How Does the Alfa 4C Stack Up Against the Toyota GT 86 / Scion FR-S and Porsche Cayman?

As the newest arrival and first sensibly priced (affordable might be kind of a stretch) rear-wheel driven Alfa Romeo since, well, the days of the Spider in the 1990s, the new mid-engine 4C has attracted some well-deserved attention from the press and gearheads alike, but does it make the cut against the competition?

That's what Autocar magazine's Steve Sutcliffe set to find out, at least partially, and by that, we mean on a twisty track.

Taking into consideration its mechanical layout and entry price in the UK at £45,000 (equal to $73,900 / €54,600), the 237hp Alfa 4C's direct competitor is a no brainer: the £41,616 ($68,400 / €50,500) Porsche Cayman (you can see how Carscoops readers voted in a poll between the two models here).

Just to shuffle things up and make the video review a bit more intriguing, Sutcliffe also brought along the Toyota GT 86 (Scion FR-S in North America). While not a real challenger to the 4-cylinder Alfa, it does have an excellent fun-to-price ratio that's really hard to overlook.

Since you don’t like spoilers, we'll just let take a look at the video below and then by all means, head to the comments for your thoughts.

Screenshots via Autocar/YouTube

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1962 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider Veloce 1600 is a Reminder of Italy’s Finest

While Alfa Romeo is gearing up (for the past…10 years) to become a global premium carmaker with the help of all-new products like the upcoming rear-wheel-drive Giulia sedan, it’s good to take a trip back in time to see a bit of the Milan-based carmaker's fabulous heritage.

In 1962, Alfa Romeo launched the Giulia sedan, along with the Giulia Sprint (coupe) and Giulia Spider (roadster). The latter two models were actually rebadged and updated versions of earlier Giulietta models, featuring 1.6-liter engines instead of 1.3-liter units. The Giulia Spider also had a performance version called Veloce (Italian for fast), and that’s exactly the type of car featured in the latest episode from Petrolicious.

The following video serves as a reminder of Alfa Romeo’s special place in the history of the automobile, and it’s also a pleasant way to find out what an automotive work of art like the Giulia Spider is like to own and to drive.

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Fiat to Focus on Alfa Revamp after Merger with Chrysler, Lancia will be Reduced to Italy Only

Now that Fiat has full control of Chrysler and a green light for the complete merger, Sergio Marchionne says the Italian carmaker will focus on revamping its Alfa Romeo brand. Production of new models from the iconic marque will remain in Italy, as Fiat wants to revive its European operation and protect jobs.

In an interview with Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper, Marchionne reassured unions and politicians that Italy will continue to play an important role in Fiat’s plans.

“Just as the Jeep is sold in the whole world but is American to the bone, so Alfa’s DNA has to be authentically all Italian.  It will indeed remain at home,” the CEO said. Marchionne added that the sporty Alfa Romeo brand can be successful globally, something the Fiat brand cannot. Furthermore, Alfa Romeo has the potential of far greater sales than Maserati.

The full acquisition of Chrysler will allow Fiat to direct investments into underutilized Italian plants and help reinstate the thousands of workers on temporary layoff schemes, the executive added.

Fiat will exit the low and medium segment of the market, instead focusing on developing models within the Panda and 500 families, Marchionne said. He added that Lancia would become a brand for the Italian market only, which can only mean a slow death for the once famous rally-brand.

The Fiat boss said the Mirafiori plant would built “something else” besides the Maserati SUV, but didn’t go into details. As for the other Italian plants, the Melfi facility will produce the Fiat 500X and the baby Jeep, while Pomigliano will continue to make the Fiat Panda and “maybe a second vehicle”. The Cassino plant is seen as the most suitable for an Alfa Romeo relaunch.

As for the rumored New York listing of the merged Fiat-Chrysler company, Marchionne said a potential move of the listing or headquarters outside Italy was symbolic and did not mean production would be transferred away.

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: La Repubblica via Reuters

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Does the Alfa Romeo 4C Really Sound that Bad?

YouTube uploader Marchettino recently posted a video showing the sexy rear end of an Alfa Romeo 4C, accompanied by the raspy note of its four-cylinder power plant that you either like or you don’t.

It’s definitely not one of the car’s strong points, that’s for sure, but then again, it’s hard to make a four-pot sound good these days, so I was kind of expecting it to be better…

It’s not the worst four-cylinder I’ve heard, but for some reason it doesn’t excite enough, at least not according to those who have had the chance to drive one. Alfa Romeo has made some great sounding V6 engines over the years, and one of those in naturally-aspirated form would have complimented the typically Italian styling well.

So, what do you think: is the sound made by the 4C bad enough to make it a deal breaker, given its price tag and prospective rivals? The comments section lies below.

By Andrei Nedelea

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