Alfa Romeo 4C – Design, Performance, Looks – I want one!!
Donnelly Group delighted its customers on 10th and 11th June by treating them to a 4C driving experience – an experience that left me with a rather large grin on my face for the rest of the day.
Alfa Romeo had brought a selection of 4C coupes and spiders over to Belfast for a couple of days, complete with professional drivers to help those taking the test drives get the best from the baby supercar. Their knowledge of the cars credentials meant that they were able to extol all its virtues and give advice on the various settings that can be selected depending on the driving environment and experience you desire.
In case you are in any doubt the Alfa Romeo 4C is not your average car and certainly not the type of vehicle that is produced simply to ferry you safely from A to B without a fanfare. The Alfa Romeo 4C is meant to get you from A to B faster than you thought possible.
It does this by combining a potent engine with a lightweight construction and clever systems that help tame all the horses under the bonnet.
There are many highlights that the car can boast, not least its carbon fibre body. It weighs 65kg, making it light enough for two people (or one strong one) to carry it around. When attached to the rest of the car, the total weight is 895kg which is hundreds of kilograms less than your average family wagon and a few kilograms less than a Lotus Elise.
Such is the speed of the 4C, that I tended to let the gearbox do the changes for me. The speed of the gear changes comes from a clever dual dry clutch, which acts like two transmissions working together. Second gear, for instance, is selected while still in first so there’s very little delay between them.
The Alfa Romeo 4C also comes with Launch Control. This feature ensures you accelerate from standing as fast as possible. Unlike some cars with a dedicated button, the 4C’s Launch Control is initiated by pressing the brake and accelerator at the same time. I was both excited and a little apprehensive at the thoughts of trying it out. As I released the brake, the car managed the gears, power and traction and catapulted me down the road with cheetah like pace. Suffice to say, after testing Launch Control I needed to reclaim my stomach, yet still wanted to reverse back down the road and try it again!!
The Alfa Romeo 4C’s 240hp engine is inspired by Formula One. A big turbo attached to a small and efficient 1.75-litre, 4-cylinder engine offers oodles of performance without burning a giant hole in the ozone every time you drive it. This does mean the 4C engine is quieter than you might expect, but the noise is still addictive, especially with the sports exhaust fitted.
The car is a truly impressive piece of engineering and even the early morning fog over the hills from Templepatrick couldn’t dull my driving pleasure. You would think, given the performance, the 4C is going to spend a considerable part of its life darting in and out of petrol stations. In reality it can manage 41.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 157g/km. So the good news is that if you choose to buy one it won’t cost you a fortune to run – if you somehow refrain from driving like a lunatic.
Overall it was a very enjoyable morning. My co-driver was friendly and engaging and Donnelly’s even treated us to some refreshments once we landed back at the showroom. To top it all I got my photo taken with ex Formula One driver and local legend Martin Donnelly who was one of the professional drivers helping to put the cars through their paces.
Thank you Alfa Romeo for daring to be different and making something that is a must for the Alfisti’s garage and which Porsche drivers will secretly admire. And thanks to Eddie, Drew, David and others at Donnelly Group for a memorable event and great hospitality.
Tim Logan
Club Secretary
