It might have been designated as a “study”, but from the moment we laid eyes on it, everyone knew that the 4C Spider displayed at the 2014 Geneva Show was the real deal, plus or minus some details.

With production scheduled for this year, the finished item has made a couple of appearances so far ahead of its official premiere, which will probably be at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show, to boost the brand’s return to the US market or, failing that, the Geneva one in March.

Another image of the 4C Spider, possibly an official press shot, landed in our office, courtesy of Carscoops reader “V”. Painted in a very Ferrari-like Giallo (that’s yellow in Italian), and with those contrasting black wheels covering yellow-painted calipers, it looks stunning.

The 4C Spider is built around the same carbon fiber chassis as the coupe and features a carbon roll-bar cover and windscreen ring. It’s actually closer to a targa, like the Elise, than a full open air roadster.

That may be a good thing, though, as Alfa Romeo claims that, when the top is removed, air turbulence is kept to a minimum and there is no loss of rigidity. Moreover, the suspension set-up has been retuned in order to make the Spider handle like the Coupe.

The mid-engined 4C Spider is powered by the same turbocharged 1.75-liter four-cylinder that pumps out 240PS (237hp) and 350Nm (258 lb-ft), which are sent to the rear wheels by a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The look of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is no longer a secret. It’s been leaked online prior to its official Detroit motor show debut, but this is our first chance to see it unobstructed by silly oversized watermarks and learn a little more about its specs.

So its engine remains untouched, obviously, making the same 237 hp, as well as 258 lb-ft (350 Nm), 80 percent of which is available at 1,700 rpm. Engineers have tried to keep the weight down, so one of the things they did was give all 4C Spiders thinner, lighter glass and a body made entirely out of SMC (sheet molded compound), a “high-strength composite material that is 20 percent lighter and dimensionally more rigid than steel.”

Buyers will be able to specify three different exhaust systems, one of which is an all-new Akrapovic dual-mode. It won’t be made available from launch, but it will be added to the options along the line.

Finally, a track package can also be opted for. It adds higher performance shocks with larger sway bars front and rear and larger rims with uprated sporty tires (Pirelli P-Zero "AR Racing"). Carbon fiber exterior mirrors and gauge cluster bezel along with contrasting interior stitching end the list of additions.

As for performance, the 4C Spider is quoted as being able to hurl itself to sixty in 4.1 seconds, handle 1.1 lateral g and hit a top speed of 160 mph (257 km/h). It must be noted that the standard soft top provided by the manufacturer is actually good for that speed, so you don’t need a special hardtop for that. One will be made available later down the line (and probably be made out of carbon fiber), but at launch canvas will be the only way to go.

The Alfa Romeo 4C is a fine-looking automobile both as a coupe and Spider, but for some people 237hp on a mid-engine sports car doesn’t seem like enough power. There are many hot hatches that have more potent engines, which is why many fans believe Alfa should build a more powerful GTA version.

There’s no official information about such a model though, and that can be either due to the 4C GTA being kept secret or to Alfa Romeo’s belief that the 4C is quick enough and doesn’t need more power. Truth be told, the standard 4C coupe sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, which is fast enough for most people.

But if the folks from Alfa Romeo were thinking about a 4C GTA, what would it look like? You don’t have to think too much about it, as you probably won’t get a better result than Photoshop artist X-Tomi. He imagined the 4C GTA would have more aggressive bumpers, a massive rear diffuser, quad exhausts, black wheels, a lowered suspension and larger brakes.

Oh, and he says the 1.75-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine could be tweaked to produce 280 hp, lowering the 0 to 100 km/h sprint time to 4 seconds flat. Who wouldn’t like that? I can’t think of anyone, except current 4C owners.

Winners will be offered an internship at the Alfa Romeo Style Centre

Alfa Romeo has launched an international design contest which asks fans to help create a livery for the 4C Safety Car that will be used in the Superbike World Championship.

The contest is open to everyone but Alfa Romeo is working with several universities including Delft, Elisava, IED, Marangoni, and the Royal College of Arts.

In order to participate, contestants will have to go to Draw Your Safety Car website and download a photo of the Alfa Romeo 4C. Fans can then create their livery design and submit up to three pictures through the site.

On March 19th, a panel of experts - that includes designers and Alfa Romeo managers - will access the submissions and select the top three proposals. The winning designs will each be used for three Superbike World Championship events and the creators of the winning designs will be offered an internship at the Alfa Romeo Style Centre - FCA Design Department in Turin.

If you're into light weight, pure enthusiasm-type of convertibles, then you should be on the lookout on March 3, when the new Alfa Romeo 4C Spider makes its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Coupe version will also be present, with more standard features and a wider range of options, but it will most likely give up the spotlight in favor of the 4C Spider.

The Spider is obviously very similar to the Coupe, except when viewed from the back where it features a more pronounced rear end and a body-colored engine cover, complete with 3 heat extractors and a beautiful yet subtle spoiler.

Up front you'll find new projector-style xenon headlights as standard, and as for that wonderful Giallo (yellow) color you see in these images, that's also new.

In order to turn the Coupe into a Spider, Alfa built a new aluminum rollover structure, a custom carbon fiber windscreen frame and a high-strength steel engine compartment cross-member. And because protecting the passengers from the elements is very important, Alfa Romeo will also release an optional carbon fiber hardtop.

Performance-wise, the new Alfa 4C Spider will debut the central-mounted optional Akrapovic titanium exhaust system, finished with carbon fiber bezels and offering switchable modes, selectable by the driver. There's also a new carbon fiber air intake system alongside a number of all-new wheel designs in either 17/18" front/rear or 18/19" sizes.

The 4C Spider is powered by the same 240 HP TBi engine as the Coupe, which means it can get on with it in a hurry when you put your foot down. The resulting 0 to 60 mph time of less than 4.5 seconds is mighty impressive. The Spider is also able to generate the same 1.1g of lateral acceleration and 1.25g of braking deceleration as the Coupe version.

Inside, you'll find a new audio system available with wide-ranging device connectivity, including Bluetooth and music streaming. To make things even better, the Spider's cabin can be trimmed in premium leather with accent stitching and carbon fiber vent surrounds which will make you feel like you're in much more of an exotic product than the badge would let you believe. A traditional tan leather interior will also be offered as an option.

Furthermore, 4C Coupe also benefits from a number of standard features which previously optional, such as the Hi-Fi sound system, luxury floor mats, Bi-LED headlights, an Alfa Romeo 4C car cover and car care kit, parking sensors and cruise control.

The projector-style headlights and Giallo paint will be made available as an option on the new Coupes later in the year.

Because the cars have better standard equipment, prices for the new Coupe now start from £51,500 OTR in the UK, while the 4C Spider will cost you £59,500 OTR.

Alfa's undistilled little 4C isn't quite like anything else on the market, a look at the little-known bible that rules all cars in the U.S. and the top 5 ways electronics have made cars better.

Alfa Romeo is back in the US, and Brian Cooley tells you how its 4C sets the table for models yet to come.