Alfa Romeo 4C
#34
Lexus Fanatic
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Alfa Romeo Promises Yearly Updates for the 4C, Doesn’t Rule Out Hardcore RS Model
Alfa Romeo’s flagship sports car, the 4C, will get regular updates each year to keep enthusiasm alive, the company’s marketing boss revealed.
“We made a promise, and that was every year we will tell you something new about 4C, Alfa Romeo’s head of marketing Alberto Cavaggioni told Top Gear. An example is the recently revealed 4C Spider pre-production study.
“The first update that you saw was the most important one and that’s the one you saw at Geneva this year. The Spider. We were very keen to make sure we were in a good position to present this car,” Cavaggioni said, adding that interest for the 4C Spider has been huge. Alfa Romeo is trying to bring it to market as soon as possible, with the target being early 2015.
The executive said that the life cycle of the 4C will be at least four to five years, and did not rule out a hardcore “RS” type model for the mid-engined sports car.
“I cannot tell you too much at the moment, but we’re working very hard to make sure the DNA of the brand will continue. We know many people and customers are asking for this kind of thing, and we look into them so we’ll see," Cavaggioni mentioned.
He added that the Alfa 4C has racked up around 1,700 orders in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The 4C has yet to be launched in other territories, too, including the very important U.S. market, with the 4C marking Alfa Romeo’s return there.
“We made a promise, and that was every year we will tell you something new about 4C, Alfa Romeo’s head of marketing Alberto Cavaggioni told Top Gear. An example is the recently revealed 4C Spider pre-production study.
“The first update that you saw was the most important one and that’s the one you saw at Geneva this year. The Spider. We were very keen to make sure we were in a good position to present this car,” Cavaggioni said, adding that interest for the 4C Spider has been huge. Alfa Romeo is trying to bring it to market as soon as possible, with the target being early 2015.
The executive said that the life cycle of the 4C will be at least four to five years, and did not rule out a hardcore “RS” type model for the mid-engined sports car.
“I cannot tell you too much at the moment, but we’re working very hard to make sure the DNA of the brand will continue. We know many people and customers are asking for this kind of thing, and we look into them so we’ll see," Cavaggioni mentioned.
He added that the Alfa 4C has racked up around 1,700 orders in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The 4C has yet to be launched in other territories, too, including the very important U.S. market, with the 4C marking Alfa Romeo’s return there.
#35
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Alfa Romeo Returning to North America Via New York
Add Alfa Romeo’s North American return to the list of reasons why visiting this year’s New York Auto Show will be worthwhile.
More than a year after Alfa Romeo debuted its 4C sports car in Geneva, the company will mark its re-entry to the U.S. market by displaying the car in New York. Waffling news from parent company Fiat about the brand’s North American return still leaves question marks about where the car will be sold. But one thing is certain: potential customers who haven’t seen the car overseas will have a chance to look at it in person from April 18 to 27 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
Some Chrysler dealers chose to take on Fiat sales with an understanding that they would also be allowed to sell Alfa Romeo products, but it still isn’t clear if that will actually be the case. Instead, the carbon fiber sports cars might be distributed through the existing Maserati dealer network, or some mix of both. It still isn’t clear.
The car uses a turbocharged 1.75-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 240 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Alfa Romeo only plans to built 3,500 copies of the 4C per year before slicing that number up for distribution across the markets where it is being sold including the U.S.
More than a year after Alfa Romeo debuted its 4C sports car in Geneva, the company will mark its re-entry to the U.S. market by displaying the car in New York. Waffling news from parent company Fiat about the brand’s North American return still leaves question marks about where the car will be sold. But one thing is certain: potential customers who haven’t seen the car overseas will have a chance to look at it in person from April 18 to 27 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
Some Chrysler dealers chose to take on Fiat sales with an understanding that they would also be allowed to sell Alfa Romeo products, but it still isn’t clear if that will actually be the case. Instead, the carbon fiber sports cars might be distributed through the existing Maserati dealer network, or some mix of both. It still isn’t clear.
