Alfa Romeo 4C

Only 500 serialized 2015 4C Launch Edition coupes will be available through 86 Alfa Romeo dealerships this summer with a MSRP of $68,400; followed by the a standard 4C coupe arriving in the fall with a MSRP of $53,900

• Arriving in the third-quarter, the all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C coupe spearheads the Italian sports car brand’s return to North America with an MSRP as low as $53,900
• Mid-engine proportions and inspiration from the brand’s racing traditions highlight Alfa Romeo 4C’s purposeful design for maximum performance
• Unique set of advanced materials and technological solutions from Formula 1: carbon fiber monocoque, aluminum chassis structures and a composite body shell for an ultra-lightweight design with supercar-level performance
• State-of-the-art powertrain technology: all-aluminum 1750 cc direct-injection turbocharged engine with intercooler, dual variable-valve timing and advanced scavenging technology is paired to a blistering fast Alfa TCT (twin-clutch transmission) with Alfa DNA selector
• Excellence made in Italy: Alfa Romeo 4C combines the best technical and manufacturing competencies of two brands, Alfa Romeo and Maserati

June 14, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Alfa Romeo is taking the supercar segment by storm – offering the all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C coupe at a fraction of the price of other exotic supercars, thanks to groundbreaking Italian design and a unique set of technological solutions that are authentic and fully respect the brand’s DNA and motorsport tradition.

“The all-new 4C marks the return of ‘the great Alfa Romeos` and represents the purest formation of the brand’s DNA with its supercar-levels of performance and innovation, all while focusing on making the driver an integral part and completion of the machine,” said Harald Wester, CEO of Alfa Romeo. “With its technological solutions derived directly from Formula 1, the Alfa Romeo 4C creates an infusion of body and machine, an extension of its driver’s soul that is ready, capable and willing to respond and deliver.”

The Alfa Romeo brand’s return this summer will start with the uniquely appointed and individually serialized (1 – 500) Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition with a MSRP of $68,400; followed by the standard 4C coupe arriving in the fall with a MSRP of $53,900 (both exclude $1,295 destination). An initial group of 86 Alfa Romeo dealers will be the first to sell the limited-edition 4C Launch Edition coupe and proceeding 4C coupe.

Designed to be innovative and revolutionary

The all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C highlights the brand’s DNA that separates it from all the other marques:

• Most advanced and innovative engines
• A nearly perfect 50-50 weight balance
• A unique set of technical solutions
• Class exclusive power-to-weight ratios
• Groundbreaking design, functional and distinctly Italian

Acronym 4C

The Alfa Romeo 4C is inspired by the century-old tradition of Alfa Romeo and projects the brand's authentic values into the future: Italian style, performance and engineering excellence, offering maximum driving satisfaction in total safety. The “4C” name recalls Alfa Romeo's great sporting tradition: the acronyms 8C and 6C in the 1930s and 1940s distinguished racing and road cars fitted with powerful eight and six cylinder engines. The 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C model’s designation continues this tradition with the latest all-aluminum 1750 cc turbocharged direct injection four-cylinder engine.

A tradition of essential beauty and function

The inspiration for the all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C dates back to the 1967 33 Stradale, the homologated version of the racing Type 33, which is considered one of the most beautiful cars of all time. Like the 33 Stradale that combined extreme mechanical and functional requirements with undeniable Alfa Romeo style and performance – the 4C coupe shares its body forms and follows this performance tradition with an undoubtedly Italian-styled composite body “clothing,” a state-of-the-art carbon fiber and aluminum structure, and a high-performance turbocharged engine.

With a purpose-built cockpit inspired by the legendary 1967 33 Stradale, entering the interior of the all-new Alfa Romeo 4C means entering a world derived from motorsport – only essential components for performance are integrated. Two composite-framed sport seats, thermoformed dashboard and exposed carbon fiber monocoque highlight the coupe’s technological uniqueness. Furthermore, a driver-oriented cockpit with flat-bottom performance steering wheel with paddle-shift controls and aluminum pedals speak to the brand’s racing spirit. Emphasizing the Alfa Romeo 4C’s advanced technology and focus on lightweight technical solutions is a 7-inch full-color thin-film transistor (TFT) instrument cluster that displays simple, high-impact graphics to keep the driver focused on the road, or track ahead.

Ultra-lightweight: carbon fiber, aluminum and composites structures

To create the ultra-lightweight architecture needed for maximum performance and dynamic efficiency, Alfa Romeo 4C engineers looked to Formula 1 and only the most advanced supercars for state-of-the-art materials. The result is a monocoque made entirely of carbon fiber that delivers extraordinary stiffness and strength. Attached to the Alfa Romeo 4C’s exotic monocoque are front and rear cell structures, roof reinforcements and an engine-mounting frame made from lightweight aluminum.

Alfa Romeo engineers continued the use of state-of-the-art materials by creating the bodywork entirely of SMC (Sheet Molding Compound), a low-density, high-strength composite material that is 20 percent lighter and dimensionally more rigid than steel. Providing the ability to create complex shapes while saving weight by 20 percent compared to steel are PUR-RIM (injected polyurethane) fascias and rear spoiler. Engineers even optimized the Alfa Romeo 4C’s windshield and side windows by using 10 percent thinner glass to reduce weight by up to 15 percent.

Finally, two sport seats feature a carbon fiber and fiberglass reinforced-composite structure to deliver the strength and seating position needed for performance driving.

June 22, 2014