In Depth: Alfa Romeo's new 4C supercar proves that less is more and super fun too

Can supercar remain relevant in this energy-conscious, technology-obsessed age?

That's the conundrum du jour for car enthusiasts. And it's a question addressed head on by the fabulous new Alfa Romeo 4C mini supercar.

That's because Alfa hasn't just used tech for tech's sake with the 4C. It's taken the concept of what makes a supercar back to first principles. Then it's considered how to use the latest technology to deliver the best possible driving machine.

Crucially, however, Alfa has done all that with more than one eye on relevance and sustainability.

Tech specs

Before we decide whether Alfa has pulled it off, let's cover some of the based tech specs. First up, the 4C is based on a carbon fibre core structure with alloy subframes. That's not unusual these days for a supercar.

But it's a first on any remotely sporting car that sells for anything close to the 4C's circa £50,000 price tag ($80,000-plus in the US). Only the BMW i3 offers similar use of carbon tech for less money and that is an electric runabout, not any kind of sports car much less supercar.

The 4C is also much smaller than conventional supercars. The net result is an extremely low kerb weight quoted at 895kg.

The whole small-size, low-weight thing becomes a virtuous circle as it allows Alfa to specify a modest 1.7-litre four-cylinder engine. Thanks to turbo technology, it puts out 237bhp.

But, again, with that low weight the result is a zero-to-62mph sprint of just 4.5 seconds. Properly quick, then. At the same time, the 4C scores 41.5mpg on the combined cycle.

And that's a real 41.5mpg. Not the fake mpg achieved by some hybrid supercars (BMW i8, cough) thanks to grid-supplied charge effectively coming for free.

That plug-in hybrids do so well at the moment is a quirk of the current testing methods. So, we're here to say the Alfa 4C is likely the most efficient supercar you can buy.

In-car tech

Of course, top speed is more aero than weight-limited, so the 4C tops out at a relatively modest 160mph. But then, how often are you likely to be travelling beyond 150mph? Here, again, it's a question of what is relevant for a modern supercar.

As for other techy features, the gearbox is the latest dual-clutch robotised item, the driver's instrument cluster is a fully configurable LCD panel with virtual dials and the DNA toggle button allows you to quick-switch between various driving modes, including a track mode with the safety and stability controls turned off.

What the 4C doesn't have, however, is terribly impressive multimedia chops. There's a re-branded, Alfa-ised Parrot Asteroid single-din stereo and that's about it.

Adequate, perhaps. But a good multimedia system wouldn't add a great deal of weight and it's an area where Alfa Romeo as a brand currently lags really quite badly. Even the brand new Uconnect system from the recently revised Mito and Giulietta is well off the pace.

Performance

Anyway, the net result is that the package looks strong on paper, barring the somewhat mediocre multimedia. And the car looks absolutely fabulous on the road. So does the downsized supercar driving experience add up?

The answer is a qualified yes. In many regards, this is a much more fun and involving car than even the fastest supercars – and also Porsche's Cayman, which is probably the 4C's closest competitor in the price lists.

That's a function of the light weight, the unassisted steering and the firm, linear brake pedal. You feel more connected to the 4C than most modern performance cars and that means more fun at lower speeds.

Generally, the way the 4C flows down a road and particularly through high speed corners is quite delightful.

To be clear, that sense of fun at lower speeds doesn't mean less excitement. It means the excitement comes without the need to flirt with figures like 200mph.

Indeed, it's a measure of how much fun the 4C is to drive that the paddle-shift gearbox doesn't really detract from the involvement factor. There's plenty to keep you busy.

Speaking of which, the downside is a busier, less refined car to drive. There's a fair amount of tug and weave from the steering on less than perfect road surfaces.

For some – including us – that adds to the fun for this kind of car. It feels alive. For others, it may reduce the 4C to status of weekend toy.

Anyway, our only serious objection to the 4C is its engine. Not in terms of shove. But rather in terms of noise and response.

237bhp is a lot from a such a small engine and the result is quite a bit of lag. In truth, it doesn't sound that great, either, which is a great pity for such a fun, pretty performance car.

For our money, a 4C with a small V6 engine would be an absolute delight. But maybe in this emissions-conscious age it would detract too much from the overall proposition. We'd sure like to give it a try.

Verdict

There's an awful lot to recommend the 4C. It absolutely rumbles the usual supercar candidates for the overblown, irrelevant willy-waving exercises they surely are.

We reckon you'd have more fun driving an Alfa Romeo 4C on public roads than a McLaren P1 or Porsche 918 Spyder.

Carbon-fibre aside, the 4C doesn't do anything truly revolutionary. Nor does it sport any really ground-breaking technology. But it does pick and choose from the latest tech in an intelligent way to provide surprisingly pure driving thrills.

The Alfa Romeo 4C is on sale now in the UK starting at £45,000. Pricing in the US is expected to be around the $85,000 mark.

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