Pick of the week: Alfa Romeo 4C

The Alfa Romeo 4C is as much about a 21-gun salute to Alfa’s longstanding racing and road car heritage, as it is, a milestone of styling and technological renaissance for the brand itself.

The Italian carmaker with an illustrious yet checkered history spanning some 117-years, needed something special in the early-2000s, to reintroduce the brand and bolster interest in markets such as North America and Europe.

The forerunner to the Alfa Romeo 4C, the 8C Competizione

Then in 2008, the rare, high-dollar Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione was launched, it reignited the interest in the brand but sadly also meant that only the most discerning of Alfa-isti could experience the joys of a modern, thoroughbred Alfa Romeo.

Owners Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA), needed a more affordable sports car, in tune with the times (and regulations), which distilled the best the brand had to offer.

In 2013, the Alfa Romeo 4C was born.

Inspired by the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 homologation cars of 1967, the 4C was imagined form the ground-up as an unbridled and uncompromising racing car for the road.

The platform is built from a mix of carbon fibre for the passenger cell, which is joined to an aluminium engine frame, even the beautiful bodywork if the 4C is made from composite materials. The extensive use of lightweight material means the Alfa 4C weighs just 895 kg, or around 545 kg lighter than its spiritual rival, the Porsche Cayman.

Mounted amidships is a 1.75-litre turbocharged, aluminium, four-cylinder engine that produces 240bhp at 6000rpm and 350Nm of torque between 2200rpm and 4250rpm. The engine is tacked to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, with a Launch Control function, augmented through the Alfa D.N.A drive mode selector.

The 4C is capable of a 4.5 second 0-100km/h sprint, all the way to a top speed of 260km/h – proper sports car credentials.  

Of course, there is currently no official importer for Alfa Romeo vehicles in Malaysia, so the only way to get your hands on an Alfa Romeo 4C is through a local recond car dealer. The ‘Rosso Alfa’ 4C you see here has been shipped in by luxury car dealer Nippon Autoworld Sdn Bhd.

Brought in from Japan, this superb Alfa Romeo 4C was produced in 2015, the car was specc-ed with the 18-inch 5-hole alloy wheels and black leather interior. The car has covered less than 2500km since new and purrs to life with no hesitance.

There are no visible signs of rough usage, as the leather seats and steering wheel look almost unused on the inside. On the outside, stone chips, which can be a tell-tale sign of enthusiastic driving, aren’t visible on the front bumper and side skirts.

The asking price starts at RM460,000, however, the friendly staff at Nippon Autoworld are more than happy to negotiate on the price, for serious buyers. Check out this Alfa Romeo 4C and other models available at Nippon Autoworld here.