Alfa Romeo 4C to get all-electric 4E replacement

The all-new, all-electric sports car under development by Alfa Romeo will reportedly feature the Italian car-maker’s latest battery-electric powertrain technology and range of up to 800km when it’s released in 2027.

Also according to Autocar, the spiritual successor for the Alfa Romeo 4C produced over 2013-2019 will be called the 4E.

Following on from the sold-out run of the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale supercars, which offered a very select number of Alfa fans an all-electric option for the first time, the 2027 Alfa Romeo 4E will act as a new halo model for the historic Italian brand.

Timed to arrive after the launch of several new Alfa EVs including an all-new small SUV next year, as well as a new Giulia sedan, new Stelvio SUV and an all-new flagship SUV and large sedan, the 4E will aim to cash in on Alfa’s performance and racing pedigree as well as spearheading its EV push.

Expected to rival fellow battery-powered replacements for the Alpine A110, Lotus Elise and Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, Alfa Romeo product boss Daniel Guzzafame told Autocar that the 4E would fill the sports car-shaped hole in Alfa’s current line-up and indicated it may also resurrect the brand’s famous Spider nameplate.

“There are some items from Alfa Romeo that we don’t kill: one is the Spider, the other is a love of cars,” he told Autocar.

“We do want to continue them, because that’s the brand. And that’s in our ideas, so let’s see if we can make that a plan.

“Alfa Romeo is Spider and when you think about Spider you think about Alfa Romeo.”

It’s understood Alfa Romeo has delayed the 4E until 2027 – the same year it plans to be an all-electric car-maker – to ensure its mainstream EVs have been introduced and that the business is profitable enough to make an expensive, low-volume sports car viable.

But Guzzafame said that allowing Alfa Romeo to return to building high-performance models like the 4E is the company’s recent return to profit.

“At the moment, we’re stable enough and we do have the right basis,” he said. “The main point is to make sure that when we do it, we are credible, are sustainable and don’t just throw something on the market for the sake of it.”

The first design proposals for the 4E, which will be heavily inspired by the 33 Stradale, apparently feature the same shield grille treatment as the supercar, as well as an elliptical-style bonnet and matching light signature.

At the rear, the 4E could wear a similar ‘coda tronca’ or ‘Kamm tail’ to reduce drag, which is important for EVs.

Other advanced air-bending measures seen on the 33 Stradale include air channels from the front headlights through to the side panels, tiny door mirror spoilers and a grille that changes shape at speed to optimise airflow to front cooling ducts.

Other stylistic influences, said Guzzafame, could include the original 1960s Duetto Spider.

To keep development costs in check, instead of mirroring the 4C by being built around a bespoke carbon-fibre monocoque platform, we expect the Alfa 4E to be based on the Stellantis Group’s STLA Medium platform, which currently underpins the Peugeot E-3008 and will form the basis of the upcoming Giulia EV.

However, Alfa engineers may choose to mount the battery pack behind the driver and passenger in a stacked formation, enabling occupants to sit low in the cabin and allowing the 4E to have mid-engined proportions.

Set to deliver an epic power output of up to 745kW, the 4E is expected to complete the 0-100km/h sprint in about two seconds and it’s battery should be good for a 5-80 per cent recharge in less than 20 minutes.

To enhance the new 4E’s emotional appeal, Guzzafame said Alfa is working on new ways to ramp up the driving experience without necessarily adding fake sound tracks.

“It’s not what you hear, it’s what you feel,” he said. “We’re working on how to transfer that into a vibe, more than sound, and something that will resonate in your ear, because you need to get something from your gut. If you feel that, then that will be the future of Alfa Romeo.”

Inside, expect a traditional sports car-style dashboard within a driver-focused cabin, featuring a traditional double-cowled instrument cluster and perhaps a retractable infotainment system as seen in the 33 Stradale to reduce driver distraction.

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