The car uses a turbocharged 1.75-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 240 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Alfa Romeo only plans to built 3,500 copies of the 4C per year before slicing that number up for distribution across the markets where it is being sold including the U.S.
#36
Lexus Fanatic
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Alfa 4C Buyers Will Be Able To Ditch Bug-Like Lights For 4C Spider’s Cleaner Look
When Alfa Romeo first revealed the production 4C sports car, many were surprised that the elegant twin-lens design of the original concept’s headlights were replaced with units dotted with a handful of tiny lenses that resembled the eyes of an insect. At the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo revealed a new 4C Spider concept, which showed that designers have since reverted back to a twin-lens design.
According to Autocar, buyers of the 4C coupe will have the option of the standard bug-like units or the more elegant set from the 4C Spider concept. Interestingly, the production 4C Spider, due sometime in 2015, is said to be coming with only the more elegant set.
Alfa Romeo never explained why it implemented the dramatic change for the headlight design when moving from the concept stage to production for the 4C, though there were claims it had to do with speeding up the car's regulatory approval process.
We should get U.S. specifications for the 4C in the coming months, as the car is said to be finally arriving in local showrooms this June, well past the original promise date of late 2013. The car will initially be sold at select Fiat and Maserati stores and is expected to be priced at around $54,000.
According to Autocar, buyers of the 4C coupe will have the option of the standard bug-like units or the more elegant set from the 4C Spider concept. Interestingly, the production 4C Spider, due sometime in 2015, is said to be coming with only the more elegant set.
Alfa Romeo never explained why it implemented the dramatic change for the headlight design when moving from the concept stage to production for the 4C, though there were claims it had to do with speeding up the car's regulatory approval process.
We should get U.S. specifications for the 4C in the coming months, as the car is said to be finally arriving in local showrooms this June, well past the original promise date of late 2013. The car will initially be sold at select Fiat and Maserati stores and is expected to be priced at around $54,000.
#38
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Alfa Romeo hints at hotter 4C
Current version has 240 PS
Alfa Romeo's CEO Harald Wester indirectly confirmed the 4C will receive a high-performance version sometime in the future.
Alfa Romeo has a lot riding on the 4C as it's a model which can basically make or break the Italian marque so they have to make the most of their lightweight rear-wheel drive coupe. The existing version puts out 240 PS (176 kW) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) from its tiny yet punchy 4-cylinder, 1.75-liter turbocharged gasoline engine but the company's CEO says the chassis has what it takes to handle more power and "there is space" to increase the current 134 PS / liter ratio of the engine.
This statement doesn't come really as a surprise since back in October last year there was a rumor about Alfa Romeo planning a Stradale derivative with 269 PS (198 kW) based on a track-only 4C Racing variant.
In related news, Harald Wester also said the U.S.-spec model required a lot of work, including a reinforced and tweaked suspension as well as different front & rear frames. They also modified the monocoque and installed more goodies as standard equipment while the bug-eyed headlights of the European version were replaced with those of the 4C Spider concept.
Alfa Romeo plans on selling approximately 800-900 units of the 4C this year in United States once the model goes on sale this June. Pricing details have not been disclosed yet but Wester said it will start at around 55,000 USD and go up to 70,000 USD for the fully-loaded model.
Alfa Romeo's CEO Harald Wester indirectly confirmed the 4C will receive a high-performance version sometime in the future.
Alfa Romeo has a lot riding on the 4C as it's a model which can basically make or break the Italian marque so they have to make the most of their lightweight rear-wheel drive coupe. The existing version puts out 240 PS (176 kW) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) from its tiny yet punchy 4-cylinder, 1.75-liter turbocharged gasoline engine but the company's CEO says the chassis has what it takes to handle more power and "there is space" to increase the current 134 PS / liter ratio of the engine.
This statement doesn't come really as a surprise since back in October last year there was a rumor about Alfa Romeo planning a Stradale derivative with 269 PS (198 kW) based on a track-only 4C Racing variant.
