The 2011 Geneva Motor Show witnessed a compact and affordable “supercar” called the 4C Concept from Alfa Romeo. This is their concept car. The car has rear wheel drive and is a two seater coupe. The engine though is mid-mounted and production of the car is expected to start from 2012. This is how the Italian car maker describes their concept car the 4C “the true essence of a sports car, according to the brand values: performance, Italian style and technical excellence aimed at maximum driving pleasure in total safety.”
The concept car bears the name 4C for it is supposed to be a smaller version of the 8C Competizione by looks and design. The length of the car is 4 meters and the wheelbase is less than 2.4 meter. The agility that the car possesses as well as its compact nature is evident from these specifications.
Not merely looks but also by features that the 4C resembles the 8C. The material used is carbon fiber and aluminum for the real wheel drive system. The engine though is different in the 4C which is a 1.75 liter turbocharged four cylinder petrol and has been taken from the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde which delivers 200 hp. For transmission the concept has a twin dry clutch transmission dubbed as the “Alfa TCT”.
Weight of the car is just 850 kg or 1,874 lbs. Combine this with an engine rated at 200 hp and what you have is a healthy power to weight ratio of 4 kg/hp which makes the car a truly sporty one. More so with its carbon intensive components.
The low weight also gives the 4C an acceleration figure close to that of a sports car, which is 5 seconds for the 0 to 100 kmph sprint and top speeds of 250 kmph or 155 mph.
Better road handling and agility of the car is achieved due to the suspension mechanism as well as weight distribution which is 40 percent at the front and 60 percent at the rear. Alfa Romeo themselves state that these features are indeed unique and would remain so for the next few years.
Source: carscoop
