Automotive

Alfa Romeo previews 4C Spider, production slated for 2015

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Alfa Romeo reveals the 4C Spider Design Preview at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show
A look at the leather and carbon fiber inside the 4C Spider (Photo: CC Weiss/ Gizmag.com)
Alfa Romeo 4C Spider from above
The Alfa Romeo 4C will soon be available with a proper soft top (Photo: CC Weiss/ Gizmag.com)
The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider (Photo: Alfo Romeo)
The 4C coupé at the Geneva Motor Show
Alfa Romeo reveals the 4C Spider Design Preview at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show
The Alfa Romeo 4C (Photo: Alfo Romeo)
The Alfa Romeo 4C (Photo: Alfo Romeo)
The Design Preview includes new headlamps (Photo: CC Weiss/ Gizmag.com)
The Spider is powered by the same 1.8-liter turbo four as the coupé (Photo: CC Weiss/ Gizmag.com)
A look at the leather and carbon fiber inside the 4C Spider (Photo: CC Weiss/ Gizmag.com)
Alfa saves weight by eliminating the rear windshield (Photo: CC Weiss/ Gizmag.com)
The Akrapovic exhaust system has titanium and carbon fiber exhaust tips (Photo: CC Weiss/ Gizmag.com)
The 4C coupé at the Geneva Motor Show
Alfa Romeo reveals the 4C Spider Design Preview at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show
Alfa Romeo uses carbon fiber roll bars to help keep the weight close to that of the coupé (Photo: CC Weiss/ Gizmag.com)
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Ever since we first laid eyes on the Alfa Romeo 4C, we've been thinking that the top just needs to come down. The ultralight two-seater looks made to drive with the air rushing through your hair, and a convertible version is finally on the way. Alfa Romeo revealed the 4C Spider last week at the Geneva Motor Show.

While it's called a "Design Preview," this appears to be nothing more than a technicality because this car looks like it's ready to roll into dealerships as is. Alfa says that it will begin Spider production early next year.

In order to give the 4C the proper roof shaving it's long deserved, Alfa strengthened the structure of the car to meet convertible regulations. As usual, this process added weight, but the Italian automaker was able to keep that addition to around 132 lb (60 kg) thanks to the use of carbon fiber roll bars, spoilers and windshield surround. The elimination of the rear windshield and the soft canvas top also helped. The convertible maintains the 40:60 front-rear weight distribution of the coupé.

The Spider is powered by the same 1.8-liter turbo four as the coupé (Photo: CC Weiss/ Gizmag.com)

Taking the extra 132 lbs into account, the Spider should weigh in just north of 2,100 lb (955 kg), giving it performance "all but identical" to the 4C coupé's 4.5-second 0-62 mph (100 km/h) and 160 mph (258 km/h) top speed. Those numbers come by way of the same 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder driving the rear wheels through Alfa's six-speed dual clutch TCT transmission.

Simply prying the top off the 4C would have been more than plenty, but Alfa also gave the Spider a few evolutionary updates. The Design Preview shows a new set of carbon fiber clamshell headlamps, along with new aluminum alloy wheels wrapped up tightly in bespoke Pirelli tires. We definitely prefer the simpler look of the new headlamps versus the multi-light bug eyes on the coupé, pictured below.

The 4C coupé at the Geneva Motor Show

Underneath its sensuous curves, the 4C Spider packs a new dual-stage central exhaust system from Akrapovic, a motorcycle and sports car exhaust specialist. The system offers enhanced performance and revised exhaust note at the push of a button.

Alfa Romeo 4C Spider from above

One of Alfa's selling points for the Spider version is opening up a better view of the interior to the outside world. As seen in Geneva, the cabin included an elegant contrast between rich leather and the underlying carbon fiber monocoque, which peeks through in places like the door sills, center console and rear bulkhead.

We would have preferred to see the debut 4C Spider dressed in one of the luscious reds that the hard-top has worn in the past and present, but Alfa explains that it chose three-layer gloss white because it believes the color emphasizes the car's shapes and surfaces particularly well. Still, please make it red next time, Alfa.

Source: Alfa Romeo

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1 comment
BigGoofyGuy
I think that is really nice. I think it would be nicer in blue (I like blue). :) While white might make the lines easier to see, I think another color would be better (white is - IMO - harder to keep clean).
I wonder how well it would do if it had the 400 hp 4 cyl engine that Nissan developed for its new race car?