In related news, Harald Wester also said the U.S.-spec model required a lot of work, including a reinforced and tweaked suspension as well as different front & rear frames. They also modified the monocoque and installed more goodies as standard equipment while the bug-eyed headlights of the European version were replaced with those of the 4C Spider concept.
Alfa Romeo plans on selling approximately 800-900 units of the 4C this year in United States once the model goes on sale this June. Pricing details have not been disclosed yet but Wester said it will start at around 55,000 USD and go up to 70,000 USD for the fully-loaded model.
#40
Porsche and Lotus fighter puts Alfa Romeo back on track
Alfa Romeo still does -- and probably always will -- mean something special to enthusiasts. Perhaps it's just the magic of the name, but when Alfa announced it would produce a car with a carbon fibre tub, a total dry kerb weight of under 900kg and 240bhp, we expected something very special indeed.
A quick call to former British Touring Car hero Anthony Reid was all we needed to find out how special. Watch the video for Anthony's thoughts after he pitted the car against the testing Goodwood hillclimb.
Alfa Romeo still does -- and probably always will -- mean something special to enthusiasts. Perhaps it's just the magic of the name, but when Alfa announced it would produce a car with a carbon fibre tub, a total dry kerb weight of under 900kg and 240bhp, we expected something very special indeed.
A quick call to former British Touring Car hero Anthony Reid was all we needed to find out how special. Watch the video for Anthony's thoughts after he pitted the car against the testing Goodwood hillclimb.
#41
Lexus Fanatic
The latest news I've seen is that 500 of the 4Cs will be shipped to the U.S. this year....the first 100 or so in June or July. Alfa is not going to bother setting up their own shops (which makes sense, given the initial low-volume). Fiat and Maserati dealerships will handle sales and service....though it is possible that not all of the Fiat/Maserati dealerships will actually be getting any Alfas the first year, since only 500 will be sold in the U.S.
#42
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
U.S.-spec Alfa Romeo 4C is 342 lbs fatter than Euro model, priced at 55,195 USD
Has a 1,050 kg (2,314 lbs) dry weight
More details have emerged about the U.S.-spec Alfa Romeo 4C set to go on sale later this year.
While the Euro-spec model tips the scales at 895 kg (1,973 lbs), the American variant has gained 155 kg (342 lbs) so it now has a dry weight of 1,050 kg (2,314 lbs). The considerable weight difference comes from a stronger carbon fiber tub as well as additional safety equipment.
Besides revealing the car's weight, Alfa Romeo announced pricing will kick off at 53,900 USD, without taking into account the additional 1,295 USD destination charges which bump price to 55,195 USD. There's also a Launch Edition limited to 500 examples and priced at 69,695 USD (including destination) which comes with sport exhaust and suspension, bigger dark-look alloys, individually numbered plaque along with other enhancements.
Alfa Romeo has already revealed plans to offer the 4C at 86 dealerships in United States and Canada. Deliveries will commence in the following months, effectively marking Alfa's return to the U.S. after an almost 20-year hiatus.
More details have emerged about the U.S.-spec Alfa Romeo 4C set to go on sale later this year.
While the Euro-spec model tips the scales at 895 kg (1,973 lbs), the American variant has gained 155 kg (342 lbs) so it now has a dry weight of 1,050 kg (2,314 lbs). The considerable weight difference comes from a stronger carbon fiber tub as well as additional safety equipment.
Besides revealing the car's weight, Alfa Romeo announced pricing will kick off at 53,900 USD, without taking into account the additional 1,295 USD destination charges which bump price to 55,195 USD. There's also a Launch Edition limited to 500 examples and priced at 69,695 USD (including destination) which comes with sport exhaust and suspension, bigger dark-look alloys, individually numbered plaque along with other enhancements.
Alfa Romeo has already revealed plans to offer the 4C at 86 dealerships in United States and Canada. Deliveries will commence in the following months, effectively marking Alfa's return to the U.S. after an almost 20-year hiatus.