Heading
Close X
Menu
11.03.2015
The Alfa Romeo 4C is one of the most hotly anticipated cars of the 21st century. Billed as a return to Alfa’s roots, it wowed the public when it debuted as a concept at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Alfa promised a breathtakingly beautiful compact supercar, built with the latest technology to inspire driving excitement for less than £50,000. It was a bold move. But there remained a question on every fan’s lips: would it be a true Alfa?
It definitely was for Chris Byrne. He’s been an Alfa Romeo fan since childhood, and when the 4C was first unveiled, he fell for it instantly. An engineer by trade, Chris appreciated the car for more than just the beauty and speed it promised; radical design choices in the car’s development make it more supercar than sports car and appeal to the technically-minded.
Chris placed his order with Johnsons Alfa Romeo immediately. Hundreds were waiting to get their hands on the first 4Cs in the UK, but Johnsons chose Chris for his fiery passion for the brand. Just as well – he had to wait for a year after he ordered his car as the 4C underwent further development at the Alfa factory as more weight-saving efforts and design changes delayed the order. The company wanted to make their first production sports car in decades perfect before delivering it the public.
Chris took delivery of one of only 60 launch edition 4Cs sent to the UK, and one of the most remarkable cars on the road today. Other customers will have to wait a few more months to get their hands on the regular production series cars.
They must be nearly as excited as Chris. The 4C is a game-changing car with features that no other company has yet approached. Splitting the difference between the hardcore Lotus Elise and road-focused Porsche Cayman, the 4C’s construction and statistics are revolutionary.
Weighing in at just 895kg without fuel (about as much as a small city car) the 4C is packed with clever ways to save weight. This matters for engineers and drivers: lighter cars accelerate and stop faster, tend to have better handling (as there’s less weight to change direction) and get better mileage. The most impressive aspect of the car is the carbon-fibre tub that surrounds the driver and forms the backbone of the car. At just 52kg, it’s incredibly light and gives the car great rigidity and strength. It also makes Alfa Romeo one of the largest-scale carbon fibre car manufacturers in the world.
It’s not all futuristic materials though. The door pulls are made of leather, and the pedals of aluminium. There’s very little trim in the cabin – just exposed carbon fibre. The entire car is an exercise in weight-cutting. There’s not even any power steering – just a straight manual rack. The engine is mounted in the middle for balanced weight distribution.
That engine is smaller and lighter than you might expect. The 4C hardly needs a bellowing V8 to get up to license-losing speeds as it already weighs so little; instead Alfa fitted an all-new version of their 1750cc turbo four. Switching the engine block from cast iron to aluminium saved another 22kg. Now fitted with direct injection, variable valve timing and a huge 1.5 bar of boost from the turbo, the engine pumps out a lunatic 240bhp at its peak. It’s especially urgent in the midrange, taking the 4C from 0 to 60 in just 4.5 seconds. It works through a 6-speed double-clutch gearbox that in some cases will shift faster than a Ferrari 458.
Yet despite the supercar thrills, the 4C only costs sports car bills. Thanks to low weight and a small engine, it achieves 41.5mpg and emits only 159g/km of CO2. Most impressively of all, at £45,000 it’s a performance bargain. With stunning looks, rapid pace through corners and straights, a totally unique chassis and a better power-to-weight ratio than a Porsche Cayman S it’s little wonder Chris was so pleased to take delivery of his. It’s a proper Alfa.
Keep your eyes peeled around Swindon for his car – sitting low to the ground in Satin White it’s hard to miss. Still more will be coming to Johnsons Alfa Romeo Swindon soon – perhaps you’d like one in classic Alfa Red.
Whatever your question or feedback we are here to help. So please feel free to contact us.
Immerse yourself even deeper. Visit our social channels.
Johnsons Cars Limited is an appointed representative of ITC Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (their registration number is 313486) and which is permitted to advise on and arrange general insurance contracts as an intermediary.
Johnsons Cars Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (our registration number is 688450. Permitted activities include acting as a credit broker not a lender.
As an FCA regulated credit broker we can introduce you to a selected group of lenders / brokers (see below) who may be able to help you finance your purchase. This group of lenders / brokers provides us with a range of products which may be suitable for your purchase. We will explain the key features of those products to you.
Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited, Evolution Funding Limited, Santander Consumer (UK) plc, Honda Finance Europe PLC, CA Auto Finance UK Ltd, Suzuki Financial Services Limited, Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Limited, Hyundai Capital UK Limited, Stellantis Financial Services Uk Limited, Toyota Financial Services (UK) PLC, FCE Bank Plc,
We are a credit broker and not a lender. We can introduce you to a limited number of lenders and their finance products, we act as their agent for this introduction. We are not an independent financial advisor; we will provide details of products available. We may advise you on the products, subject to your personal circumstances, though you are not obliged to take our advice or recommendation.
We do not charge you a fee for our services. we will typically receive commission from whichever lender we introduce you to (either a fixed fee or a fixed percentage of the amount you borrow).
Unless we consider it to be inappropriate given your personal circumstances, for certain vehicles e.g. New, our approach is to introduce you to the lender who are usually able to offer the best available package for you, taking into account interest rates, residual valuations (where applicable) and other contributions. If they are unable to make you an offer of finance, or the vehicle is not one that we would normally place with them we will introduce you to other lenders on our panel. The lender we introduce you to and available rates will depend upon a number of factors including: the vehicle, your personal circumstances and the likelihood of a lender to accept an application based on information provided.
Lenders typically pay a commission to us for introducing you to them, calculated by reference to the vehicle model or amount you borrow. Different lenders may pay different commissions for such introductions; some lenders may also provide preferential rates to us for the funding of our vehicle stock and also provide financial support for our training and marketing. But any such amounts they and other lenders pay us will not affect the amounts you pay under your finance agreement, all of which are set by the lender concerned. If you would like to know the amount of any remuneration we have received from the finance provider, please ask us.
All finance applications are subject to status, terms and conditions apply, UK residents only, 18’s or over, Guarantees may be required. View our full finance disclosure.
