2020 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Review: One Of The Greats
There's something about Italian sports cars that grips the imagination of even the most humble of car fans, and for well over a century, Alfa Romeo has been building some of the best. From the 1966 Alfa Romeo 1600 Duetto Spider to the 1970s Montreal, Alfa Romeo has built some of the finest looking cars the world has ever seen, so why stop now? The 2020 4C Spider is a continuation of Alfa Romeo's long legacy of building beautiful cars that also drive well, and boy does this thing go. From its carbon fiber monocoque shell to its stripped out interior, the 4C Spider has clearly been designed to drive fast, and with only 237 horsepower, it relies on its light curb weight to punch well above its weight division. Going up against well-established competitors such as the brilliant Porsche 718 Boxster is never going to be easy, but with this much soul, the 4C might just stand a chance.
What's the Price of the 2020 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider?
It's amazing how manufacturers manage to charge customers more for less. Flash a lightweight edition of a sports car, and people will throw money at you from all directions. This theory applies to the 4C Spider. For an MSRP of $67,150, you get four wheels, a carbon fiber tub, and manual air conditioning. To most that would sound like a bum deal, but to those in the know, every single cent of that asking price will be worth it. For comparison, the Porsche Boxster starts off at $59,600, which might be cheaper, but the Porsche can't match the exotic appeal of the 4C Spider. For an extra $5,000 you can get your hands on the Italia version which offers a couple of appearance changes and some fancy plaques inside the cabin. Alfa does not include tax, registration or a delivery fee of $1,595 in its pricing.
Handling and Driving Impressions
Any racecar driver will tell you that the lower the weight, the better the car will handle. This is even common knowledge to most who have even the slightest interest in sports cars. This basic universal truth is at the core of the Alfa Romeo 4C. With a full carbon fiber monocoque and lightweight aluminum parts scattered around the body, the Alfa Romeo 4C takes full advantage of its light weight when it comes to hitting the bendy stuff. With a suspension setup that's perfectly tuned to carve corners and some relatively beefy tires, the 4C decimates corners in a way that we imagine a 1960s F1 cars would. It should be noted that city and low-speed driving reveals the 4C's harshness, but all is forgiven when pushing on, and beware the spines of those who go for the optional race-tuned suspension. Steering feel isn't great, especially at the limit, but with lots of grip on offer, launching out of corners becomes almost as addictive as just staring at it when parked. When driving the 4C close to its limits, all its faults seem to melt away.
Verdict: Is the 2020 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider A Good car?
What makes a good car these days? The lines between sedan, hatchback, and sports car are becoming more blurred by the day, just look at the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio for instance: it packs a 505 hp punch, will out-accelerate a Corvette, and offers enough space for the kids and dog. Luckily the two-door convertible sports car is a breed that cannot be tainted, and the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is one of the purest examples left. Firstly it should be noted that the 4C Spider is a flawed piece of machinery: It's harsh to drive on anything but the smoothest roads, and its cramped interior offers close to nothing in terms of features. Oh, and there might as well be no trunk. But overlook those niggles, and you're left with a car that makes us believe in driving again. It is a portal between man and machine, and besides looking good, exhilarates as few others can. It should go down in the history books as one of Alfa Romeo's greatest hits.
What Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Model Should I Buy?
First thing's first: the only paint color to go for is obviously the Rosso Competizione, but silver will also do. For wheels, we'd go with the 18-inch dark five-hole wheels, and get the calipers painted red. We'd also get the summer performance tires while we're at it. Inside, we'd go for the red and black microfiber and leather seats and the microfiber and leather steering wheel, as well as the carbon fiber halo. We'd skip out on the stiffer suspension but would definitely get the louder exhaust. There you have it: the perfect 4C Spider, according to us.For those looking for some more exclusivity, the Italia edition does offer some nifty extras such as a performance exhaust system and painted brake calipers, but we feel that it's more of a gimmick than anything else.
2020 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Comparisons
2020 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider vs Porsche 718 Boxster
The Boxster has gone from the poor man's 911 to a respected performance car in the past two decades and is arguably one of the best entry-level sports cars in the business. The latest iteration of the Boxster, the 718, is the best one yet, and once again sets the standard for two-door convertible sports cars. It's no less capable with its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine which produces a healthy 300 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. The Boxster in this state of tune will dip below the five-second zero to sixty mark but will be outgunned by the Alfa Romeo. So the Porsche might lack the outright pace but makes up for it with a more balanced ride, a more refined interior, and more practical storage space. Sounds boring right? It's actually the polar opposite; what the Boxster represents is sports car driving at its best blended with daily usability. However, if you have any warm blood coursing through your veins, you'd get the flawed, but beautiful Alfa Romeo 4C Spider for the one day a year when the stars align and the perfect drive beckons. For every other day of the year, the Boxster is better.
2020 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider vs Jaguar F-Type Convertible
When Jaguar first released the F-Type, we were blown away by its good looks, which is exactly the point, as this British bombshell is supposed to pay tribute to the all-time classic Jaguar E-Type. So it's just a pretty face then? Not quite. Under the skin of the F-Type lies an accomplished chassis and a range of impressive powertrains. For the sake of comparison, we'll only mention the turbocharged four-cylinder version, which produces 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque; significantly more than what you get in the 4C Spider. The F-Type in this form will sprint to sixty in the low five-second region. What we like about the F-Type is its relaxed yet capable approach to things; the turbocharged engine delivers strong performance, and its cornering capability is impressive, but it feels softer and less focused overall. As with the Alfa Romeo, the infotainment sucks, but the interior is spectacular when compared to the Italian and you do get more space. It might be pretty, but it ain't no 4C.