GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Alfa hatches 4C super-coupe

The sports car company with no sports car is hoping the Geneva motor show debut of its 4C production car will turn its ailing fortunes around.

Alfa Romeo, which built its reputation around its sports car and Formula One prowess, is hoping the carbon-fibre, rear-drive, mid-engined 4C will be the spearhead it needs to finally return to the lucrative US market.

Developed directly from the 4C concept car from the 2011 Geneva show and likely to be priced from about $80,000 when it arrives in Australia some time next year, the production version will have a 1750cc turbocharged petrol engine sitting behind the driver and a six-speed version of Alfa’s TCT (twin-clutch transmission).

The engine is a development of the powerplant Alfa already uses in the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde, in which it develops 173kW of power.

Tucked in behind the 4C’s driver, the same engine will add its own intake and exhaust systems to the aluminium block, as well as direct fuel-injection, continuously variable valve timing on both the inlet and exhaust cams and, hopefully, higher engine revs.

That’s because the Giulietta QV’s power peak arrives at just 5500rpm, which is hardly the sort of rev range you expect out of a sports car.

Alfa sources indicate the 4C is likely to reach production with around 185kW, thanks to the breathing tweaks and adjustments to its turbocharger, plus some more aggressive tuning - including a rev limit of around 7500rpm.

It’s likely to be relatively strong in the mid range, though, with the standard QV powerplant delivering 340Nm at 4500rpm and helping to send the Giulietta to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds, despite the five-door hatch’s 1450kg.

With a target kerb weight of just 850kg - thanks to its lightweight carbon-fibre tub - the two-seat 4C will sprint to 100km/h in less than five seconds on its way to a 250km/h top speed.

Its TCT transmission is conceptually different to most dual-clutch set-ups, due to its shaft arrangements and Alfa’s ditching of the usual oil bath for the clutches. It will come with the ability to be driven in both automatic or - via shift paddles attached to the steering wheel - full manual modes.

Both the engine and transmission tuning will join the car’s skid- and traction-control systems beneath the now-traditional Alfa DNA umbrella. The DNA switch (with Dynamic, Normal and All-weather modes controlled by a toggle and introduced on the MiTo) will have an additional Race mode added to it for the 4C, indicating that Alfa expects its mid-engined machine to be heavily track-driven.

Less than four metres long, the 4C is still almost two metres wide but is just 1.18 metres tall. It sits on a 2400mm wheelbase and has been designed from the ground up to meet all global crash criteria, including pedestrian protection.

The 4C has had a chequered development, though, with Alfa taking the project off contractor Dallara only 18 months ago after being disappointed with its handling, costs and progress. Alfa’s engineers have been racing to perfect the 4C’s ride and handling package ever since.

Its suspension has been a key point for Alfa’s engineers since they pulled the 4C project back in-house. While the multi-link front suspension remains, it is believed the original inboard MacPherson strut rear-end has had a major revamp on its way to production due to incurable toe-angle changes through the suspension travel.

Inside, the 4C is pushing its sports car credentials by leaving large swathes of its carbon-fibre core exposed, which has the additional benefit of keeping its weight low.

The interior will be characterised by the lack of a gearshift lever in the middle, giving the cabin a spacious feel belying its size.

While the 4C has been completely engineered by Alfa Romeo, it has been styled in the Alfa department of the Fiat Centro Stile facility in Torino and will be built at Maserati’s main production plant in Modena, Italy.

That’s a bonus for Maserati, which will almost certainly build its own version of the 4C with even more power, probably from its new V6.

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