two cars show up after about the ten minute mark here:

The two cars seem to have some significant bodywork changes, including more aggressive front and rear carbon fiber splitter treatments, large adjustable rear-wings, a large opening in the hood that wasn’t featured on the production car, and additional openings in the front fenders next to the headlights, and in the rear just under the wing, which are likely for enhanced brake cooling if they’re functional.

The biggest giveaway that these are Quadrifoglio cars is the four-leaf clover badges plopped between the front wheels and the doors, which are only on higher-performance Quadrifoglio Verde (QV) models.

According to the former-CEO’s comments from 2014, a 4C QV prototype would likely include a modified version of the regular 4C’s turbocharged 1.75-liter four-cylinder engine, as well as a brake upgradeand the same or similar dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

As for why it never made it to production, well, we don’t know. We’ve reached out to Alfa Romeo to confirm these cars are Quadrifoglio prototypes and asked why they never made it to production, and we’ll update when we have more information.

It’s too bad, too. The aggressive bodywork looks fantastic.

Ah yes, the Alfa Romeo 4C. We love it and we hate it, often both at the same time. It has the absolute best road feel of any street legal thing sold. And it is beautiful to behold, with styling lines you could trace back to the iconic 1967 33 Stradale, itself among the most beautiful cars ever made.

Yet you can neither get into it nor out of it without assistance from an orthopedic surgeon, your yoga master, two Harbor Freight ľ-ton jack stands, a crowbar and some strategically placed lubricant. It is a car we all demanded Alfa import to the U.S. but then we refused to buy it, at least in any numbers large enough to make it profitable for Alfa. Indeed, its biggest year in the U.S. market was in 2015, its first full calendar year here, and even then it managed only 663 sales. Since then, the numbers have steadily dropped off until this, its last year in the U.S., when it will be lucky to break 100 by the time someone tallies up 2020 sales.

But rather than just going out with a whimper like the Ferrari F1 team at the end of this season, Alfa is offering something of a bang, a fond farewell, an arrevidercci con stile. The brand is offering 33 examples of a special-edition 4C called the Spider 33 Stradale Tributo.

Inspired by that original 1967 33 Stradale, this model features Rosso Villa d’Este tri-coat red paint, grey-gold five-hole alloy wheels (18s in front, 19s in the rear), and black and tobacco (not tan) interior (because if you’re really Italian you are smoking an MS cigarette just like Nino Manfredi).

The rest is the same Alfa 4C you fell in love with (and sometimes hated) starting in 2014, thought this one is loaded with every option imaginable. Recall that it has a carbon fiber tub designed by Dallara that makes the body stiff and light, giving it just a 2,487-pound curb weight. The steering is non-power-assisted manual and feels like someone packing-taped your hands to the tie rods. The delightful 1,750-cc turbocharged, direct-injected, mid-mounted transverse four never hesitates, never fails. I’m falling in love all over again just remembering the last time I drove one, a couple years ago at least.



If you can find one of the 18 original 33 Stradales from 1967, be ready to pay more than $10 million, assuming you are scanning the obituary pages in La Repubblica and La Gazzetta della Sport to find an owner ready to sell. By that measure this one is a bargain, stickering for $81,590, a nearly 15-grand premium over the non-anniversary 4C. So if you can find a “regular,” non-anniversario 4c, maybe buy that one, if money is a little tight for you at the moment.

This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Either way, it’s worth it. That steering, that power-to-weight, that low, low center of gravity. Granted, you will need to replace all your internal organs and what’s left of your vertebrae after each drive, but for the duration of that drive – mama mia – you will be in love. L’Amore!

Okay, enough parlando, get down to your participating Alfa dealer, (not all are getting these) and throw down some lire. Ciao baby!

The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale might have stolen the spotlight at the Auto e Moto d’Epoca event in Bologna (October 26-29), but the Italian brand had another special model on display, even if went somewhat unnoticed. The 4C Unica, the concluding iteration of the “Designer’s Cut” one-off special, was initially announced a few months ago to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the discontinued mid-engined sports car.

Offered in coupe and spider variants, the mid-engine Alfa Romeo 4C made its debut in 2013 and ceased production in 2020. However, the Stellantis Heritage Department decided to create one last special edition of the 4C that was customized by the original designer, Alessandro Maccolini, with input from the public.

Despite the undeniable cool factor of a one-off anniversary special based on a model that went out of production three years ago, Alfa Romeo appears to have intentionally downplayed its debut on its press and social media channels. As a result, the only photos and videos of the model were sourced from visitors to the Auto e Moto d’Epoca event.

The 4C Unica is an evolution of the light-blue Leggenda, one of the three original proposals alongside the red Tirbuto and the matte-gray Corsa. It is based on the 4C Coupe but features a unique livery consisting of a light blue shade with white stripes that run from the Scudetto grille to the rear diffuser. The graphics also include the Biscione serpent on the hood, which is also in white.

While the initial renderings showed multi-spoke alloy wheels, the final version is equipped with the more traditional phone-dial design, also finished in white. A video on social media reveals that the interior tastefully combines black and saddle leather, featuring a special one-of-one plaque.

The company did not provide details regarding any mechanical alterations compared to the standard 4C. It is likely that the model retains the carbon-fiber monocoque and the mid-mounted turbocharged 1.8-liter engine, which produces 236 hp (176 kW / 240 PS).

Interestingly, the Alfa Romeo 4C Unica is not just a show car or a museum piece, as it will be offered for sale. Stellantis suggests that the project is aimed at “passionate collectors” who want a piece of the history of the discontinued model. The company has yet to announce specific details, but it is safe to assume that the 4C Unica will come with a much higher price tag compared to the original. The same applies to the closely-related Abarth 1000 SP, with 1 out of the 5 planned examples also being exhibited at the same show in Bologna.